MEMBER PROFILE - Ingenium Aerospace

AN ENGINEERING PLAYGROUND IN ROCKFORD

Ingenium Aerospace

By Paul Anthony Arco

Darrin Kopala saw an opportunity and ran with it. Making notes on paper napkin, Kopala came up with an idea to start his own aerospace company 16 years ago in the Rockford area.

At the time, Kopala was vice president for an aerospace company in the Chicago suburbs. He was turning 40, and the company was about to be sold. He knew the time was right to make a career move.

“I came up with a business model, which was creating high-end motion controls, actuators, utility systems and customized flight controls for low- to mid-volume production, which required light weight and high reliability that my background played to,” he said. “I knew Rockford was the right place to grow my idea.”

That was the genesis of Ingenium Aerospace, a global leader in developing motion control systems for the aerospace, defense and space markets.

The company manufactures aircraft parts and equipment such as motion control systems and rotating components, actuators and more. The company also provides services such as damper and durability testing, primary flight control, custom module design, and rugged pedal and brake assembly.

Steve Carter joined Kopala in 2010 after retiring as chief financial officer at Woodward and doing consulting work. The Rockford native started as an investor before becoming Kopala’s partner. “Our visions were similar, and I understood Darrin’s business plan,” said Carter. “We were on the same page.”

Kopala started out working in a small Rockford office, where he built his business’s infrastructure, put his systems in place and picked up fringe work to help pay the bills.

“We had some nice early wins, which were actual contract-type work that was beneficial to our business,” said Kopala. “Our first contract was primary flight controls for a captive carry vehicle and a commercial space vehicle.”

Ingenium moved to its current location on International Drive in 2012.

Customized solutions

When prime aerospace companies like Lockheed Martin create a new product, it often contracts with smaller companies like Ingenium to do the design and manufacture of parts and systems. The process, Carter says, is intense and can take anywhere from a few months to more than two years.

“Customers often come to us with a blank sheet of paper and say, ‘Here’s what we need your product to do,’” he said. “It’s usually going on a vehicle in a specific location for a specific function. We don’t do catalog or off the shelf items.”

“Say it’s an aircraft manufacturer, and they need a widget to fit a particular size,” added Kopala. “We design and engineer the product; we procure the parts we need to build the product, and we build and test the product. Some of our products don’t have much aftermarket work, while others have 20 to 30 years of service expectation.”

Kopala commuted from the Chicago suburbs for 13 years before moving to the area and closer to his company. “Rockford is an important resource for the aerospace community,” he said. “Chicago has a lot of people but not as many aerospace professionals as you might think. When you look at what’s available here in Rockford, it just makes sense to have our company in a location filled with talented people.”

The Ingenium staff currently includes 40 professionals with decades of experience in the aerospace field, ranging from aeronautical, electrical and mechanical engineering to purchasing, quality and assembly, and test positions. Given the nature of Ingenium’s work in defense, much of it classified, information technology and cybersecurity positions are also vital.

“These are higher end, good paying jobs,” Carter said. “Many of our team members have been involved in the design and certification of hundreds of unique modules, motors, sensors, and linear and rotary motion control components and systems.”

For Kopala and Carter, working in the aerospace industry is both challenging and rewarding. “After doing this for 40 years, the projects we get are still unique, and I learn something from every one of them,” Kopala said. “It’s an engineering playground.”

INGENIUM AEROSPACE - Darrin Kopala, vice president/ general manager Steve Carter, president/CFO 5389 International Dr. 815-525-2000 www.ingeniumaerospace.com