Titan Spring Company of Hayden, Idaho Receives Aerospace Manufacturing Certifications

New production-standard certifications that qualify Hayden, Idaho manufacturer Titan Spring Company http://www.titanspring.com/ to make precision wire-formed parts for the country’s major aerospace companies are a potential springboard for the industry in the Inland Northwest.

The certifications for excellence in quality control, training and auditing establish Titan Spring as a top-tier supplier of custom springs, stampings and assemblies to leading aerospace, space and defense manufacturers. They also helped the high-tech manufacturer gain compliance with Boeing Quality Management System requirements, winning Titan Spring approval to work with any division of Boeing.

While important to Titan Spring, the certifications have significant implications for other Inland Northwest metal manufacturers and finishers, according to Bob Potter, chief recruiter for the Inland Northwest Economic Alliance. Titan Spring, as a certified manufacturer, must work with certified vendors. That requirement will force area suppliers and partnering firms in related industries to pursue certifications, enhancing the region’s manufacturing offering.

“This is a significant step toward a culture of quality among the Inland Northwest’s workforce,” said Jim Glenn, Titan Spring president.

Titan Spring moved to Hayden less than a year ago and has already exceeded its staffing expectations. The company, which initially anticipated hiring 10 new employees in its first year, has added 15 new workers.

Current Titan Spring customers include divisions of Boeing, Goodrich, GE Aviation, and Raytheon among many others. Titan Spring parts are used on everything from landing gears to space stations. The new certifications, granted by TUV USA and known as AS9100 Rev “B” and ISO 9001:2000, assert Titan Spring’s Hayden facility meets stringent quality, staffing and product control standards required by large aerospace manufacturers, said Steve Griffitts, president of Jobs Plus, which helped Titan Spring with its relocation process.

Two local companies are completing certification requirements to work with Titan Spring. Once certified, those companies will give Titan Spring local spring-hardening and metal-finishing options.

Broader supplier certification was identified as a critical step in continuing the growth of the region’s active and emerging aerospace manufacturing cluster in a recent independent analysis of the industry conducted on behalf of the Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium, according to Stan Key of Greater Spokane Incorporated. Titan Spring currently ships materials to Southern California at considerable time and expense for crucial heat-treatment processes. It needs to have the work done locally in order to be competitive.

Glenn expects new demand generated by Titan Spring to encourage existing local suppliers to expand their offerings. The region’s highly skilled workforce will benefit from those opportunities, he said.

Titan Spring http://www.titanspring.com/, a family owned and operated third-generation springmaker relocated from California last September to take advantage of Idaho’s business-friendly offerings and attractive quality of life.