Vertical Integration Driving Aerospace Excellence
By Matthew Bates, Director, Marketing & Communications Americas & Global Fibers
At Hexcel, innovation isn’t just a buzzword — it is engineered into every step of our process. From the earliest stages of material science to the aerospace structures that take flight, Hexcel’s vertically integrated approach is a defining strength and a key differentiator in the advanced composites industry.
Vertical integration empowers Hexcel to deliver tailored composite solutions for the most demanding aerospace applications. We control every stage of production — from creating polyacrylonitrile (PAN) precursor and carbon fiber to prepreg, honeycomb core, engineered core and finished composite structures.
By producing key inputs like PAN precursor and carbon fiber in-house, Hexcel ensures a reliable supply and consistent quality. Our ability to manufacture a full range of composite materials — including prepreg, resin systems and honeycomb — allows us to deliver customized solutions optimized for diverse aerospace applications.
“This end-to-end expertise ensures consistent quality, supply chain reliability, and technical excellence across our entire product portfolio,” said Bobby Rowe, Vice President, Product Management, Engineered Core and Structures, for Hexcel Americas & Global Fibers. “This is what makes Hexcel unique. It’s how we can say with confidence that we are lightweighting the future through advanced composites technologies.”
“Integration is key at Hexcel,” said Stacy Jones, Materials Manager, Hexcel Kent. “When our customers call and say, ‘Hey, we need a part,’ we can call up our sister sites and quickly deliver that product. When customers call us — it’s go time.”
For Hexcel’s engineered core and structures business, the process begins at our Casa Grande facility located outside of Phoenix, Arizona, where Hexcel employees transform sheets of glass, paper or aluminum into the honeycomb structures that form the backbone of advanced aerospace assemblies.
“In Casa Grande, we are the largest honeycomb manufacturing site in the world,” said Frank Monaco, Product Manager, Hexcel Casa Grande. “Honeycomb is really the structure that holds everything together when it comes to getting off the ground and traveling from point A to point B.”
This is what makes Hexcel unique. It’s how we can say with confidence that we are lightweighting the future through advanced composites technologies.
After honeycomb sheets are manufactured at Hexcel Casa Grande, they are shaped, machined and assembled at Hexcel’s network of specialized facilities in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and Burlington and Kent, Washington — each adding unique technical capabilities and customer value.
“We make drop-in ready honeycomb core details,” said Elliot Banko, Manufacturing Engineer, Hexcel Burlington. “We take the raw core material from Casa Grande and cut, form and shape it into the exact detail the customer needs for their composite assembly.”
In addition to the company’s manufacturing expertise, Hexcel also relies upon technical teams of over 200 scientists and engineers who work hand-in-hand with customers to solve complex design challenges and optimize performance.
“We find the most success when we collaborate deeply with our customers on a technical level in their product design,” said Ted Rolfes, Product Manager, Hexcel Burlington.
Hexcel’s technical service teams bring deep material science expertise, ensuring that every product not only meets but exceeds customer expectations.
“Being able to marry the material science, the chemistry, and the application is what stands us apart from anyone else in the industry,” says Justin Hamilton, Director, Technical Support, Americas & Global Fibers.
Hexcel’s vertical integration empowers the company to better control costs, quality and supply for the critical composite materials needed to meet the high-rate production demands of the aerospace industry, according to Rowe.
“Hexcel’s vertical integration is more than a business strategy — it’s our commitment to delivering excellence at every stage of the composites value chain,” said Bobby. “From precursor to carbon fiber, honeycomb core to engineered structures, our teams collaborate across disciplines and geographies to ensure our customers receive the highest quality solutions for their most demanding applications. That’s the Hexcel difference.”
Check out Hexcel’s video showcasing our vertical integration expertise.
This video features insights from team members across our specialized facilities and demonstrates how Hexcel transforms raw materials into high-performance solutions for aerospace and beyond.
While this video focuses on honeycomb core and engineered structures, Hexcel’s capabilities also extend to expertise in precursor materials and high-modulus carbon fiber and resin systems, which enables Hexcel to support the most advanced aerospace programs in the world.
