At Paris Air Show 2023, there was the largest ever Enterprise Florida pavilion. There were 17 exhibitors, highlighting the “true mosaic” of all the companies in Florida, according to TJ Villamil, Senior Vice President, International Trade and Development at Enterprise Florida.

“We have Team Florida, with all our local economic development partners representing the state, as well as Space Florida and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University,” he added. “Florida is a leader in aviation and aerospace, and I’m sure as you go around, you’ll see why.”

Tour of the state

FINN took a whistle-stop tour of the pavilion, catching up with companies representing the industry across the state of Florida, including FEAM Aero, Future Metals LLC, Airgroup Dynamics, Advanced Composite Structures, Viewpoint Systems, D&D Enterprises LLC, Delta International Inc and Aerospace Technologies Group.

“It’s great to advocate for the region obviously – we’ve been in Florida for 30 years and expanding across the state, so it is great to be a part of this delegation and this whole exhibit. We cast a wide net, from operators to OEMs to lessors and everything in between, so we love it here, said Scott Diaz, VP Business Development & Marketing, FEAM Aero.

For Villamil, it is important for Enterprise Florida to give a platform for SMEs to present their solutions on the world stage at events like Paris Air Show. “We help small to medium sized manufacturers and service providers in the state, and it is really important for these companies to get up and going and get out and sell their products and services to the world and showcase why Florida continues to lead in this important industry,” he said.

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