ACES Program

The Aerospace Commerce Economic Services (ACES) Program is led by the Aerospace and Defense Team within the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Established during the 2018 legislative session (outlined in House Bill 2578), in partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, ACES's primary goal is to create and implement a common statewide strategy for the economic growth of Oklahoma's aerospace and defense industry.

The program acquires aerospace executive expertise and provides consulting services to the aviation, aerospace and defense industry, government agencies and organizations across the State of Oklahoma. The purpose is to strengthen the policy framework and to increase economic development initiatives and activities throughout the state.

ACES focuses collective aerospace resources into an integrated, coordinated statewide effort that will:

• Increase contracts between companies in aviation, aerospace & defense industries in OK and the DOD and its prime contractors
• Create and retain more high-wage, high-skill jobs
• Strengthen collaborations between businesses and aviation, aerospace & defense interests
• Reduce the flow of federal defense contract dollars out of state
• Expand the aviation, aerospace & defense industries in Oklahoma
• Provide engineering and technical assistance
• Provide more suppliers for Oklahoma’s military installations and the aviation, aerospace & defense industries
• Reduce costs for the Department of Defense and Oklahoma military installations; increase the competitiveness of aviation, aerospace & defense businesses in OK
• Create and align goals to grow aerospace business to a top industry in Oklahoma by providing a forum to bring agencies, industry and government together
• Enhance Oklahoma’s supply chain utilization in the industry to fill existing gaps in supplier networks
• Develop and implement a recruitment strategy to attract new businesses that reside or have presence in Oklahoma

The ACES program is led by Leshia Pearson, Director of Aerospace & Defense at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.