Kerns Mfg Corp

What Kerns Mfg Corp does

Kerns Manufacturing Corp is a privately held, Tier 1 aerospace component manufacturer founded in the early 1950s and operating from a single facility at 37-14 29th Street, Long Island City, New York. The company occupies a special-process manufacturing niche, producing some of the most complex, difficult-to-manufacture components in aircraft and rocket engines — including front frames, turbine nozzles, balanced rotating air ducts, inducer nozzles, pressure balance seals, hollow vanes, and aluminum dip-brazed assemblies. Kerns works primarily with super alloys and other unforgiving high-temperature materials, operating in-house capabilities across vacuum brazing and heat treating (four vacuum furnaces to 1-micron vacuum and 2300°F), electron beam welding (four 150KV systems), GTAW welding, electrical discharge machining (nine machines), resistance welding, aluminum dip brazing, and Level 2/3 radiographic and fluorescent penetrant inspection.

The company generates revenue through B2B, quote-based manufacturing contracts with prime aerospace OEMs and defense contractors. Its content is embedded in commercial engines including the GEnx (Boeing 787/747-8), GE90-115B (Boeing 777), GP7000 (Airbus A380), CFM56 (Boeing 737, Airbus A320 family), and CF34 (Bombardier/Embraer regional jets), as well as military engines including the F414, F404, F110, T700 (Blackhawk/Apache), MTR390E (Tiger Eurocopter), and LM2500 (power generation and marine). Kerns holds Category 1 Supplier status within the GE supply chain — a designation that authorizes the company to approve GE special processes on GE's behalf — and maintains AS/EN/JISQ9100:2009 (Rev C), ISO 9001:2008, and NADCAP certifications. Yearly turnover exceeds $40M, supported by a workforce of 101–250 employees whose craftsmen average more than 20 years of aerospace experience.

Name

Kerns Mfg Corp

Legal name

Kerns Manufacturing Corp

Website

https://kernsmfg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kerns Manufacturing Corp is a privately held, Tier 1 aerospace component manufacturer in Long Island City, NY, producing complex super-alloy parts — frames, nozzles, ducts, seals, and aluminum dip-brazed assemblies — for aero-engine and rocket engine programs at Boeing, Airbus, GE, and major defense primes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Component Manufacturing

NAICS

Aircraft Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (336412), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (3364)

SIC

Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724)

akta.pro primary industry

Engine Modules & Hot-Section Components (Compressors/Turbines/Combustors) (IMABADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nozzles, Thrust Vectoring & Exhaust Systems (IMABADAL), Aerospace Fuel System Components (Tanks, Lines, Valves) (IMABANAJ)

Keywords

• Aerospace component manufacturing
• Vacuum brazing services
• Electron beam welding
• Super alloy machining
• Aircraft engine parts

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Island City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Aerospace Component Manufacturing: Kerns generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of complex aerospace components and assemblies for aero-engine and rocket engine applications. Their yearly turnover exceeds $40M. Products include structural static and rotating components such as Engine Front Frames, Turbine Nozzles, Air Ducts, Inducer Nozzles, Pressure Balance Seals, Oil Tanks and Shroud Supports.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Kerns Mfg Corp is a Tier 1 aerospace manufacturer that designs, machines, and special-processes complex components and assemblies from super alloys, nickel alloys, titanium, and aluminum for aero-engines, rocket engines, helicopters, and industrial gas turbines. Its offering centers on tight-tolerance parts such as frames, nozzles, complex seals, stators, air ducts, bearing supports, hollow vanes, and dip brazed structures, supported by in-house vacuum brazing, electron beam welding, TIG welding, plasma spray, and abrasive flow polishing capabilities.

Product overview

Kerns Manufacturing Corp is a world-class tier 1 supplier of complex aerospace components and assemblies for aircraft and rocket engines. The company's product portfolio consists of specialized precision-manufactured parts organized into seven main product categories: (1) Frames, Nozzles, Complex Seals & Stators including front frames, turbine nozzles, pressure balance seals, and stators; (2) Air Ducts (Balanced Rotating) & Static Tubes; (3) Inducers, Diffusers, Deswirlers & Accelerators for turbine sections; (4) Bearing & Shroud Supports, Cases & C-Sumps including combustion cases and intermediate cases; (5) Seals, Heat Shields, Covers, Centerbodies & Cowls; (6) Hollow Vanes, Vane Segments & Swirlers; and (7) Aluminum Dip Brazed Components including oil tanks, manifolds, and turbine stators/rotors. These products are used in both commercial and military aircraft engines such as the GEnx, GE90-115B, GP7000, CFM56, CF34, F414, F404, F110, T700, MTR390E, and LM2500.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Frames, Nozzles, Complex Seals & Stators Complex, tight-tolerance machined components for aero-engine flow paths and structural assemblies, manufactured in super alloys and nickel alloys for engine OEMs.
• Air Ducts (Balanced Rotating) & Static Tubes Machined balanced rotating and static air duct components for aerospace engine air management systems.
• Inducers, Diffusers, Deswirlers & Accelerators Machined flow-path components including inducers, diffusers, deswirlers, and accelerators for aerospace pumps and engines.
• Bearing & Shroud Supports, Cases & C-Sumps Structural aerospace components including bearing supports, shroud supports, cases, and C-sumps for rotating machinery.
• Seals, Heat Shields, Covers, Centerbodies & Cowls Aerospace thermal and aerodynamic components including seals, heat shields, covers, centerbodies, and cowls for engine and airframe applications.
• Hollow Vanes, Vane Segments & Swirlers Machined hollow vanes, vane segments, and swirlers for high-temperature aerospace engine sections, often produced in nickel and super alloys.
• Aluminum Dip Brazed Components Aluminum dip brazed components, including cold plates, chassis, housings, and structural assemblies for aerospace and defense applications.
• Special Process Manufacturing Services NADCAP-certified in-house special process services (vacuum brazing, electron beam welding, TIG and resistance welding, plasma spray/thermal barrier coating, abrasive flow polishing, and heat treatment) applied to customer-supplied or Kerns-manufactured aerospace parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Manufacturing precision measured in thousandths or tenths of thousandths of an inch
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GE AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKerns is a Category 1 Supplier within the GE supply chain, granted special Quality standing. Kerns is authorized by GE to approve special processes on GE's behalf for products that ship through the Kerns Quality System. Kerns manufactures components for multiple GE engines including GEnx, GE90-115B, GP7000, CF34, and LM2500.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Howmet Aerospace: Howmet Aerospace is a leading Tier 1 supplier of investment-cast and machined engine components for commercial and military aero engines. It is the closest large-cap analog to Kerns' niche of producing complex, hard-to-manufacture super-alloy engine parts for major OEMs.
• Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne designs and manufactures rocket propulsion systems and high-precision propulsion components using similar super alloy and special process capabilities as Kerns. It represents the rocket engine side of Kerns' dual aero-engine/rocket engine focus.
• Triumph Group: Triumph designs, engineers, and manufactures complex aerospace structural and engine components, including casings, frames, and assemblies for commercial and military platforms. It is a comparable Tier 1 supplier serving similar engine OEM customers with similar structural component scope.
• Barnes Aerospace: Barnes Aerospace is a Tier 1/Tier 2 manufacturer of precision-machined engine components and assemblies, including cases, frames, and complex fabrications for commercial and military engines. Its part families and customer base closely mirror Kerns' structural and rotating component portfolio.
• Doncasters Group: Doncasters is a private international manufacturer of high-precision, high-temperature alloy components for aerospace engines and industrial gas turbines. It mirrors Kerns' niche in complex super-alloy components supplied into Rolls-Royce, GE, and other engine OEM programs.
• Precision Castparts Corp: PCC (a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary) is a premier manufacturer of complex metal components and assemblies for aerospace engines and power systems. It shares Kerns' focus on high-precision, high-temperature super alloy components supplied into the same engine OEM customers.

Broad incumbents

• TransDigm Group: TransDigm is a leading designer, producer, and supplier of highly engineered aerospace components, including proprietary engine and airframe parts. Its portfolio companies supply into the same engine OEM supply chains and compete for similar Tier 1 specialty manufacturing slots.
• Hexcel Corporation: Hexcel manufactures advanced composite materials and engineered components used in commercial and military aerospace structures and engines. While composites-focused rather than metallic, it competes for similar engine and airframe structural component programs as Kerns.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: Curtiss-Wright supplies highly engineered, mission-critical components and systems for commercial and military aerospace, including engine and structural parts. It operates more broadly than Kerns across defense electronics and naval but competes in the same Tier 1 engine component space.
• Moog Inc. Moog manufactures precision motion control products and components for aerospace engines and airframes, including engine actuation and fuel systems. It serves the same Tier 1 customer set as Kerns and overlaps in supplying into GE and other major engine OEM programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kerns-mfg-corp

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kerns Mfg Corp