PNAA’s Executive of the Year Award is presented to an executive of an aerospace company located within the Pacific Northwest who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Pacific Norwest Aerospace Industry.

 Orion was founded in 1957 as a vocational school for students with disabilities to prepare them for competitive employment. The founders envisioned a job training program in an industrial setting that allowed trainees to learn the skills necessary to support themselves. Since 1959, Orion, a non-profit social enterprise, has been focused on providing vocational training and services for individuals with barriers to employment, as well as providing precision metal products to the aerospace market.

 As Vice-President and General Manager, Tom Brosius is in top leadership at Orion. He has managed their Aerospace Manufacturing division since 2007. During his time with the company, Tom has led the growth of the aerospace division from four million dollars per year and 45 employees to over 40 million dollars per year and 380 employees.

He has focused on creating a competitive mindset for the company and increasing core competencies. Along with the VP of Services at Orion, Tom created and provided the training and employment services model that moved over 2,400 unemployed people from a life on subsistence to a career-based job and an independent lifestyle. With the onset of the pandemic, Tom used every available resource to support Orion’s employees and retain the team during the most challenging time in the history of the northwest aviation industry.

Headquartered in Auburn, Washington, with an additional facility in Mukilteo, Orion believes that everyone should have the opportunity to work and that it has a responsibility to serve its community. Orion Aerospace, the manufacturing business, supplies funding for Orion Industries to advance its social mission and is one of the leading aerospace manufacturers in the Pacific Northwest. It provides a full suite of manufacturing services, including machined and fabricated aerospace components, assemblies, structures, wire harnesses and electrical panels specializing in vertical integration of products using complimentary core processes. Orion Aerospace is an eight-time winner of the Boeing Performance Excellence Award and is a three-time recipient of the Boeing Supplier of the Year Award.

PNAA Board Member Paul Michaels compliments Tom’s commitment to the aerospace industry and describes Tom as “a beacon of leadership and positive change.” He continues, “Tom’s leadership has been nothing short of inspiring on every level. His dedicated focus on the personal and professional development of his team has created a culture of true growth and customer engagement. The great work being done at Orion is a testament in large part to that focus. He has inspired me both personally and professionally and I’m honored to call him an industry colleague.”

Tom holds a master’s degree in Industrial and Management Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the University of Washington. He began his aerospace career in the US Air Force and managed aircraft flight line maintenance organizations. Upon retirement from the military, Tom managed manufacturing operations as the Plant Manager at Flow International in Kent, Washington pushing the leading edge of manufacturing water jet cutting systems.

In addition to his responsibilities at Orion Industries, Tom finds time to serve as a Board Member for the Aerospace Futures Alliance, a non-profit organization advocating on behalf of all aviation, space and unmanned aircraft systems businesses. Tom has previously served on the Boards of the Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance and the Center for Advanced Manufacturing – Puget Sound. When not involved in aerospace endeavors, Tom, an avid boater, can be found cruising the waters of Puget Sound and the coast of British Columbia with his wife of 43 years, Sandy.