Community
History of ASEC
Aviation Systems Engineering Company (ASEC) began as a humble concept, and when we say humble, we mean it! It all began in 2003 in a Denny’s restaurant in Waldorf, MD – booth #9 to be exact. We still affectionately refer to this as our first ASEC corporate office. In booth #9 sat: Vin Bellezza, David Bennett, Doug Desrochers, and “JB” Hollyer; the foursome put their heads together to develop our five-year business plan (which happened to be eclipsed in year two) and our strategy to hire the BEST employees to start and build the company. We decided early on that our focus would always be on treating our employees (and their families) well, giving them semi-autonomous responsibility, and providing them with great benefits. Our motto became “Doing what’s right for the Warfighter.” In 2004, Navy Test Pilot School pilot and flight instructor Denny Roderick joined the team; Denny was instrumental in our strategy to provide direct aircraft flight support services to our flying test community.
Since our formation in 2003, we have grown into a successful, employee-owned business with a talented workforce spread throughout the nation. We proudly employee a veteran workforce of more than 75%. Today, twenty years later, ASEC has 400 dedicated employees applying their expertise in in the areas of engineering, test & evaluation, training, logistics, advanced technologies, flight services, and program management support. Through this growth we’ve made a conscious effort to always remember the values we started with.
We acquired our first official office space in Lexington Park, MD in 2004. The office’s proximity to Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River made this a prime spot for ASEC to thrive; NAS Patuxent River is home to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and many United States Navy aviation programs and activities.
ASEC purchased and modified our first airplane, the Navion, in 2005, followed by a DHC-6-300 Twin Otter being leased as the second aircraft for our fleet in 2008. This was the beginning of our strategy of providing the Navy with affordable air platforms for testing developmental sensors and avionics with an experienced cadre of former USN test pilots and aircrew.
In 2009, ASEC opened our second corporate office in Jacksonville, FL. This office sits across the street from Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville – the nation’s third-largest Navy base, where military personnel and allied forces specialize in anti-submarine warfare and training the best aviators in the world. In 2016, the Jacksonville ASEC office was recognized by the Jacksonville Business Journal as Jacksonville’s “Best Place to Work.”
Continuing to grow and strive for success at every level, ASEC began the process of creating an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2011 so that ASEC could become beneficially employee-owned. We wanted to reward our employees that helped us build and grow the company. We always felt that we were a family-like business and that it was the right thing to do. That process was completed in 2018, enabling all employees to contribute to and share in the success of ASEC through the ESOP. Today, every employee’s growth in ASEC is also rewarded by additional retirement financial security.
Beyond growing in expertise and serving the military through the life cycle of acquisitions programs from requirements, defense, and design to testing and engineering and logistics work, ASEC launched a new initiative with the development of interactive electronic technical manuals (IETMs) for NAVAIR, and into the development of a small deployable “Lockblade” UAV. These are two examples of projects initiated by ASEC employees which have grown into major company focal areas. You too can take the initiative, turn an idea into a project, and lead a team!
ASEC continues to build upon our legacy of quality and excellence; we remain committed to our goal of providing a highly qualified, dedicated workforce to meet our customers’ requirements. At ASEC, we recognize that our people are truly the key to our success. We hire and retain the best in the business and treat them with the highest degree of respect.
We’d love to sit down and talk with you, maybe not in Denny’s booth #9, but in either of our corporate locations or by phone – maybe you will be the next person to help us continue building the ASEC legacy. We welcome you to contact us at marketing@asec-incorporated.com.
EMPLOYEES NOW OWN LOCAL ENGINEERING COMPANY
Lexington Park, MD – On Aug. 7, Aviation Systems Engineering Company (ASEC) announced that the company has become 100 percent owned by the ASEC Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Trust. Vincent Bellezza, ASEC CEO, said “the cornerstone of our success has always been our employees. When it came time to make a decision to sell the company, we knew that the only group that the owners could sell to would be the people that we trust the most, our employees! Over 14 years, as a net-worked and synergistic team, we have grown the company from the three original owners to over 200 professionals. We have always invested in our employees and this ESOP transition now allows them to financially participate directly in the growth of the company.”
ASEC is an award-winning, employee-owned small business that focuses on providing value and innovation in the areas of engineering, training, and flight services. ASEC specializes in systems engineering and acquisition, including advanced concepts, requirements, integration and test, flight test, training, and support for the military and civilian aviation communities.
The BayNet.com
St Mary’s County 08/14/2018 By Press Release
ASEC Participates in Christmas in April
ASEC employees participated in the annual Christmas in April event, coordinated by Christmas in April® St. Mary’s County. This event rehabilitates the homes of low-income homeowners. Employees assisted in stripping and replacing the roof and gutters, painting the exterior, and interior of the house including kitchen cabinets. ASEC employees also helped with electrical work, plumbing, masonry, and landscaping.
Christmas in April® St. Mary’s County is a local chapter of Rebuilding Together, a national volunteer organization that works in partnership with the community. With the help of this organization the homes of low-income homeowners, particularly the elderly and disabled, are rehabilitated so their owners may live in warmth, safety, and independence. For more information, visit http://www.christmasinaprilsmc.org/.
ASEC DEVELOPS QUADCOPTER CURRICULUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
More than 75 students, coaches, mentors and parents from the tri-county area gathered at the Pax River Naval Air Museum on Dec. 4, to learn about a new quadcopter program being offered to students in Southern Maryland. The session was the first in a series of three training segments designed to introduce high school students to safety and flight principles associated with quadcopters and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Initiated by The Patuxent Partnership (TPP) through a STEM-for-All grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the quadcopter initiative is designed to address the educational components and theories of UAS operations and flight … specifically quadcopters. The program is open to all high school students / teams interested in learning about quadcopters and developing skills associated with the building and flight of these systems.
The training sessions, approximately three hours in length, are instructor led overviews of curriculum areas such as flight safety, principles and physics of flight, basic piloting skills and maneuverability, programming skills, sensors and functionality, payloads and advanced flying skills.
The final element of the program is a student-designed skills demonstration scheduled for April 2017. Teams will develop a skills demonstration of their choice and present their topic during an end-of-season expo. Because the expo is not “competition based”, teams are not required to have specific quadcopters or advanced sensor packages, thus allowing teams of all levels and skills to participate regardless of resources.
“Our hope is to generate increased student interest in unmanned systems, eventually leading students to pursue careers in STEM fields associated with UAS operations.” said Bonnie Green, TPP Executive Director. “Future Workforce Development is a key element to sustainable operations. Having students in the educational pipeline now ensures a qualified workforce will be available to meet the demands five to 10 years from now.”
The three-year ONR grant was awarded to TPP for the purpose of developing educational programs supporting future Navy and Department of Defense workforce requirements. The quadcopter program is one of several initiatives covered by the STEM-for-All grant.
ASEC, an industry leader in commercial UAS operations, training and certification, developed the quadcopter curriculum specifically for this program. Certified instructors present the material in group training sessions. Coaches and students are then able to access computer-based training modules to further explore the topic areas in a self-paced environment.
The Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division’s Education Outreach Office provides UAS subject matter experts to serve as mentors, assisting teams with building, flying and skills development throughout the program. Program mentors are highly skilled and most are Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) members certified in UAS operations and an essential component of the program. The mentors also ensure the safety protocols are followed during flight operations and that the Federal Aviation Administration regulations are adhered to.
“We are very excited to introduce this STEM-for-All initiative to the students of Southern Maryland.” said Barbara Ives, TPP Grant Manager. “Our vision is to create a quadcopter program that can expand to include every high school student interested in participating while being financially sustainable long after the grant has ended. We believe focusing on an educationally-based program not only meets the grant objectives, but compliments existing programs such as AMA’s UAS4STEM competition” stated Ives.
To learn more about the quadcopter training program, visit http://www.stem-link.org/uas-quadcopter-initiative/.
