The American Composites Manufacturing Association (ACMA) honored Larry Ashton, chairman and founder of Rocky Mountain Composites, Inc (RMC) with the Lifetime Achievement Award during recent ceremonies in Florida. Ashton was cited for his innovative and successful 50+-year career in the field of advanced composites. RMC is headquartered in Spanish Fork, UT and is a subsidiary of Spectrum Aeronautical.
In 1995, Ashton co-founded Rocky Mountain Composites, and is currently serving as the company’s chair and chief scientist. Leading the efforts to create an extremely strong, light-weight composite material that will not fatigue or corrode, Ashton holds numerous patents involving cost-effective tooling, manufacturing and materials methods.
He is known for his significant technical contributions to many important programs including aircraft structures, survivable external fuel tanks, vacuum-flush aircraft waste systems, engine cowlings, rocket motor cases, and, most recently, for the development of the composite structures for the new Spectrum 33 and Spectrum 40 business jets being developed at RMC. Both the Independence S-33 (eight-place very light jet, powered by Williams International FJ33 engines) and Freedom S-40 (nine-place midsized jet, powered by GE Honda HF120 engines) feature the company’s proprietary fibeX composite material system. Their light weight, combined with ultra-efficient fanjet engines, result in extraordinary fuel efficiency and very low emission of greenhouse gasses. Related Story
"While it is gratifying to receive recognition for efforts and so-called successes, I find myself indebted to a host of colleagues who have made equal or greater contributions to whatever might be perceived as beneficial to our industry,” said Ashton. “Age and experience has allowed me the recognition but it is equally deserved by a myriad of hard-working innovators and industry advisors whose time will also come.”
Ashton is also a licensed pilot, and has been an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University. The recipient of several prestigious awards, including, the Governor of Utah’s award for Science and Technology (2002), Ashton has also been awarded the coveted Jud Hall Award for Composites Manufacturing (1991).