COTA CANADA

What COTA CANADA does

COTA CANADA (legal entity: Cota Aviation Ltd.) is a privately held Canadian aerospace and defense supplier founded in 2012 and headquartered in Parksville, British Columbia. The company operates a 58,000 sq ft facility on a 12-acre site strategically positioned between Canadian Forces Bases Esquimalt and Comox, with Transport Canada approved rotorcraft landing space. COTA is vertically integrated across design, AS9100D-certified precision machining (Okuma 9+ axis mill-turn, Hermle 5-axis), welding and fabrication (Hypertherm Hi-Def plasma, CNC waterjet, CNC laser, 350-ton press brake), quality verification (Renishaw Agility CMMs, WENZEL GT450 gear measurement), and post-delivery support.

The business is structured around six interconnected revenue streams: contract manufacturing (AS9100D), aircraft maintenance (Transport Canada AMO #83-18), in-service support (land, marine, subsea), training and simulation, distribution and warehousing (five stocking sites across Canada), and IT/cyber security services. COTA maintains multiple defense-grade certifications, including AS9100D (Cert # C2025-00299), Controlled Goods Program / ITAR (Cert # 30000), Transport Canada AMO #83-18, and NIST 800-171 cyber security compliance, enabling it to handle controlled and export-restricted work.

COTA serves a concentrated set of defense and aerospace clients, notably the Canadian Department of National Defence, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and General Atomics. The company positions itself as a Tier 2/Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) partner that helps prime contractors maximize their Canadian Value Proposition scores, while also executing direct contract manufacturing and lifecycle support. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales into government procurement offices and prime contractor supply chains, with revenue generated through long-term defense contracts and private-sector manufacturing agreements. No external funding, headcount, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

COTA CANADA

Legal name

Cota Aviation Ltd.

Website

https://cotaaviation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COTA CANADA (Cota Aviation Ltd.) is a privately held Canadian aerospace and defense manufacturer providing AS9100D-certified precision machining, welding, aircraft maintenance, in-service support, and distribution to the Canadian Department of National Defence, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and General Atomics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace & Defense Contract Manufacturing

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerospace Landing Gear Components & Subsystems (IMABANAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aerospace & Defense (TLAIALAB), Avionics Integration, Wiring Harnesses & Installation Kits (IMABAFAL), Aircraft Inspection, Quality Assurance & Airworthiness (IA Prep) (EDAOAFAE)

Keywords

• Aerospace machining services
• Defense contract manufacturing
• Precision CNC machining
• Aircraft maintenance repair
• Aerospace welding fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Parksville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Manufacturing Services: AS9100D certified manufacturing services including precision machining, welding, fabrication, and assembly for aerospace and defense clients. Revenue generated through long-term defense contracts and private sector manufacturing agreements.
2. Aircraft Maintenance Services: Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization (AMO #83-18) providing maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for military and civilian aircraft.
3. In-Service Support: Comprehensive lifecycle support for land, marine, and subsea fleets including sourcing, secured spares warehousing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
4. Distribution & Warehousing: Warehousing and distribution of critical hardware, specialized certified components, and PPE with 5 stocking warehouses across Canada. Increases Indigenous content of defense contracts.
5. Training & Simulation: Tailored training programs for manufacturing, maintenance, and in-service requirements based on client ITB pillar requirements.
6. IT/Cyber Security Services: Consulting, design, procurement and implementation of complex IT and cyber security systems for defense clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

COTA CANADA (Cota Aviation Ltd.) is an AS9100D-certified aerospace and defense manufacturer providing integrated technical services including precision CNC machining, welding and fabrication, aircraft maintenance under Transport Canada AMO #83-18, in-service support for military assets, training and simulation, distribution and warehousing, and IT/cyber security services. The company manufactures complex aerospace components in difficult materials such as Inconel, titanium, and armor grade steels for defense and aerospace clients including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, and the Canadian Department of National Defence.

Product overview

COTA CANADA (Cota Aviation Ltd.) is a Canadian aerospace and defense company providing integrated technical services through a portfolio of interconnected offerings. The core portfolio includes Design Services, AS9100D-certified Manufacturing (encompassing Precision Machining and Welding & Fabrication), Aircraft Maintenance under Transport Canada AMO #83-18, In-Service Support for air/land/sea military assets, Training & Simulation, Distribution & Warehousing, IT/Cyber Services, and Quality Verification. The company operates from a 12-acre, 58,000 sq ft facility in Parksville, BC, strategically positioned between CFB Esquimalt and CFB Comox, serving defense clients including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, and the Canadian Armed Forces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design Services Mechanical and electrical component and assembly design services for aerospace and defense applications, enabling clients to develop parts tailored to contract specifications.
• Manufacturing (AS9100D Approved) AS9100D certified manufacturing services including 5+ Axis Machining, Welding, Finishing, Component Assembly, and Quality Verification for aerospace and defense industries.
• Precision Machining Advanced CNC machining of complex aerospace components including structures, radar systems, gears, and specialized gearboxes in difficult materials such as Inconel, titanium, and armor grade steels.
• Welding & Fabrication Fabrication services including Hypertherm Hi-Def Plasma cutting, CNC laser cutting, CNC waterjet cutting, CNC press brake forming (350 tons), and welding for aerospace, naval, and land applications.
• Aircraft Maintenance (AMO #83-18) Transport Canada Approved Maintenance Organization providing aircraft maintenance services for private and government defense sectors.
• In-Service Support End-to-end contract support including sourcing, secured spares warehousing, maintenance, repair, and overhaul for air, land, and sea military assets.
• Training & Simulation Tailored training programs for manufacturing, maintenance, and in-service requirements based on client specifications and ITB pillar requirements.
• Distribution & Warehousing Warehousing and distribution of critical hardware including specialized certified components, PPE, cutting tools, hand tools, and lifting equipment with 5 stocking warehouses across Canada.
• IT/Cyber Services Consulting, design, procurement and implementation of complex IT and cyber security systems for defense clients, with NIST 870-171 Cyber Security Compliance maintained.
• Quality Verification Quality management services including Statistical Process Control, Measurement Systems Analysis, First Article Inspection Reports, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, using Renishaw Agility CMMs and WENZEL GT450 gear measurement systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• ITB transactional multiplier up to 9x for R&D engagements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lockheed MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA partners with Lockheed Martin on defense contracts, providing manufacturing capabilities and helping clients maximize ITB (Industrial Technological Benefits) and VP (Value Proposition) scores through collaborative contract fulfillment.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA provides aerospace manufacturing and component supply services to Boeing, supporting their defense and commercial aerospace manufacturing requirements.
• General AtomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOTA supports General Atomics with aerospace component manufacturing capabilities for defense applications.
• National Defence (Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government customer providing defense contract manufacturing, aircraft maintenance, and in-service support services to Canadian Department of National Defence.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Avcorp Industries: BC-based aerospace structures and components manufacturer with AS9100 certification supplying Boeing and other Tier-1 primes. Closest geographic and capability peer to COTA, with similar contract manufacturing profile and customer base.
• Cascade Aerospace: BC-based aerospace MRO and manufacturing company serving military and commercial operators. Direct peer in Canadian aerospace MRO and modification, with overlap in aircraft maintenance and defense contracts.
• Heroux-Devtek: Canadian Tier-1 aerospace manufacturer of landing gear, hydraulic systems, and precision components serving Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and other primes. Direct comparator given shared Canadian footprint, prime customer overlap, and overlapping landing gear/gearbox machining capabilities.
• IMP Aerospace & Defence: Canadian aerospace MRO and modification provider with strong DND and RCAF relationships. Directly comparable in MRO, in-service support, and Atlantic Canada defense contractor profile, though larger and more vertically integrated.

Broad incumbents

• Magellan Aerospace: Larger Canadian aerospace incumbent providing components, assemblies, and MRO services globally. Overlaps with COTA in precision machining and defense supply, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Vector Aerospace (StandardAero): Global MRO provider with significant Canadian operations serving helicopter and fixed-wing platforms. Comparable in aircraft MRO and in-service support, though at much larger scale and global footprint.
• Precision Castparts (Berkshire Hathaway): Global Tier-1 aerospace components manufacturer specializing in complex cast and machined parts. Establishes the upper bound for capability, scale, and qualification depth in the aerospace contract manufacturing market.
• Boeing Canada: Named COTA customer and major commercial/defense OEM with significant Canadian operations. Provides demand context for contract manufacturing pipeline and is a key end-customer for the type of components COTA produces.
• Lockheed Martin (CD&I / Sikorsky): Major defense prime and named COTA customer; serves as both buyer and indirect competitor when primes choose to insource work. Relevant as a benchmark for the kind of prime relationship COTA is positioned around.

Regional players

• KF Aerospace: Canadian aerospace MRO and aircraft modification specialist with strong DND/CC-130 Hercules relationships. Comparable in Canadian MRO and defense support profile, focused on Western Canada like COTA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cotaaviation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 COTA CANADA