Filling the Gap in the Defense Industrial Base
In the aerospace and defense industrial base, everyone knows the primes dominate the big programs. But that leaves a huge gap in the middle. John Albers is filling the gap in the defense industrial base.
Startups don’t scale. The primes can’t move fast. And decades of consolidation have hollowed out the space in between.
For years, leaders have recognized this challenge, but no one has really solved it. The primes keep getting bigger, small innovators get attention but struggle to scale, and the mid-tier keeps shrinking. Meanwhile, the demand for companies that can deliver speed, value, and scale has only grown more urgent.
The Rise of the “Next-Gen Primes”
That’s beginning to change. A new class of “next-gen primes” is emerging—companies that combine the agility of small disruptors with the execution power of established contractors. They’re leaner, faster, and built for the kind of challenges the big players can’t or won’t touch.
One of the leaders of this movement is John Albers, retired Marine Colonel and now CEO of Albers Aerospace. After diving into entrepreneurship, Albers became a voracious student of business and began building what he calls a next-gen prime.
In less than a decade, he’s grown Albers Aerospace into a nine-site operation through a combination of organic growth, acquisitions, and a relentless focus on lean execution and leadership development.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
In this conversation, John Albers shares how Albers Aerospace is reshaping the defense industrial base, what it really takes to scale, and why leadership culture—not just technology—drives speed and impact.
Key takeaways include:
- How Albers Aerospace scaled from a one-man shop to nine sites through organic growth and acquisitions.
- Why humility and “getting your rear end kicked” is one of the most important leadership lessons.
- How decades of consolidation have created a roll-up opportunity for mid-tier defense companies.
- Why financial literacy and leadership training are just as important as operations in a fast-growing business.
- Why speed, lean execution, and value—not allowable costs—win contracts today.
- How Albers thinks about building impact for the warfighter and the broader industrial base, not just chasing dollars.
Listen to the Full Episode
We cover all this and more on the latest episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast.
🎧 Listen on CraigPicken.com or subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
About Craig Picken
Craig Picken is the Managing Partner of Craig Picken Executive Search, a retained search firm focused on elevating leadership in aviation and aerospace. Since 2008, he has completed more than 400 senior-level searches across MRO, manufacturing, and services, partnering with premier OEMs, operators, financial organizations, and private equity sponsors.
A former Naval Flight Officer with over 100 combat missions and 325 carrier landings, Craig brings a unique perspective as the only executive recruiter in the industry who has flown, sold, and led P&L in aviation. Beyond recruiting, he is a speaker, executive coach, and host of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, where he highlights leadership insights from across the industry.