Breeze-Eastern Corporation, the aerospace industry’s only dedicated hoist and winch specialist, continues its strong focus on technology and innovation, today announcing plans for a Virginia-based Innovation and New Product Development Center.
The Innovation Center, to be located in the Fredericksburg, Va. area, will be led by Brad Repp, who has joined Breeze-Eastern as vice president of product development. The company expects to add additional staff at the Center in the coming months, and Repp will be responsible for managing and overseeing the day to day operation of the Center, and for all research and new product development activities, including completion of the company’s recently announced MissionView Situational Awareness System.
Other essential engineering work, including testing, qualification, field and production support of legacy products and ongoing development programs, will remain in New Jersey. The Whippany engineering organization will now report to Rodger Hahneman, general manager of production operations and customer support.
“As the industry’s dedicated hoist, winch and hook specialists, we are taking the lead to innovate and think beyond what’s always been done,” said Brad Pedersen, president and CEO of Breeze-Eastern. “The development of the MissionView system and the new Innovation Center are important first steps, and there is much more still to come. I am confident that Brad and Rodger are the right people to aggressively move us forward.”
Repp and Hahneman have been actively involved in development of the MissionView system, which integrates state-of-the-art sensor systems, day/night cameras and a lighted hook with modern tablet computers to provide all crew members easy-to-understand real-time streaming video and other information critical to the mission.
“I am excited to join Breeze-Eastern to develop the next generation of products that improve mission effectiveness,” said Repp.
Repp is an experienced engineer and business leader who has been involved with aerospace and defense-related work for more than 30 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State University and a master’s in business administration from Arizona State University. He also attended the MIT School of Management, earning an executive certificate in strategy and innovation. Repp recently served as the chief technology officer for HDT Global.
Breeze-Eastern Corporation is the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance lifting and pulling devices for helicopters, military cargo aircraft, and other aerospace/defense platforms, including rescue hoists, winches and cargo hooks, and weapons-lifting systems.
