Governor Larry Hogan Leads Delegation of Maryland Businesses to Paris Air Show

World’s Largest Aerospace Show Attracts More Than 2,300 International Exhibitors

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Larry Hogan is leading a delegation of eight Maryland businesses to the 52nd Paris Air Show, the world’s largest aerospace industry event. The State of Maryland will highlight a promotional booth at the weeklong show, which kicks off Monday, June 19 at Le Bourget Airport, where participating Maryland businesses will showcase their products and services. The governor and executive team will meet with many of the world’s top aerospace companies to promote the state’s thriving aerospace industry and to actively recruit investments and jobs for Maryland.

“Attending the Paris Air Show puts Maryland and our job creators in front of the senior decision-makers at top aerospace companies, as well as more than 2,300 international exhibitors looking to buy and sell products and services,” said Governor Hogan. “Our goal is to connect our Maryland companies with new trade and investment opportunities and to reinforce to this critical audience that Maryland is open for business.”

The Maryland companies exhibiting at the event are: ASTec Metalworks in Middle River; Applied Defense Solutions in Columbia; Jackson and Tull in Greenbelt; OCR Services in Rockville; Orbit Logic in Greenbelt; Planar Monolithics in Frederick; Tecore Networks in Hanover; and WGS Systems in Frederick. The majority of the companies attending received an ExportMD grant from Maryland Commerce to help offset the cost of the show.

“Home to key federal agencies, higher-education institutions, and many of the world’s top aerospace companies, Maryland is well-equipped to provide companies with the resources and workforce they need to succeed,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill, who is accompanying the governor on this economic development mission. “The Paris Air Show is one of the best opportunities to not only increase Maryland’s visibility in the global market, but also promote the state’s outstanding climate for aerospace to international companies looking to expand in the United States.”

“We’re excited to be travelling as part of the Maryland delegation for the Paris Air Show,” said WGS Systems CEO Bob Wise. “This venue enables us to showcase our latest manned and unmanned airborne surveillance technologies to many international and domestic customers over a very short period of time. We take advantage of the distinctive Maryland booth, packing our schedule full of meetings throughout the week to maximize the impact of our trip.”

Maryland remains a leader in the aerospace and defense industries. In addition to its highly skilled workforce and critical mass of companies, Maryland offers the benefit of proximity to many federal agencies, including NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Joint Base Andrews, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Maryland is also home to 70 of the top 100 aerospace companies in the U.S., including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, BAE Systems, and General Dynamics. In addition, the state has many of the top defense contractors, making it one of the world’s most competitive and extensive aerospace and defense clusters.

Following the Paris Air Show, Governor Hogan, Secretary Gill, and senior members of the administration will travel to London for a series of economic development meetings with high-level international companies poised to establish or grow operations in Maryland.