Aero-Mach Labs is proud to announce that we have been awarded the 2025 STARS Supplier Performance Award by Textron Aviation, recognizing outstanding achievement in Quality and On-Time Delivery.
2025 STARS award from Textron Aviation for excellence in aerospace supply chain performance.
This prestigious recognition underscores Aero-Mach’s decades-long commitment to excellence, reliability, and continuous support for Textron aircraft programs.
“Aero-Mach Labs is very proud to accept this award and recognition from our long-time customer Textron Aviation. We have been supplying parts to Textron Aviation (formerly Beechcraft and Cessna) since 1971. We appreciate their partnership and look forward to what the future holds for both companies.”
— Jason White, President, Aero-Mach
This award is especially meaningful given the evolving demands of today’s aerospace supply chains, where performance expectations are higher than ever, and supplier reliability is critical to both production schedules and flight safety.
What Is the STARS Supplier Award?
Textron Aviation utilizes a comprehensive performance monitoring program known as the Supplier Tracking And Rating System (STARS). STARS is a proprietary aerospace supply chain management scorecard, used to evaluate direct material suppliers on a rolling 12-month basis. It is one of the most respected supplier evaluation tools in the industry, emphasizing long-term consistency over short-term results.
STARS Evaluation Metrics:
Textron Aviation’s STARS system rates suppliers across five core performance pillars:
- Quality: Based on parts per million (PPM) defect rates, reject counts, and inspection data.
- Reliability: Consistency in fulfilling orders accurately and meeting technical requirements.
- Schedule: On-time delivery performance vs. contractual and operational targets.
- Cost: Competitiveness and cost-containment relative to market expectations.
- End-User Satisfaction: Surveys from Textron’s buyers and internal teams rating supplier service on a 1–5 scale.
What the 2025 Award Represents
Aero-Mach’s recognition for Quality and On-Time Delivery in aerospace supply chain means that our company met or exceeded the most demanding STARS performance benchmarks in two of the most critical categories:
Quality:
- Zero critical rejects
- PPM well below industry average
- Consistent compliance with complex technical specifications across a wide range of avionics, fuel flow, and pressure instruments
On-Time Delivery:
- Over 98% on-time delivery rate across 12 months
- Responsiveness to unplanned order changes and expedited requirements
- Strong performance despite ongoing global supply chain fluctuations
Gold & Silver Supplier Levels
Textron’s STARS rating system identifies top-tier suppliers using a clear, data-driven rating system:
- Gold Level: Supplier scores a “1” (Exceeds Requirements) in all STARS categories.
- Silver Level: Supplier scores a “2” (Meets All Requirements) across categories.
While Textron does not publicly disclose all scoring details per supplier, Aero-Mach’s award-level performance reflects multi-category strength, especially in Quality and Delivery, two of the most critical for aerospace safety and continuity.
Our History with Textron Aviation
Aero-Mach has been a trusted aerospace supplier to Textron Aviation for over five decades, with our partnership tracing back to when Cessna and Beechcraft operated as standalone OEMs. Throughout the years, Aero-Mach has supported a wide range of Textron platforms with key instrumentation products, including:
- Fuel Flow Transmitters
- Pressure Switches
- Tach Generators
- Encoder Assemblies
- Altimeter and Airspeed Indicators
Whether through manufacturing or support our products are found on virtually every Textron airframe. From Cessna 172s and Caravans, King Airs and Citation series aircraft, Aero-Mach Labs plays a critical role in supporting Textron Aviation. Aero-Mach Labs recently received the 2025 SBA Great Plains Region Small Business Subcontractor of the Year award from Textron Aviation Defense.
Why This Award Matters to Our Team
The STARS Supplier Award isn’t just a plaque—it represents an aerospace supply chain culture of precision, communication, and accountability. It acknowledges the daily dedication of Aero-Mach’s teams, from engineering and assembly to quality control and logistics.
Key Drivers of Our 2025 Recognition:
- Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI):
Internal defect prevention initiatives and root cause analysis systems drove year-over-year PPM reductions. - Supply Chain Resilience:
Rapid adaptation to shifting lead times and component availability helped us maintain delivery performance, even under pandemic ripple effects and international shortages. - Customer-Focused Engineering Support:
Proactive collaboration with Textron Aviation’s engineering and procurement teams to resolve spec changes and support legacy aircraft part transitions. - Lean Manufacturing and Process Audits:
Routine in-house Kaizen events and ISO 9001:2015 certified processes ensured operational excellence.
Textron’s Focus on Supplier Quality
Textron Aviation has been a leader in pushing suppliers to achieve not just delivery, but true value-added performance across every touchpoint of the production and support lifecycle.
Textron’s Supplier Quality Goals:
- Improve product conformance through process control
- Ensure competitive cost without compromising quality
- Eliminate non-value-added steps in procurement and delivery
- Reduce supply chain variation
- Enhance communication and supplier responsiveness
Aero-Mach’s culture and processes align directly with these goals, which is why we continue to be a preferred supplier to Textron and other major OEMs.
Looking Ahead: Building on a Legacy of Excellence
As we look to the future, Aero-Mach remains committed to pushing the boundaries of instrumentation reliability, technical support, and on-time performance. Our customers—including OEMs, MRO facilities, military program offices, and fleet operators—rely on us not only to ship parts, but to solve complex avionics and fuel measurement challenges.
In the coming year, we’ll be expanding investments in:
- Advanced test and calibration equipment
- Staff technical training and certifications
- Digital supply chain visibility tools
- Supplier collaboration platforms to reduce lead time variability
This award from Textron validates the work our team has done—and sets the bar for even higher standards in 2026 and beyond.
Final Thoughts
In an industry where quality and timing can mean the difference between success and grounding, recognition like the STARS Supplier Performance Award confirms what Aero-Mach Labs stands for: dependability, engineering excellence, and enduring customer partnerships.
We thank the entire team at Textron Aviation for their trust and collaboration—and we look forward to earning it every day we’re on their supplier roster.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is Textron’s STARS Supplier Performance Award?
A: The STARS award recognizes top-performing direct material suppliers based on 12-month performance in quality, on-time delivery, cost, reliability, and user satisfaction.
Q: How are suppliers scored in the STARS system?
A: Textron uses a 1–5 rating scale across five performance categories, with 1 meaning “exceeds requirements” and 5 meaning “does not meet requirements.” Ratings are based on objective data and end-user surveys.
Q: What products does Aero-Mach supply to Textron Aviation?
A: Aero-Mach supplies various instrumentation and component assemblies, including fuel flow transmitters, pressure switches, and cockpit indicators used in Textron aircraft platforms.
Q: What does this award mean for Aero-Mach’s customers?
A: It validates Aero-Mach’s reliability, quality control, and ability to meet tight delivery schedules—key factors for both OEM and aftermarket buyers.
Q: How long has Aero-Mach been working with Textron?
A: Aero-Mach has been a supplier to Textron Aviation (formerly Cessna and Beechcraft) since 1971, making this a partnership built on more than 50 years of trust.
Want to Learn More?
If you’re a program manager, buyer, or engineer looking for proven avionics or instrumentation suppliers, get in touch with our sales and engineering teams today.