The inaugural Velocity Summit, scheduled for November 17 in Wilmington, North Carolina, has announced its first group of speakers, signaling a major push to address a critical national security challenge: how to move military requirements into manufactured capability at scale more quickly. The event, organized by the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) and The Protocase Companies, will convene senior leaders from the military, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, government, and North Carolina’s defense industrial base.
The first confirmed speakers include Lieutenant General (Ret.) Christopher O. Mohan, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Materiel Command; Bill Saffo, Mayor of Wilmington; Scott Lampe, President of Hendrick Technical Solutions; Chelsea Lloyd, Director of Supplier Quality Engineering at Archer Aviation; Brad Garris, Business Manager at Phillips Additive Solutions; Dr. Douglas Milburn, Chairman of The Protocase Companies; and Martin J. “Jimmy” Hendrix III, Executive Director of the North Carolina Military Business Center. This diverse group spans military logistics, defense manufacturing, aerospace production, additive manufacturing, and local government.
“This is exactly the kind of intersectional pedigree we envisioned when we began building Velocity Summit,” said Dr. Doug Milburn, Chairman of The Protocase Companies. “The challenge is bigger than any single company, military organization or level of government. We need the people who understand requirements, production, supply chains, technology and policy in the same room, focused on what it will actually take to move faster.”
The speaker list highlights North Carolina’s growing role in advanced manufacturing and aerospace. Hendrick Technical Solutions brings race-derived speed and precision to defense programs, Archer Aviation is developing next-generation electric aircraft, and Phillips Additive Solutions helps manufacturers deploy industrial additive manufacturing. Lt. Gen. Mohan’s decades of experience in logistics, sustainment, and the defense industrial base will provide critical insights.
Organizers plan to announce additional speakers and distinguished attendees in the coming weeks, including senior elected and government leaders from across North Carolina. The summit will focus on practical collaboration among industry, the military, government, academia, and workforce leaders to examine how the United States can accelerate production, reduce barriers across the defense industrial base, strengthen critical supply chains, and expand capacity to build and sustain ships, aircraft, munitions, and other mission-critical systems.
North Carolina’s scale in this sector is significant. The Department of Defense has an estimated $79.7 billion annual economic impact in the state, where the military is the second-largest economic sector. The state also has approximately 459,000 manufacturing jobs, more than 400 aerospace manufacturers, over 100,000 aerospace, aviation, and engineering professionals, six major military installations, and two deep-water ports. The inaugural Velocity Summit will take place on November 17, 2026, in Wilmington. For more information and to register, visit the event page. Additional details are available via NEWMEDIAWIRE.
