BREMERTON — The Port of Bremerton recently attended and participated as an exhibitor at the 2013 Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance Conference in partnership with the Kitsap Aerospace Defense Alliance and Kitsap Economic Development Alliance.

The three-day conference was at the Lynnwood Conference Center in Lynnwood. The conference attracted 428 attendees representing 270 companies/organizations from twenty-two states and eight foreign countries. Present were Kitsap Economic Development Alliance (KEDA) Executive Director John Powers, who is a board member and co-chair the Kitsap Aerospace and Defense Alliance (KADA), fellow KADA boardmember Ted Weiss, Port Director of Business Development Rich Peterson and KEDA Business Development Director Kathy Cocus.

“This conference presents a significant opportunity for the Port of Bremerton and KADA to meet and network with numerous aerospace contractors, suppliers and businesses while focusing on business development and the potential of some expanding their business into Kitsap County, or Bremerton National Airport and its facilities,” said Powers. “The Port and KADA work closely in implementing the Port’s economic development plans for Bremerton National Airport and the South Kitsap Industrial Area. SKIA has the capability to provide site location opportunities for both aerospace and defense businesses which translates into jobs.”

A few of the companies and businesses that the Port and KADA connected with during the conference were Inland North West Aerospace Consortium, Astro Manufacturing, Allegiant Travel, Green River Community College, and Silicon Forest Electronics. Discussions with these and other businesses focused on what their business forecast for growth was and any future plans for expansion or relocation.

The conference was highlighted with a number of guest speakers from Boeing, Airbus, Allegiant Travel, Aerotec and Embraer Commercial Aviation. Speakers provided an overview of the market and forecast for the future of commercial aerospace. Topics included current market conditions, Maintenance, Repair; and Overhaul (MRO) opportunities in the Northwest, Boeing supplier forecast, Airbus product update, Biofuels, doing Business with tier ones and Germany’slargest tier one supplier.

The focus of the Port and KADA’s collaboration is to capitalize on the opportunities for business growth and attraction arising from significant expansion of the aerospace industry, both commercial and defense, in the Central Puget Sound economy over the next decade.