Cadence Aerospace Appoints Richard (Rick) Brighenti as Vice President, General Manager of Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool
Anaheim, CA – September 13, 2018 – Cadence Aerospace, a provider of highly complex aerospace components and assemblies to commercial and defense customers, announces the appointment of Richard Brighenti as Vice President, General Manager of Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool, effective immediately. With Centers of Excellence based in the U.S. and Mexico, Cadence Aerospace serves the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft, aerostructures, aeroequipment and other defense platforms. Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool, located in Westfield, Massachusetts, performs complex machining, assembly and testing for aeroequipment.
In his new role, Mr. Brighenti will oversee all operations at Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool, including employees, production, and lean and safety initiatives as well as identify new areas for growth and improvement in quality and productivity. He will report directly to Tom Hutton, Chief Executive Officer of Cadence Aerospace.
“With the ability to implement lean manufacturing techniques and successfully take projects from concept through implementation, Rick is a versatile leader who is dedicated to safety, performance excellence, and quality,” said Tom Hutton, Chief Executive Officer of Cadence Aerospace. “He excels at both team building and employee engagement, and, as an experienced operations professional, will lead Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool to new levels of productivity and customer satisfaction.”
Mr. Brighenti brings more than 30 years of operational experience to his new role at Cadence Aerospace. Most recently, he served Cadence as Director of Continuous Improvement and Operations at Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool. In this role, he oversaw lean programs, purchasing, and maintenance as well as manufacturing engineering and environment, health and safety (EHS) initiatives. Prior to joining Cadence Aerospace-Tell Tool, he served as Richard Brighenti
Director of Operations at Conklin Office Furniture, where he was responsible for key areas including operations, purchasing, lean, EHS, quality assurance, maintenance and human resources. Mr. Brighenti also was Plant Manager for Kennametal, Inc., a manufacturer of high-speed steel taps. During his 2006-2014 tenure, he successfully achieved a number of quality and improvements in efficiencies including the reduction of lead-time by 70 percent (ensuring on-time customer delivery) via implementation of cellular manufacturing and pull system implementations, which have been sustained and continually improved. From 2004-2006, he was the Principal of Lean Business Services, a consulting organization providing clients solutions utilizing lean best practices—resulting in significant, sustainable bottom line improvements. Earlier in his career, Mr. Brighenti held several operations positions including Lead Project Manager for MassMEP, Engineering Manager at CDI Managed CAAD Services, and Product Manager for K&M Electronics, Inc. He began his career at General Dynamics as a Product Engineer in the company’s Electric Boat Division.
Mr. Brighenti holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Western New England College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He also has completed National Institute of Standards and Technology training on Basic Lean Manufacturing, VSM, Set-up Reduction, 5S, Cellular/Flow Manufacturing, and Pull/Kanban Systems.
About Cadence Aerospace Cadence Aerospace, a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners, is a leading aerospace and defense industry supplier committed to achieving success with its business partners through active engagement, aligned manufacturing and sourcing strategies, and industry-leading capabilities. The Company’s Centers of Excellence, based in the U.S. and Mexico, produce machined parts, subassemblies, assemblies and repair and overhaul services for the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft, aerostructures, aeroequipment and other defense platforms. With clearly defined products and services, complementary capabilities, positions on programs offering long-term growth, a balanced and global aerospace, commercial and defense portfolio, Cadence Aerospace offers outstanding quality and delivery at cost-competitive prices to aerospace and defense companies globally.
About Arlington Capital Partners Arlington Capital Partners is a Washington, D.C.-area private equity firm that has managed $2.2 billion of committed capital via four investment funds, including Arlington's fourth and most recent $700 million fund. Arlington is focused on middle market investment opportunities in growth industries, including: aerospace/defense, government services and technology, healthcare, and business services and software. The firm's professionals and network have a unique combination of operating and private equity experience that enables Arlington to be a value-added investor. Arlington invests in companies in partnership with high quality management teams that are motivated to establish and/or advance their Company's position as leading competitors in their field.
