Aerospace business takes off

By LYNNETTE HINTZE

Sonju Industrial poised for growth in jet-parts manufacturing

The Daily Inter Lake

Specialized training from Boeing Co. has allowed Sonju Industrial Inc. to manufacture more of its aerospace components in-house, putting the Kalispell firm on a fast track for growth.

Sonju Industrial secured long-term contracts with Boeing three years ago to build parts for the 700-series commercial airplanes. In a separate agreement with Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, Sonju manufactures wing and fuselage parts for the F/A-22 Raptor fighter.

As Sonju continues to build its relationship with Boeing, the company also has pursued contracts from several other aerospace customers, and in that diversity lies the opportunity for growth, President and owner Dick Sonju said.

"We are going to grow in the next two years," he said, adding that he expects his company's work force to surge from 37 employees to 150. "Diversification makes us a healthy business and gives us more opportunities."

Sonju Industrial employees were sent to Boeing's F-22 factory in Seattle last year to learn how to enhance the company's assembly processes. Specifically, they learned the requirements of drilling and nut-plate installation, adhesive/sealing procedures, shrink-fit bushing installation and roller-swaged bearing installation.

The end result is that Sonju Industrial was able to bring 90 to 95 percent of subassemblies in-house and that provides better quality control and on-time delivery, said Craig Ruch, quality manager for Sonju.

Once Sonju employees completed the training, a Boeing F-22 employee came to the Kalispell plant to evaluate and approve its assembly processes for use on critical material parts.

"We were audited for our fracture critical assembly and we passed," Ruch said.

Making parts for jet engines leaves no room for errors, Sonju General Manager Jason Sonju said.

"We build parts that are critical," he said. "If you break a car door you can still drive the car, but this one part holds the jet engine in place. If the fracture critical part fails, it can bring the plane down. And the F-22 costs $100 million."

Sonju Industrial also is in the final stages of completing the AS9100 industry-controlled other-party certification, an aerospace industry requirement that provides an extra layer of quality improvement and cost reduction.

"We've been working on it for a year and we're due for a final registration audit in March," Jason Sonju said.

Getting the certification will cost upwards of $60,000, Dick Sonju said.

"We'll grow from this. It's worth the investment," he said.

Louie Besenyody, a supplier manager with Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, works as a company liaison and travels to Sonju Industrial six to eight times a year to work on ongoing quality improvement. Besenyody and Ruch traveled to Boeing's Portland facility in 2006 to partner with Boeing Commercial Airplanes and "develop an open-door relationship and improve communications," Besenyody said.

Jason Sonju said those relationship-building opportunities are vital to Sonju's success.

"It's a necessity to see where our parts go," he said. "Sonju keeps on top by training. Today's market in machining is lean manufacturing."

Sonju Industrial expanded two years ago, moving to a facility in the Kalispell Industrial Park in South Kalispell. The business office remains on U.S. 93, north of Kalispell.

With 27,000 square feet of manufacturing space, the firm has the capability via computer controls to machine, process finish and assemble components not only for the aerospace industry, but also defense, semiconductor, medical and commercial sectors worldwide.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com