CTG

Each passing year marks the introduction of innovative new developments in the world of aviation, where improving the performance and safety of every aircraft remains the highest priority. With respect to this, defense agencies and other players in the industry are constantly engineering new airplane models and modifying older planes to meet the ever-changing compliance standards on an international footing. While the goal is to achieve the most efficient aviation operation in the world, the government unfortunately often finds its hands full when trying to deal with the many challenges currently encumbering its progress. And some of the biggest hurdles pitted against the aviation industry revolve around supply chain vulnerabilities, repair parts shortages, and obsolescence issues. “Presently, there is a conundrum within the Department of Defense due to the new budget, where officials face a ‘balancing act’ between modernization while ensuring the readiness of existing systems,” expresses Jim Waring, Vice President, Strategic Business Development, Crestwood Technology Group (CTG). Customers in the aviation marketplace are additionally demanding significantly higher volumes of parts and equipment after the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in inefficient supply chain operations across the country. Maintaining the right partnerships and expertise to deliver effective solutions in this particular field is critical—and only a few companies meet these expectations in the aviation and defense arena. One among them is CTG.

Founded in 2001, CTG specializes in providing approved alternative supply chain solutions designed specially to serve the needs of the Department of Defense and its respective contractors, alongside large commercial aviation organizations.

The company houses an incredibly experienced group of individuals, many of whom have a military background, that strive to eliminate the problems posed by legacy systems and unaddressed gaps in the supply chain with a massive emphasis on quality. “When we interact with a defense customer, regardless of service, it becomes our top priority to source the necessary parts as soon as possible,” states Waring.

CTG’s ability to procure and deliver hard-to-find parts through approved vendors is one of its most desirable traits, where its supply chain solutions and logistical know-how are unparalleled. And complementing this, the company excels in empowering the market with its best-in-class counterfeit avoidance and detection systems that test and certify the thousands of parts in its supply chain operations to ensure 100 percent quality control, supporting clients with authentic parts sourced from highly regulated and trusted vendors.

To best elaborate on the efficacy of CTG’s solutions and services, the case study of a company in need of parts for their fleet of Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules—a military transport aircraft—perfectly depicts the CTG’s competencies. Waring and his team worked very closely with the Air Force’s System Program Office (SPO) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) concerning the same platform, helping the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and Air Force acquire the unique parts as strategically and expeditiously as possible. Before CTG came into the picture, the client in some cases was expected to wait over a year to get the parts they required to get the C-130 operational, which was very counter productive. The approved alternative supply chain experts streamlined the whole process, leaving no stone unturned, delivering high-quality parts that were in compliance with every regulation—national or otherwise.

With such a strong presence and leading supply chain network in the country, CTG today stands as one of the most trusted sources of parts and solutions that help defense agencies combat obsolescence, all the while implementing newer technologies and methodologies. The pandemic caused severe disruptions throughout the industry, yet CTG is confident in its ability to help defense agencies, come what may. “Due to COVID-19, the challenges of counterfeit parts have increased where they are being introduced into once trusted supply chains,” expresses Stephen Clark, Senior Director of Operations at CTG. This issue is pressing, and CTG is actively working to discern the counterfeits from the authentic and deliver high-quality parts to its clients. There is no room for error in the skies, and CTG sees to it that there is not an inch left to spare.