Sound leadership is about being empathetic and making yourself available and approachable for people. One of the significant undertakings of approachable leadership is that approachability doesn’t just improve one’s leadership, but also develops connections in all areas of life. When this approachability combines with the purpose to help others, it provides a sense of meaning and purpose to life. An epitome of such leadership is Robert R. Wilson, a disabled U.S. Army veteran with an excellent army track record, who firmly believes in approachable leadership and is extraordinarily passionate about supporting America’s warfighters who are the defense of American families, friends, community, nation, and allies. He converted this passion into action by forming R2C, an award-winning Service Disabled-Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) full-service Aerospace & Defense Company, headquartered in Huntsville, AL.
Robert is known for his adept leadership skills. As President and Chief Executive Officer of R2C Inc, he oversees all aspects of the business, formulates and determines values and goals of the company, and facilitates the integration of the company into the community.
R2C came to fruition through the grace of God and relationships with customers that gave them the opportunity to truly understand the needs of the Warfighter and ability to develop a skilled workforce to meet those needs. R2C continues to flourish even beyond Robert’s expectations through the exemplary products and services they provide their customers.
Offering Advancements in Aviation & Aerospace
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) selected R2C to participate in a mentor-protégé program with a local large business. This program creates scenarios that directly benefit the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) and Army and Program Executive Office Aviation Critical priorities. Robert shared that “R2C’s mentor transfers technology that enables R2C to advance our quality program through AS9100 certification, while improving program control, task order execution and operational agility through proven processes and supporting tools. The result is the expansion of a very limited industrial base of qualified companies specializing in reverse engineering and obsolescence mitigation.” This niche capability positions R2C as a reliable prime contractor increasing competition and quality of performance while potentially reducing costs and enabling AMCOM’s ability to deliver critical support to the Warfighter. R2C received the prestigious and coveted Nunn-Perry Award, the highest honor companies can receive in this program, for exceeding all goals and expectations two years ahead of schedule.
Impeccable Support Service
R2C personnel have significant program and project management experience with a number of large, complex project management endeavors in challenging environments. As part of the company’s integrated team approach with clients, R2C adopted a value-driven approach to defining and articulating business and project objectives to identify the most effective means to deliver. R2C Support Services’ materials engineers apply principles of chemistry, physics, and material behavior to develop metallic, non-metallic, and composite material and processing specifications, fabrication, and assembly processes. In addition to the science of engineering design and application in structures, systems, and subsystems market trends, public policy is monitored to determine their impact on industry. The company’s professionals take a systems-engineering approach that leverages interdisciplinary processes to ensure customer satisfaction throughout a system’s entire life cycle. “We adhere to a simple strategy: innovative, on-time and on budget delivery; all the time, anywhere, every time” says Robert.
Overcoming the Challenges through Getting Upgrade
R2C implemented superior engineering and logistics practices and processes to ensure low risk, best value solutions seamlessly with a high degree of collaboration with government customers. Robert states “It is through those challenges in our initial days we began to identify risks and develop solutions to overcome them. We continue to upgrade hardware and software tools to better provide processes that drive more efficient workflow.”
Serving the Country in the Crisis
Robert believes the pandemic certainly created requirements to think outside of the box. Vendors had challenges providing supplies timely due to the impact to their workforce and turnaround time of shipping materials. As the aviation industry is critical to the defense of the nation and support of the Warfighter, R2C is standing essential as are R2C’s employees and the jobs they do daily to support the defense of the nation. The company acted quickly through strategic business planning and sustained operations to continue meeting customer demands during the crisis.
Uniting with Updated Techs
R2C’s company offerings include but are not limited to engineering, logistics, manufacturing, and technical services. Company offerings have been shaped and continue to evolve over the years based on customer requirements and R2C providing an ever-evolving opportunity to provide the highest quality products and services to its clients to ensure Warfighters receive the most advanced, technologically superior tools to perform their mission. Technology rapidly changes and is critical in the field. The team at R2C understands that and walks alongside its customers to ensure the company goes above and beyond to meet this call to duty.
Sharing Knowledge to Support Community
Robert mentions that “R2C contributes greatly to the community by providing mentorship to other aviation companies, internships to high school and college students, resources to charitable causes, and partnerships to veteran, minority, individuals with disabilities, and women serving institutions. One of the company’s core values is service — We seek out opportunities to serve our God, nation, and communities through the different roles of our personal and professional lives. By working together, once the direction is set, there are few things that cannot be accomplished. This is true of all things, whether in the local community, state, country, or world.”
A List of Acknowledgments for Being Exceptional
Below is the list of awards and accolades that rightly exhibit R2C’s expertise and prominence:
- AS9100 Rev D / ISO 9001:2015 Certification
- DoD Mentor / Protégé Program Nun-Perry Award Winner
- American Business Awards as Aerospace & Defense Company of the Year (Three years)
- American Business Awards Veteran Owned Company of the Year
- Business Intelligence Group Small Business of the Year
- Inc Magazine “Best Places to Work” (Four consecutive years)
- Finalist for “Small Business of the Year 2018” by The Huntsville Madison County Chamber of Commerce
- Won seat on SEAPORT NEXT GEN $50 Billion contract
- Won Prototype Integration Facility BPA, ITECS BPA, and CITES BPA
- Honored as VETS 50 and Inc. 5000 fastest Growing Companies in America (Five consecutive years)
- Global Smart Leaders 20 Most Innovative Company of the Year 2020
- ACQ5 Global Awards 2019
- Entrepreneur 360 Best Company Pacific Life 2019
- North Alabama’s Best in Business 2020
- 50 Best Companies to Watch 2020
- Electronic Equipment Repair Best of 2021 (Seven consecutive years)
- 10 Most Admired Companies of the Year, CXO Fortune
Always There for the Country
R2C strives to keep pace with technological advances. Quality is R2C’s watchword. The company always works to improve processes, procedures, and personnel. Robert opines “If we are so blessed by our creator to continue to support America’s Heroes, I have no doubt that R2C will continue to provide unparalleled solutions and support to America’s Warfighter around the world.”
The Formula to Success
In his advice to upcoming entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into aviation industry, Robert advises “Success is being able to provide on time delivery of high-quality products to our customers and Warfighters in support of defending our nation. The formula to success is humility and genuine care for our people. In that, all things are possible.”
