Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense named a Hartford Courant Top Workplace for seventh time. Employee-driven recognition reflects EBAD's continued commitment to workplace culture, employee engagement, and career growth SIMSBURY, CT. - September 2026 - Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD), a leading manufacturer of mission-critical technologies for the space and defense industries, has been named a 2026 Hartford Courant Top Workplace, marking the seventh time the company has earned the recognition. EBAD has been recognized as a Top Workplace in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026. The continued recognition reflects a workplace culture that has evolved alongside the company while remaining focused on the people behind its nearly 190-year legacy of engineering, manufacturing, and innovation. The Top Workplaces designation is based on confidential employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey measuring key aspects of the employee experience and workplace culture. For EBAD, that employee-driven approach makes the recognition particularly meaningful. Being named a Top Workplace for the seventh time is especially meaningful because this recognition comes directly from its employees," said Jen Lewis, President of EBAD. "Our people are the reason EBAD continues to innovate and take on some of the most demanding challenges in aerospace and defense. We are committed to creating an environment where talented people can contribute to high-performing teams, expand their skills, grow their careers, and see the impact of their work every day." Across its operations, EBAD employees design, manufacture, assemble and test technologies that perform during critical moments in space and defense missions. Employees work across disciplines and alongside experienced engineers, technicians and manufacturing professionals, providing opportunities to see programs progress from development and production through testing and mission use. As EBAD continues to grow, the company remains focused on providing employees with opportunities to take on meaningful challenges, develop their expertise and build long-term careers. Seven Top Workplace recognitions over the past eight years reflect the continued role EBAD's employees play in shaping the company and the culture behind its mission-critical work.

Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Inducted into the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame Simsbury-based aerospace manufacturer honored for 190 years of innovation and its critical role in NASA's historic Artemis II mission. SIMSBURY, Conn. - September 1, 2026 - Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD) was inducted into the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame yesterday at the Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Forum, held at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford. Lisa Brown, EBAD's Market Segment Director for Launch Vehicles, accepted the honor on behalf of the company. U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal presented the induction, with Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Chief Manufacturing Officer Kirti Patel also in attendance. The induction recognizes EBAD's 190-year manufacturing legacy in Simsbury, dating back to 1836 and William Bickford's invention of the safety fuse, as well as the company's role as a critical supplier on NASA's Artemis II mission. Hardware designed and built by EBAD performed successfully throughout Artemis II, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years. During the nearly 10-day mission, which launched April 1, 2026, four astronauts traveled approximately 1.4 million miles, reaching a record distance of 252,756 miles from Earth before safely returning home. EBAD engineered the critical separation hardware that helped separate Orion's Crew Module from its Service Module, a crucial step ahead of the astronauts' return to Earth. "From the same Simsbury factory where this all began, we are honored to be recognized alongside Connecticut's most iconic manufacturing innovators," said Lisa Brown, Market Segment Director for Launch Vehicles, EBAD. "This induction belongs to every EBAD employee, past and present, whose precision and dedication have helped carry Connecticut manufacturing from mining safety caps to the Moon and beyond." The Connecticut Manufacturing Innovation Forum, presented by Connecticut Office of Manufacturing, brought together manufacturers, educators and state leaders to explore the technologies, strategies and workforce solutions shaping the industry's future. EBAD served as an event sponsor alongside RBC Bearings, Trumpf, CLA and Raymond James, with Fox61 as media partner. Founded in 2014, the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame honors Connecticut's manufacturing and innovation legacy, celebrating a state that has served as a birthplace of innovation for more than 350 years - from the helicopter and the nuclear submarine to the first spacesuit worn on the Moon. americanmanufacturinghof.com