AmSafe Bridport Leadership
Decades of experience in the commercial and military
aviation industries.
Steve Carden, General Manager / Director, AmSafe Bridport, Europe & Africa markets
Mr. Carden joined the Bridport group of companies in 1987 filling a variety of roles in IT, engineering, quality and new product development. Currently Steve is responsible for the Bridport site including sales of aviation cargo restraint systems and technical fabrics across Europe and Africa. He is also responsible for technical matters such as engineering and IT for AmSafe Bridport globally. Prior to AmSafe, Steve had a 16 year career in construction and offshore engineering specializing in engineering and large scale project management. Mr. Carden earned his Bachelor's degree from The City University where he majored in civil engineering. He also holds a Master’s degree in Maritime Civil Engineering from Liverpool University and a Postgraduate Diploma in IT from the University of the West of England.
Steve Hancock, General Manager, AmSafe Bridport, Erie facility
Mr. Hancock joined AmSafe in 2000. Twelve years prior, Steve held various positions within Erie Aviation, a Pennsylvania based aviation repair and distribution company. Mr. Hancock earned his Bachelor's degree from Penn State Erie - The Behrend College where he majored in Electronic Engineering.
Ian Kentfield, General Manager, AmSafe Bridport, Asian and Middle East markets
Mr. Kentfield joined the company in 1986 as finance director of the subsidiary Bridport Aviation, and is responsible for the Sri Lanka and Kunshan manufacturing facilities including the provision and development of services and sales of the commercial aerospace market in the Middle East, Asia and Australian regions. In 2001 he led the company’s development into overseas manufacturing with the establishment of a facility in Sri Lanka. This was followed in 2004 with the opening of a facility in Kunshan, China, and Ian is now currently responsible for all the operational activities of AmSafe Bridport in the Asian and Middle East markets. Prior to AmSafe, Mr. Kentfield qualified as a Cost & Management accountant with the UK Ministry of Defense. In 1984 he worked for Doeflex plc a UK based plastics processing company in various positions and locations. In 1993 Mr. Kentfield earned an MBA from the University of South West England.
Neal McKeever, General Manager / Director of Defense, AmSafe Bridport
Mr. McKeever joined AmSafe in January 2007 and is responsible for the military aviation operation at our Ringwood UK facility and developing the AmSafe Bridport defense business. Prior to joining AmSafe, Neal had a 26-year career with Smiths Aerospace. His last position was managing director, International Military Business, responsible for development of business and key account management in the military market outside North America; prior to this position, Neal was managing director of its UK Avionics business. Mr. McKeever is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Robert Mechem, General Manager, AmSafe Bridport, commercial aircraft spares product line
Mr. Mechem joined AmSafe Bridport as commercial director for the Britannic Aviation subsidiary when they were acquired by AmSafe Bridport in March 1996. He was appointed in September 2000 to general manager of Britannic Aviation which is now AmSafe Bridport and is responsible for business development, inventory management and sales activities surrounding the distribution business at the Portsmouth and Gatwick locations. Mr. Mechem was one of the original directors of Britannic Aviation when it was formed in 1991 to specialize in the aircraft parts distribution business and prior to that, he spent six years as a director of Hayward and Green Ltd, a UK aircraft parts supplier. Mr. Mechem brings with him expertise gained from Monarch Airlines, one of Europe’s major holiday charter airlines, as he held several positions in sales and purchasing within their engineering departments.
