The Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA) has selected Orion President and CEO John Theisen as Aerospace Executive of the Year in recognition of his leadership over the past 16 years in growing Orion Industries.

Orion has advanced from a small sheet metal fabricator into a world-class organization with operations in the aerospace and tele-services industries, according to a company news release. Orion has achieved 20 percent annual average sales increases for the past 13 years, growing to become the 10th largest aerospace employer in the state of Washington, with more than 400 employees. Orion has locations in Auburn, Mukilteo and Fort Eustis, Va.

Orion Industries is a social enterprise with a mission of helping those with barriers to employment, such as learning disabilities, low income and mental health barriers. Orion uses operations in its aerospace manufacturing division and in its award-winning contact center services division as platforms to teach people job skills through a combination of classroom instruction and on-the-job training, including mentoring and internship programs.

Orion’s manufacturing capabilities have grown to include sheet metal fabrication, complex machined parts, hydraulic assembly, metal finishing and a wire shop, serving a broad customer base in commercial aerospace, general aviation and defense.

Orion’s Contact Center is certified HIPAA, PCI, and ISO 27001 compliant, and provides support for companies including MultiCare, Microsoft, the U.S. Army, and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.

In addition to the PNAA award, Orion has been recognized as a Boeing Global Supplier of the Year twice, as the Governor’s Aerospace Company of the Year, and as a Seattle Business Magazine Manufacturer of the Year. Orion has also recently received the Globe award from the World Trade Center Tacoma, and an Innovation award from the Puget Sound Business Journal.

To learn more, visit orionworks.org.