SC Council on Competitiveness announces Stephen Astemborski as Director of its SC Aerospace Initiative

Seasoned Aerospace and Supply Chain Executive to Lead Initiative While Industry Adapts to New Market Realities

The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness named Stephen Astemborski the new Director of SC Aerospace, effective immediately. He succeeds Adrianne Beasley, who was named the Director of Strategy & Communications for the Council in July.

“Stephen is the perfect person to lead the SC Aerospace initiative as the industry leverages its strength to adapt to new market realities,” said Susie Shannon, President and CEO of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness.  “His experience in the aerospace industry, as well as supply chain management, makes him uniquely-suited to connect, support, and grow the aerospace cluster in the state. That supply chain expertise and knowledge of manufacturing will also be a valuable asset for other Council programs, such as its SC Logistics Industry Initiative and SC Fraunhofer USA Alliance.” Shannon continued.

Astemborski joins the Council after working as a Manufacturing Projects and Initiatives Specialist for GE Aviation’s Operational Excellence Team. As one of the original members of the team, he worked with aviation suppliers to improve delivery of parts to GE Aviation shops. He has also worked as a Team Coach, Product Quality Engineer, and Operations Leader for GE Aviation and GE Power in both Greenville, South Carolina and Schenectady, New York.

“With more than 400 aerospace companies, 55,000 aerospace employees, and a $24.8 billion impact in the state, it’s more important than ever to dedicate the resources to support and grow this important industry sector,” said Don Myers, Director of Aerospace Sales and Marketing at Toray and Chair of the SC Aerospace Advisory Board.

Stephen resides in Greenville. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with honors. Prior to starting a civilian career, Stephen was an officer in the United States Army.

The South Carolina Council on Competitiveness is a nonpartisan, business-led non-profit organization committed to advancing the long-term economic competitiveness of our state, industries, and citizens. Our work is accomplished through actionable research on opportunities and threats to South Carolina’s competitiveness; support of industry clusters that provide South Carolina a competitive advantage; and education and workforce development initiatives that ensure all South Carolina’s citizens are equipped to compete in a global economy. We execute our work through partnerships recognizing that our state’s economic success is secured through sustained collaboration among the private, public, academic and non-profit sectors. For more information, visit www.sccompetes.org.

SC Aerospace is an industry cluster supported by the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, the SC Department of Commerce, and industry partners. It was established in 2014 as a collaborative effort among public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors to advance and market South Carolina’s aerospace industry cluster on the global stage. SC Aerospace is regarded as a thought leader for the industry on a regional and national level.SC Aerospace and its leadership team at the Council are frequently asked to provide input on emerging trends, serve as a main point of contact for existing industry engagement, and connect the industry’s assets to secure future growth.