Staff Reports
Published Dec. 29, 2008

UEC Electronics, a Hanahan-based company, has been selected to participate in a U.S. Department of Defense mentor-protégé program that could mean larger contract work for the local company in the future.

UEC Electronics specializes in custom design, rapid prototyping and manufacturing solutions for system, sub-system and component-level requirements. Through the Defense Department program, UEC Electronics will work on several projects with Raytheon Co., a manufacturer of defense technology products that employs 72,000 people worldwide.

The Defense Department’s mentor-protégé program pairs large companies with eligible small businesses to enhance the protégés' capabilities and enable them to compete for larger, more complex prime contract and subcontract awards.

Under the agreement, Raytheon Missile Systems and UEC Electronics will work on standard missile-6, AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles.

Raytheon will mentor UEC Electronics for three years in product design, test set design and development, advanced electronics manufacturing and development, lean manufacturing, information technology, human resources and quality systems.

"We are excited to work with Raytheon and learn from this global company," said Rebecca Ufkes, UEC Electronics president. "The expertise and technology transfer provided by Raytheon will allow UEC to grow our design, specialized manufacturing and integration capabilities."

Raytheon Co., based in Waltham, Mass., specializes in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. The company provides electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing, effects, and command, control, communications and intelligence systems.

In 2007, Raytheon subcontracted more than $1.8 billion of work to small and diverse businesses.