Click Bond’s prospects keep flying higher

A flight path heading into blue skies, economically speaking, makes Click Bond’s Karl Hutter upbeat regarding business.

Barring an economic shock shaking business recovery, says the chief operating officer of the Carson City-based manufacturer, the view for 2015 appears solid. Airliner order backlogs help Click Bond, Inc., along with a range of products to supply various types of other manufacturers, according to the firm’s COO.

“It is a very optimistic time,” said Hutter, a member of Carson City’s Airport Authority, whose parents, Click Bond’s founders, served on that airport governing board before him. Charles Hutter is the company chairman and chief executive officer; Collie Hutter is company president.

The firm’s COO said in an interview strong growth in Asian and Mideast markets, including emergence of their air carriers, along with “record backlogs” in the aircraft-building industry, lower oil prices, and a “world airbus fleet that’s getting long in the tooth” make things appear positive.

But he takes nothing for granted. He said “brisk business” could be at risk if such things as an Ebola epidemic, Mideast unrest that flares even more, or something else unforeseen develops to “knock the wind out of it.” Click Bond, however, keeps innovating and making things to supply various transport and other industries and so it isn’t held hostage if down times return in some field, said Hutter.

“We’ve got a broad portfolio of product,” he said, but added overall defense spending has gone down. In that regard, “it is a dicey economic time,” but the product range makes things look good on the non-defense, or civil, side of the equation. There, he said, “it’s a strong time.”

Click Bond’s headquarters and major plant are located in Carson City, but the firm also has plants in New England and the United Kingdom. Products are made for aeronautics and aerospace uses, as well as the marine, rail and land transport, construction, energy and medical device fields.