Avionics News August 2013 - 80

HIGHER EDUCATION

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“I have had the pleasure to hold several different positions
within our manufacturing operations group, each one building upon my capabilities and previous experiences,” he said.
In the early years, you could find him in front of an RF
technician’s bench, where he continued refining his troubleshooting techniques. “I also learned the true value of lean
manufacturing during this time,” Hauter said.
Within a few years, Hauter assumed a manufacturing engineering role, where he was responsible for L-3’s SkyWatch,
SkyWatch HP and LandMark TAWS production lines.
“I had a rare opportunity to work directly for one of manufacturing’s great minds, Robert Knauf, the director of manufacturing for my team,” he said. “Through Bob’s mentorship,
I continued to learn about lean manufacturing concepts, continuous improvement, process flows and an overall systems
approach to solving problems. I started to pull together all of
my experiences and knowledge of how our business operates
as I began to develop my greatest contribution to the organization to date – eShop: a custom-designed, Web-based manufacturing execution system used in both production and repair
and overhaul.”
eShop was released in 2008, and since that time, L-3 has
enjoyed an overall reduction in cycle time, better on-time delivery, improved quality control measures and increased traceability. In addition, the system allowed for a dramatic reduction
in office supplies; it is eco-friendly.
“I am extremely proud of all the benefits the system has
added to operations of our business,” he said. Lately, supply
chain development has been one of his newest roles within
the company. Hauter works directly with vendors to improve
their internal processes and systems, ultimately improving
overall quality and lead times of the L-3 supply base.
Typically, professors lose track of most former students.
They start careers and families, and staying in touch with their
former teacher is not a priority for them. Things were not any
different with Hauter until a few years ago when he contacted
me for advice regarding his desire for continued education.
“Continuing education has always been important to me
and remains a priority in my life today,” Hauter said. “I have
found that continued learning plays a multifaceted role in
career development by creating personal networks, refining
skill sets and having different experiences to tap into. Whether it’s electronics, computer science or business management,
I have found a way to directly apply my personal interests
and academic pursuits with a career in the aviation industry.”
Hauter continued his education at Grand Valley State
University, near Grand Rapids, Mich., where he studied
computer science. He is continuing his education at EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University, where he is working toward a
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avionics news

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august

2013

“Continuing education has always been
important to me and remains a priority in
my life today. I have found that continued
learning plays a multifaceted role in
career development by creating personal
networks, refining skill sets and having
different experiences to tap into.”
– Aaron Hauter, L-3 Aviation Products

bachelor’s degree in production and operations management.
I asked Hauter what advice he had for high school students
who are considering avionics as a career.
“Initially, high school graduates and prospective avionics
students should take a hard look at the program offered by
the school, college or university they are investigating,” he
said. “Find a school with a good practical portion of the curriculum. I found the hands-on laboratory work at LCC to be
one of the greatest learning environments I’ve encountered.
I also would recommend prospective students to personally
talk with other professionals in the industry to identify a potential career path. There are many specialties and areas of
concentration within the avionics field, such as design and
engineering, manufacturing, installation, repair and overhaul
and field service. All have their own unique and interesting
twists. It is possible that early communication with avionics
professionals could provide a lead to land the first big job
after graduation. Read trade publications, such as Avionics
News. I know I did. It’s a good resource to become familiar
with the technology that avionics companies are developing.”
Thanks to social media, Hauter and I have continuous contact. I see him raising his family and enjoying outdoor sports.
He found my question about his future to be interesting, and
he reported his recent promotion to cubmaster of his son’s
Cub Scout pack. I’m sure he takes this new role as serious as
he has his role with L-3. In the short term, he is sure to be doing some camping. Professionally, he said, “The sky is truly
the limit.”
Hauter is proud of his development and implementation of
systems he called extraordinary, which have improved the operations of a major corporation. He plans to continue learning
and support his fellow team members at every level of L-3. If
he does, then he feels “the rest will fall into place.” Hauter is
a serious, responsible and ambitious professional who came
from an unusually serious and responsible class. He is making his professors proud. q

Avionics News August 2013

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