The Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition (ACIBC) represents the more than 2,000 businesses from 44 states that supply parts, equipment and services for the construction and maintenance of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. Established in 2004, ACIBC seeks to preserve the strength of the aircraft carrier force and promote the value of the aircraft carrier industrial base as a vital part of the nation’s overall defense structure.
Steve Bassermann
steve@acibc.org
Widely recognized as leaders in the aircraft carrier industry, our coalition’s leadership brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the coalition that is critical in advocating and raising awareness for the aircraft carrier industrial base.
Chairwoman
CEO
Dante Valve Company
Lisa Dante Papini is the CEO of Dante Valve Company. Dante Valve Company is a distributor of valves and related products for both defense and commercial applications.
Vice-Chair
Vice President of Navy Affairs
Fairbanks Morse Defense
Jim Kenny currently serves as the Vice President of Navy Affairs for Fairbanks Morse Defense. He previously served as Executive Director at Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), where he was responsible for all Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E) equipment on Navy Ships, Aircraft Carriers, and Submarines. He has also worked at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Norfolk Naval Shipyard where he oversaw all aspects of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Plant work.
Vice-Chair
Director of Business Development
Johnson Controls Navy Systems
Andrew Clancy currently serves as the Director of Business Development for Johnson Controls Navy Systems. He has been at the company since 2005, when Johnson Controls bought York International where he started in 2000.
Regional Board Member
Southern Region
Government Sales and Compliance
LEVEL ONE FASTENERS INC
Ben Thacker is a Government Technical Sales Officer for Level 1 Fasteners, which manufactures and stocks fasteners for military, aerospace, aircraft, medical, valve, and oil drilling applications.
Regional Board Member
Northeast Region
Director of Business Development – Marine Products
Graham Corporation
Ken Salphine currently serves as the Director of Business Development for Marine Products at Graham Corporation. He has been at the company for 34 years, working his way up through engineering roles.
Regional Board Member
Mid-Western Region
VP Strategic Sales & Marketing
General Tool Company
Peter Borden is VP of Strategic Sales & Marketing at General Tool Company in Cincinnati, OH. GTC is a small business that has provided systems and hardware for U.S. Navy ships since the 1970’s. Currently, the company supplies EMALS and AAG hardware for Ford-class aircraft carriers.
Regional Board Member
Mid-Atlantic Region
Defense Industrial Base Consultant
| Former VP of Manufacturing and Material Distribution
at Newport News Shipbuilding
Rob Hogan retired in 2018 as Vice President of Manufacturing and Material Distribution for Newport News Shipbuilding, where he was responsible for manufacturing, material warehousing, delivery, and logistics in support of all shipbuilding programs. Since his retirement, he has remained active as a senior advisor to several companies in the aircraft carrier supply base. He began his career with the shipyard as a welder and has held positions at all levels of production and construction.
Regional Board Member
Western Region
Product Group Manager – Military
Bradken
Eric Shuty currently serves as Product Group Manager – Specialty Products North America (Military) at Bradken. He has been at the company since 2023, previously working at General Dynamics. Eric also served in the Army from 2004 to 2011, achieving the rank of Platoon Sergeant.
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