Eight Maryland companies participating in Gov. Larry Hogan's trade mission to Europe will seek business deals at an international aerospace industry event that kicked off Monday in Paris.

The firms will showcase their products and services during the week-long Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, where Hogan and an executive team plan to meet with global business leaders to promote the state's aerospace industry and seek investments for Maryland.

The companies include ASTec Metalworks in Middle River; Applied Defense Solutions in Columbia; Jackson and Tull in Greenbelt; OCR Services in Rockville; Orbit Logic in Greenbelt; Planar Monolithics in Frederick; Tecore Networks in Hanover; and WGS Systems in Frederick.

Most received an ExportMD grant from the state department of commerce to help offset the cost of the show. The state will operate a promotional booth.

The event "puts Maryland and our job creators in front of the senior decision-makers at top aerospace companies, as well as more than 2,300 international exhibitors looking to buy and sell products and services," Hogan said in an announcement Monday.

Bob Wise, CEO of WGS Systems, said the show will allow the Frederick company to demonstrate its manned and unmanned airborne surveillance technologies to both international and domestic customers.

Maryland is home to some of the top aerospace companies in the U.S., including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, BAE Systems and General Dynamics, as well as top defense contractors. The state is one of 20 states with exhibits at the show.

The trade mission is Hogan's third and also includes a stop in London, where the governor, Commerce Secretary R. Michael Gill and senior administration officials plan economic development meetings with international companies planning to start or expand operations in the state.

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

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Eight Maryland firms showcase products at Paris aerospace event ... - Baltimore Sun