JKM NEWSROOM

JKM Manufacturing Tours Fort Benning, GA, to View Weapons Systems in Action; Parts That JKM Manufactures In Eufaula, AL

EUFAULA, AL (August 2009) – Chad B. White, CEO of JKM Manufacturing, Inc. (JKM) took key employees on a trip to Fort Benning, GA, to see firsthand how components manufactured in their Eufaula, AL facility are used in TOW missiles by the U.S. Army.

“My philosophy is to get JKM employees more involved so they will understand the critical importance JKM plays in the defense of our country. When they see that lives depend on the job we do everyday, the better our products will be,” said White, who has nearly 20 years of entrepreneurial, manufacturing, operations, consulting and financial expertise.

Founded in 1997, JKM is a trusted leader in making precision and sophisticated products for defense, communications and aerospace industries, including the U.S. Department of Defense.

JKM builds products used on 23 major platforms, such as guided missiles, military aircraft, flight simulators, helicopters, tanks, industrial robots and sonar test equipment. Specializing in innovation, flexibility and reliability, JKM is a leading manufacturer of complex wire harness assemblies, rugged electronic systems, circuit card assemblies and electro-mechanical assemblies.

As JKM’s top manager, White is a fervent champion of lean manufacturing, collaboration and communication – tenets that make JKM a responsive, reliable and proactive maker of quality products. He is committed to putting customers and their mission first.

His philosophy is working.

“What I got out of our recent visit to Fort Benning was just confirming what I've always known. That what we build here, though it might be a small part of a weapon system, is as important as the whole. I want to know that what we build is of the highest quality we can produce,” said Cathy Velez, head of purchasing at JKM.

Velez and three other JKM managers witnessed firsthand several weapon systems being fired, including the TOW Missile, Mark 19 Grenade Launcher, and .50 caliber machine gun. “Seeing the product and how it is used brings it into reality of what we do here at JKM,” Velez said.

JKM builds a circuit card that is critical to the Tow Missile System. In case of a misfire, the assembly JKM builds will disable the missile, preventing it from exploding on the ground near our soldiers or friendly troops.

Because of its size, White says JKM is agile and can respond to customer needs and changes quickly. Its experience in circuit card assembly allows JKM to assist in design changes and upgrades to meet customers’ requirements.

JKM also produces a variety of interconnects, they include custom molded harnesses, complex braided cables, fiber-optic cables, coaxial cables and precision ribbon cables.

JKM’s wiring harnesses are used to connect all the electronics of aircraft, tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, missiles, gun systems, trucks, ships, boats and other vehicles for military and aerospace purposes.

JKM’s customers include General Dynamics, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Honeywell Defense, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, L-3 Communications, the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and Defense Logistics Agency.

The various military systems and platforms JKM supports include the Abrams M1A1 Tank, Avenger Platform Stinger Missile Launcher, B-52 Aircraft, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, C-17 Aircraft, Cobra Helicopter, F-16 Aircraft, F-16 Cockpit Simulator, International Space Station, LAU 115 Missile Launcher, Minuteman Missile, Phalanx Anti-Ship Missile Defense System, RTS (Remote Targeting Systems), Shipboard SONAR, Stand-Off Land Attack Missile, Tomahawk Missile, TOW Missile and UH-47 Chinook Helicopter.

Founded in 1997, JKM is a trusted leader in making precision and sophisticated products for defense, communications and aerospace industries, including the U.S. Department of Defense. Based in Eufaula, AL, JKM is certified in DoD MIL-I-45208A requirements.