When we talk about the Manitoba aerospace industry we're really talking about elements of a global industry that just happened to have touched down in Manitoba.

A local product designer recently said that when it comes to designing any kind of product in Manitoba -- consumer or industrial -- the global market has to be considered the target audience because there aren't any products exclusive to the Manitoba marketplace except maybe a Salisbury House Nip.

The other side of the coin is the way Standard Aero has evolved. It is now on its fourth owner in a little more than 10 years -- two were British-based, and two were international private equity firms. But rather than become compromised, its power base in Winnipeg has been enhanced. Standard's CEO, Paul Soubry, Jr. is now also head of a Tempe, Ariz. company that was also purchased by the new owners, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. It has proven to be a valuable investment for two previous owners whose interest were purely financial. Now it is owned by a company whose executives are veteran operators of high- tech aerospace firms. There is justified expectations that it could mean greater market leverage for Standard Aero.