Businesses and their communities grow because of sustained commitment from their owners and their workers. That commitment is demonstrated through relentless dedication to time, hard work, innovation, and continuous capital investment. That level of commitment allowed East/West Industries to grow from a family startup more than 50 years ago to a company with 85 employees today. Commitment and innovation turned the idea of a next-generation warfighter into the reality that is the F-35 Lightning II – the world’s most advanced multi-role fighter.
East/West Industries is a proud supplier in the 1,600-member strong F-35 supply chain in the United States. This will be a boom to manufacturers of all sizes throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties while strengthening American security interests around the world.
The F-35 is being deployed by more than a dozen American allies in addition to our own Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Our allies, along with American pilots stationed in Europe, are using the F-35’s advanced technology and communications systems to deliver real-time updates on the conflict in Ukraine to protect NATO’s eastern front. The ability of the F-35 to absorb vast amounts of battlefield information and relay it quickly to the pilot as well as fellow combatants in the air, on land, or at sea is unmatched.
While formidable on the battlefield, the F-35 is an equally potent economic force, spurring business growth in communities nationwide. Thanks to manufacturing programs like the F-35, East/West is now housed in a 75,000-square-foot facility designing and making advanced systems for a number of American defense programs. Our company builds a variety of mission-critical products and systems, from massive portable floor cranes that support fighter jet assembly to oxygen delivery systems that support fighter pilots. The network of 250 local suppliers has built the fundamental success and growth as a company and continues to expand our economic impact across the region.
That impact is magnified through our involvement with local organizations focused on manufacturing, keeping jobs on Long Island, and strengthening local businesses on Long Island and in our communities. East/West advances best practices in workforce attraction, training, and recruitment while remaining a leader in improving the quality of life for our community. We are constantly collaborating with local schools and colleges to educate and excite students about manufacturing jobs. We offer internships and actively recruit veterans to work with us. In fact, about 20% of our workers are military veterans. Every day, the East/West workforce demonstrates our commitment to quality to support the brave men and women around the world flying the F-35.
Most recently, at the Bethpage Air Show, during Memorial Day weekend, our community witnessed the incredibly advanced capabilities of the F-35 while exhibiting its stealth capabilities in flight. Many in our community were in awe to see their hard work and support of the F-35 right in our own backyard.
