ULA Names Aerojet Rocketdyne West Palm Beach, an L3Harris Technologies Company, as Supplier of the Year

Decatur, Ala., Sept. 12, 2024 – United Launch Alliance (ULA) recently honored 10 suppliers with 2024 Supplier of the Year Awards for their dedicated support across ULA’s product lines. Strategic supplier partnerships remain paramount as ULA anticipates an unprecedented growth in production for the innovative Vulcan program and doubling the launch rate to support Amazon’s Kuiper missions. 

“ULA’s suppliers are truly key to our continued overall success, and we are grateful for the professionalism and partnership they demonstrate each and every day,” said ULA’s President and CEO Tory Bruno. “It is an honor to recognize the best of the best this year and their commitment to our country’s most critical missions.”

·ULA Supplier of the Year – Aerojet Rocketdyne West Palm Beach, an L3Harris Technologies Company

Aerojet Rocketdyne, located in Jupiter, Fla., far exceeded expectations to ramp up their supply chain to partner with us to meet our high launch cadence, included a build-ahead plan and investments in tooling and successful setup of a second test stand.

·Most Innovative Supplier of the Year – Forgital Group

Located in Houston, Texas, the Forgital Group manufactures both small and large-diameter aluminum and stainless-steel forgings.

·Production Operations Supplier of the Year – AMI Metals, Inc.

AMI Metals is located in Brentwood, Tenn., and consistently provides quick responses and alternative solutions to ULA's requests to help secure the materials that are needed to support Vulcan development and ULA strategic initiatives.

 ·Extra Mile Supplier of the Year – M&J Precision

M&J is a small, woman-owned business located in Decatur, Ala., providing machined parts for all ULA sites including the production facilities and launch operations. M&J is the only supplier across the ULA supply base to receive three consecutive Supplier of the Year Awards in multiple categories, as well as a previous win as Small Business Supplier of the Year.

·Outstanding Quality Supplier of the Year – ATI, Inc.

Located in Natrona Heights, Penn., ATI Inc. has worked diligently with ULA to make the stainless steel that is needed to support the build of the upper stage Centaur tanks. 

·Services Supplier of the Year – Sey Tec, Inc.

Sey Tec is a small, woman-owned business located in North Richland Hills, Texas, that has been ULA's vendor managed material fastener service supplier since 2018. Sey Tec supplies over 4,000 parts to ULA, while maintaining a 99.96 percent fill rate.

·Complex Components Suppliers of the Year – Chemring Energetic Devices, Inc.

Located in Downers Grove, Ill., Chemring partnered with ULA during one of the largest ordnance procurements to date, achieving not only overall cost target goals but extending their product base within ULA by committing to a full hardware redesign that supports the future of the program.

·Launch Operations Supplier of the Year – Astrotech Space Operations, LLC.

Astrotech, located in Titusville, Fla., provides payload processing and propellant services for ULA and is a proven and reliable supplier demonstrating ongoing flexibility, creative problem solving, and willingness to approach difficult problems.

· Government Operations Supplier of the Year – TW Metals

The TW Metals team is located in Forest Park, Ga., and is always very helpful with expediting orders for tubing and different raw material needs for ULA. Be it big or small orders, they are quick and efficient with getting what is needed in a short lead time.

·Small Business Supplier of the Year – AR Tech

AR Tech is a woman-owned small business in Fontana, Calif., that provides many of ULA’s multi-layer, insulated custom blankets as well as many vehicle-unique projects that require their expertise.

·Partner Supplier of the Year – Aerojet Rocketdyne West Palm Beach, an L3Harris Technologies Company

Over the last year, Aerojet Rocketdyne has increased its production rate of the RL10 upper stage engine to align with ULA’s accelerated production cadence and has exceeded the delivery plan to build ahead, protecting the ULA production system as they reach qualification schedule milestones of their new engine. 

All rockets are not created equal. ULA is the nation’s most experienced, reliable, and accurate launch service provider delivering unmatched value, a tireless drive to improve, and commitment to the extraordinary. Vulcan’s inaugural launch marked the beginning of a new era of space capabilities and provides higher performance and greater affordability while offering the world’s only high energy architecture rocket to deliver any payload, at any time, to any orbit.
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