U.S. Rep. Hern visits local U.S. Navy electronic components supplier

U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern (left) listens to Seth Lapidus, president of U.S. Pioneer Inc., talk about the company during a tour of operations Thursday.

Rhett Morgan/Tulsa World

A major player on the high seas is Tulsa’s U.S. Pioneer Inc., which makes electronic components exclusively for the U.S. Navy.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., toured the company Thursday, demonstrating how one company can keep a workforce in shipshape.

“This state has been known for years and years as an aerospace leader, defense contractor state that loves its military men and women,” Hern said. “We have a lot of schools around here that are generating mechanical engineers and electrical engineers and then we ship them out somewhere. We talk about wage growth in Oklahoma. We need to keep our really talented high school workers here.”

U.S. Pioneer, 4450 S. 70th E. Ave., employs about 45 people, President Seth Lapidus said.

It is a major supplier for the aircraft carrier program and provides electrical equipment, including fiber-optic interconnection boxes, patch panels and splice tray holders. Most recently, U.S. Pioneer has provided these fiber-optic components, in addition to rotary switches, door switches and other electrical units in support of the construction of the latest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier that is under construction, the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).

“The products, themselves, have been made in Tulsa since about 1968,” Lapidus said. “… The components we make have been on Navy ships for a long time.”

The Navy has awarded a contract to Huntington Ingalls Industries for the construction of the next two Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 80 and CVN 81. The purchase of two aircraft carriers at once will stimulate the aircraft carrier supplier base of more than 2,000 suppliers in 46 states.

Currently, aircraft carrier suppliers in Oklahoma contribute more than $4 million worth of parts and services for the aircraft carrier program per vessel.

Most of U.S. Pioneer’s business goes to new ship construction, but it also sells to the defense supply system and distributors that supply repair yards.

“There’s really a limited amount of competition, in general, that make these parts nationwide,” Lapidus said. “So probably the majority of stuff we make, there’s only maybe two or three companies in the country that make that stuff.”

Lapidus said finding enough skilled labor, particularly welders, is troublesome at times.

“Obviously, there are two things working against us,” he said. “We have to compete with the energy industry and they have bigger pockets than we do. And because of the skillset, they are doing a different type of welding than we do … We’ll take people with the aptitude. We’ll test them out and do a lot of in-house training.”

Before touring the facility, Hern sat down with Lapidus Thursday to learn more about the company.

“How do we do this ambassador work to kind of connect all the dots so we not compete with one another but to grow?” Hern said. “To me, that’s important.

“It’s better to get out and meet and listen to what the needs of these businessmen and businesswomen are, so when we’re in Washington, D.C., and we’re making policy and talking about job creation, we know who the people are who are actually doing the work.”

Rhett Morgan

918-581-8395

[email protected]

Twitter: @RhettMorganTW

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Staff Writer