Dear Customers, Partners, Colleagues,
“I Have a Dream” is a public speech delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. on August 28, 1963. It is my favorite speech of all time.
I was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. My family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1989, where I became an American Citizen. I obtained my MBA at the University of Southern California (USC) and initially worked in a variety of purchasing and procurement management positions for companies such as Hyundai Motors USA and Bralco Metals.
In 1995, I made the leap into entrepreneurship and started my own business in aerospace raw materials distribution, California Metal, based in Los Angeles California. We have grown to serve virtually all of the largest aerospace industry OEM’s and Top-Tier suppliers, including winning the prestigious Boeing Performance Excellence Award four sequential years in a row.
In April 2013, I had a dream to build a great aerospace manufacturing company in my home country, Korea. Kencoa Aerospace Corporation started from the scratch. No office, No building, No contracts, Nothing. Just 5 employees with the mobile container office.
In less than 3 years, now we have survived the startup period and have built a successful company with over 200 employees. Kencoa was the first SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) to manufacture a complete aircraft in Korea, the KT-100 Air Force Trainer. Additionally we manufacture major assemblies our factory, such as the complete Boeing 777 Leading Edge Wing, which we drop ship directly to the OEM’s assembly factory. We are very proud of our Kencoa team for these accomplishments.
Now we have a bigger dream!
In 2016 we acquired Heart of Georgia Metal Crafters (HGMC) located on a regional airport industrial park in Eastman Georgia, a Tier-1 supplier of precision machined components and sheetmetal fabrications to Boeing, Lockheed, Gulfstream, GKN, and other top commercial and military aerospace customers.
In our first year of acquisition, we have re-branded the company as Kencoa Aerospace, expanded our equipment and facilities, launched new larger diameter super-alloy jet engine manufacturing capabilities, and was bestowed the Elite Supplier Performance Award from our top customer Lockheed Martin as one of their top 2% supply base globally.
Kencoa’s vision is to be the Premier Total Solution Provider for the Global Aerospace and Defense Industry. From Raw Material to Advanced Manufacturing to Major Assembly – adding more value for our customers and making a bigger impact in our industry and community.
Let’s dream together and make the dream come true. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Minkyu Lee
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