Hollatz says the 11th date was the first day of the three-day show, with the second and third days of the Expo cancelled due to the attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC.

The events of that day had a dramatic impact immediately on the aerospace manufacturing sector, according to Hollatz. "Some of the sessions were still held and others were not. Some even attempted to secure alternate speakers, and the hours for the exposition were initially expanded. But, the primary point of discussion amongst everybody there was the tragedy of the day. It definitely impacted attendance, exhibitor and speaker access, as travel was put at a stand still. Most importantly, it affected attitudes.

"There were opinions beforehand on the positive aspects of where the industry was going, but the immediate discussion quickly changed. A slight drop in orders was initially predicted in 2002, with a rebound set for 2003 through 2005 that would probably be higher than the most recent upswing. After the news announcements on the day's events, the consensus was that all predictions should probably be put on hold to see how things settled out. Many new programs we were looking forward to hearing about at the Expo got pushed back, either formally or informally."

"Many layoffs and business plan changes have subsequently been announced by the major aerospace manufacturers which relate directly to the events of September 11," says Hollatz. "We are seeing some airframe manufacturers, engine manufacturers and armament manufacturers increase their interest in purchasing new high-tech manufacturing equipment, no doubt in response to moving toward a war-time economy in the industry.

"Moving from a peace-time aviation manufacturing economy to a war-time aviation manufacturing economy is still underway, which it may be for some time. But, that trend will depend on the longevity and impact of the current war against terrorism, and how quickly it is satisfactorily concluded by our government and military."

Hollatz says he hopes the Expo gets rescheduled as our country establishes a new sense of normalcy. He ended up spending quite a bit of time in Seattle trying to get back to the Mason, Ohio offices of Makino due to travel disruptions. This did allow him the opportunity to talk with many people on a personal basis about the events and the industry…conversations he hopes to resume under much better circumstances.

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