What Senior Aerospace Ketema does

Senior Aerospace Ketema is a precision integrated manufacturer of complex aerospace components, founded in 1953 in El Cajon, California, and operating today as a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-listed Senior plc (LSE: SNR, FTSE 250). The company occupies a 27-acre campus with more than 378,000 square feet of manufacturing space, where it consolidates engineering, 5-axis precision machining, fabrication, electron beam welding, vacuum furnace and honeycomb brazing, special coatings, heat treating, and non-destructive testing under a single roof. Its core technical competency is the manufacture of complex fabrications and machined components from Titanium and Nickel alloys for the harshest sections of turbine engines — fans, compressors, combustors, turbines, and exhaust — as well as proprietary aerospace products.

The company's commercial offering spans two streams. The first is build-to-print development and production partnership with aircraft and turbine engine OEMs, producing airframe and engine components for civil aviation (narrow body and wide body commercial platforms), defense aviation (military fixed-wing and rotorcraft), marine turbine engines, and ground-based energy turbines. The second is Ketema-owned proprietary product lines: Fuel Management Systems (TSO-qualified turbine flowmeters, PC900/PC910/PC920 indicator/signal conditioners, and MF48-502B refueling sensors), Zahodiakin positive-locking fasteners (Mil-F-22978A qualified, MS17731/MS17732 series, with 50+ years of continuous manufacture), and Space products (cryogenic regulators, valves, and disconnects for medium and heavy-lift launch vehicles). Named customers include US Air Force, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Sikorsky, Bell/Agusta, Rockwell Collins, and Sargent Fletcher, with long-cycle defense and commercial engine programs anchoring the book of business.

Revenue is generated through multi-year B2B contracts with aerospace and defense OEMs and primes, with no public pricing — all engagements are initiated through a formal Request a Quote process. The company is sales-light and relies on its certification stack (AS9100:D, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, NADCAP across chemical processing, coatings, heat treating, materials testing, NDT, non-conventional machining, welding, and captive lab; FAA TSO-C44a/C44b; FAA Repair Station; Mil-F-22978A; DFARS; ITAR; ISO-IEC 17025) as the primary qualification filter for new programs. Senior plc provides the financial parent and capital for capacity expansion to support Ketema's growing OEM partnerships within the parent's Aerospace group, which represents 66% of Senior plc's group revenue.

Name

Senior Aerospace Ketema

Legal name

Senior Aerospace Ketema

Website

https://saketema.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Senior Aerospace Ketema is a precision integrated manufacturer of titanium and nickel-alloy turbine engine components, fuel management systems, Zahodiakin fasteners, and cryogenic space products, serving civil and defense aerospace OEMs from a 378,000+ sq ft El Cajon, California facility as a subsidiary of UK-listed Senior plc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Component Manufacturing

NAICS

Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (3364), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Aircraft & Parts (3720), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Nacelles, Fairings & Aerodynamic Structures (IMABAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aerospace Fuel System Components (Tanks, Lines, Valves) (IMABANAJ), Aerospace Fasteners & Hardware (IMABANAA), Avionics Integration, Wiring Harnesses & Installation Kits (IMABAFAL), Primary Airframe Structures (Fuselage, Wing, Empennage) (IMABAEAA)

Keywords

• Aerospace component manufacturing
• Precision machined components
• Turbine engine parts
• Aerospace fasteners
• Fuel management systems

Headquarters

HQ city

El Cajon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Aerospace Component Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of precision components for aircraft and turbine engine builders, including airframe components, turbine engine sections (fans, compressors, combustors, turbines, exhaust), and specialty products. Revenue is generated through long-term OEM supply relationships and development partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Senior Aerospace Ketema is a precision integrated manufacturer specializing in complex fabrications and machined components from Titanium and Nickel Alloys for aerospace turbine engine applications. The company produces OEM-designed turbine engine sections (fans, compressors, combustors, turbines, exhaust) plus Ketema-designed proprietary products including fuel management systems (flow meters, signal conditioners, refueling sensors), Zahodiakin positive-locking fasteners, and space-qualified cryogenic regulators and valves. All capabilities spanning engineering, machining, fabrication, joining, processing, finishing, and quality are vertically integrated within a single 378,000+ square foot facility in El Cajon, California.

Product overview

Senior Aerospace Ketema is a precision integrated manufacturer serving the aerospace, defense, energy, marine, and space industries. The company operates two main product lines: (1) OEM-designed turbine engine components manufactured as a development partner, including fan, compressor, combustor, turbine, and exhaust section components for civil aviation, military, and energy applications; and (2) Ketema-designed proprietary products including the Fuel Management Systems product line (flow meters, indicator conditioners, refueling sensors, and signal conditioners), Zahodiakin positive-locking fasteners, and space-based cryogenic regulators and valves. All products are manufactured from exotic metals including Titanium and Nickel alloys using integrated capabilities spanning machining, fabrication, welding, brazing, heat treatment, and special coatings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zahodiakin Fasteners: Positive-locking fasteners designed for aerospace applications including access doors, panels and structural components. Manufactured for over 50 years, available in commercial and military versions meeting Mil-F-22978A (ASG) specifications.
• Ketema Fuel Management Systems

Products and services

• Turbine Engine Components OEM-designed precision components for turbine engine sections (fans, compressors, combustors, turbines, exhaust) manufactured from Titanium and Nickel Alloys for civil aviation, defense aviation, energy, and marine turbine engine applications.
• Fuel Management Systems Proprietary Ketema-branded turbine flow measurement and fuel management products including flow meters, indicator conditioners, refueling sensors, and signal conditioners designed for aircraft engine fuel measurement and monitoring.
• Zahodiakin Fasteners Proprietary positive-locking quick-locking fasteners with automatic misalignment correction and no cross-threading, available in commercial and military versions meeting Mil-F-22978A (ASG) specifications for aerospace access doors, panels, and structural components.
• Space Products Space-qualified cryogenic regulators, valves, and disconnects designed for medium and heavy lift space launch vehicle applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7,200 close tolerance features manufactured for single component
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Doncasters Group: UK-based precision manufacturer of complex alloy components for aerospace turbine engines and airframes. Closely comparable to Ketema in exotic-metal machining, engine section components and aerospace OEM supply model.
• Woodward, Inc. Designs and manufactures energy control and optimization solutions for aerospace turbine engines. Overlaps with Ketema's engine section components and combustion/fuel management exposure.
• Ducommun Incorporated: US tier-2 aerospace structural components manufacturer serving commercial and defense platforms with machined and assembled parts. Comparable business model as a precision component supplier into major aerospace OEMs.
• TransDigm Group: Proprietary aerospace components manufacturer with a portfolio of niche, sole-source parts including fuel system components and engine accessories. Comparable proprietary-product strategy alongside Ketema's branded fuel management and fastener lines.
• Senior Aerospace (other divisions): Other Senior plc Aerospace Group entities (e.g., Senior Aerospace AMT, Senior Aerospace BWT, Senior Aerospace Damar). Sister entities under the same parent producing precision aerospace components, engine parts and structural assemblies.

Broad incumbents

• Howmet Aerospace: Large aerospace manufacturer of engine components (turbine blades, vanes, structures) and airframe structures. Overlaps with Ketema's turbine engine component portfolio but operates at much greater scale with a broader product portfolio.
• Precision Castparts (Berkshire Hathaway): Tier-1 supplier of complex metal components and castings for aerospace engines and airframes (now part of Berkshire Hathaway). Overlaps with Ketema's exotic-metal engine structures but operates across a vastly broader footprint.
• GKN Aerospace: Tier-1 aerospace structures and engine systems supplier (now part of Melrose Industries). Overlaps with Ketema's structural component work but at much larger scale and across a broader technology portfolio.
• Meggitt (Parker Aerospace): UK-origin aerospace and defense components group (now part of Parker). Overlaps with Ketema in engine components, sensors and fuel-related subsystems serving civil and military platforms.

Emerging players

• Hexcel Corporation: Manufacturer of advanced composites for commercial aerospace, space and defense. Adjacent to Ketema in serving next-generation engine and airframe programs but focused on composites rather than exotic-metal machining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/senior-aerospace-ketema

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Senior Aerospace Ketema