Red Oak-based Qarbon Aerospace has appointed Michael Canario, former president and CEO of Norsk Titanium, as its new chief executive officer. Canario, who has served on Qarbon’s board of directors, brings 35 years of experience in the aerospace, defense, and advanced materials industries to the North Texas company.
Qarbon is a leading manufacturer of complex composite aerostructures and assemblies for everything from LIFT Aircraft’s HEXA flying cars to Supernal’s air taxis to Virgin Galactic’s next-generation Delta class spaceships.
In June, Qarbon received a Raytheon Technologies Premier Award for outstanding performance in 2022 on the F135 jet engine, which powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft.
The same month, Qarbon announced a new collaboration with Supernal at the Paris Air Show, aimed at advancing Supernal’s eVTOL air taxis using Qarbon’s innovative welding technology. Supernal is a subsidiary of the Hyundai Motor Group.
The “business end” of the F135 jet engine, one of the projects Qarbon Aerospace has worked on. [Photo: Pratt & Whitney]
New CEO previously led Norsk Titanium
Canario, Qarbon’s new CEO, previously served as the president and CEO of Norsk Titanium, a global leader in metal 3D printing. He led that company as it launched serial production of qualified structural titanium components in the commercial aerospace, defense, and semiconductor manufacturing markets. He also led Norsk Titanium through its IPO.
Prior to Norsk, Canario was president of aerospace for the Americas at Hexcel Corporation, a global leader in advanced composites. He led over 3,000 Hexcel employees across eight facilities that manufactured aerostructures and composite materials. Over a nearly 30-year tenure at Hexcel, Canario held multiple roles spanning operations, sales, and marketing.
Canario now takes the helm at Qarbon Aerospace, a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners, a Washington D.C.-area private equity firm. Qarbon was formed in 2021 when Arlington Capital acquired the composites business of Triumph Group, Inc.
Rendering of the cabin in a Supernal eVTOL air taxi, one of the projects Qarbon is working on. [Image: Supernal]
“I’m honored to join Qarbon as CEO and lead the team in driving our business forward to the next stage of growth,” Canario said in a statement. “Drawing from my background in advanced materials applications, I was attracted to the company’s history and differentiated capability in manufacturing large-scale and high-temperature composites for the industry’s most advanced commercial and military aircraft as well as the opportunity to partner with the Arlington Capital team, who has deep expertise investing in this specific area.”
Peter Manos, a managing partner at Arlington Capital Partners, said that adding Canario to Qarbon’s leadership team “brings a wealth of aerospace composite experience and insight to the organization. We’ve been fortunate to partner with him as a board member and appointing him as CEO is a key step in positioning the company to capitalize on the numerous growth opportunities coming into focus. We look forward to working with him to accelerate Qarbon’s growth and better serve our customers.”
A global footprint—with 2 million SF of facilities
Matt Chasen, LIFT Aircraft CEO, pilots a HEXA over Camp Mabry, Texas, in 2020. Qarbon Aerospace was selected in 2021 to perform the complete system integration and assembly for the HEXA program. [Photo: Sean Kornegay/Air National Guard]
Qarbon is shaping the future of aerospace parts for next-generation aircraft, manufacturing composites that are widely used on cutting-edge commercial and military aircraft models. The manufacturer supplies critical carbon fiber and other composite structures to major aerospace OEMs and defense contractors.
Qarbon operates nearly two million square feet of factory facilities across Texas, Georgia, and Thailand to produce major aircraft structures. It specializes in building large, complex composites and metal parts including fuselages, wings, and engine nacelles.
With its global footprint, Qarbon is a leading producer of intricate aviation components, supplying structural assemblies to commercial and defense aerospace clients worldwide.
[image: Virgin Galactic]
In news today, Virgin Galactic announced layoffs as the company pivots to prioritize the development of its Delta-class spaceships, a project Qarbon Aerospace is working on. The exact number affected is undisclosed, but Virgin Galactic had roughly 1,100 employees earlier this year, per TechCrunch. According to TechCrunch, Virgin’s next-gen spaceships are key to boosting its profitability and revenue through the scaled-up Delta program. “The Delta ships are powerful economic engines,” Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said in a staff memo.
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