21+ years of leadership spanning the U.S. military and Fortune 500 industry. A track record of multimillion-dollar value creation, global supply chain transformation, and operational excellence — now focused on helping Michigan manufacturers cross the threshold into aerospace & defense.
I spent 16 years inside the automotive industry — culminating as Executive Director of Global Supply Chain Management — building supplier ecosystems across three continents. Before that, I served in the U.S. Army. Across both careers I watched the same failure repeat: capable manufacturers who wanted defense work, primes who needed suppliers, and no rigorous, neutral way to close the gap between them.
So I built one.
The Defense Expansion Pathway™ — DXP™ is a proprietary readiness methodology that evaluates manufacturers across 8 domains and 140 assessment points: the quality systems, cybersecurity posture, regulatory exposure, and supply chain visibility that primes and Tier 1s actually qualify suppliers against. It is not a checklist or a webinar. It is a structured verdict on whether a manufacturer is ready for defense work, what is standing in the way, and the sequenced path to fix it.
Domain 8 — Supply Chain Visibility & Supplier Readiness — carries the heaviest weighting, because that is where 16 years on the inside taught me suppliers actually fail.
Summit Line Federal Solutions is an SBA-certified Veteran-Owned Small Business that assesses and advises — we never supply parts, and we never compete with the manufacturers we serve. The methodology comes with that structural commitment because a readiness verdict is only credible when the assessor has nothing to gain from the outcome.
The stakes are national. The defense industrial base has a hollow middle — thousands of proven commercial manufacturers stalled at the edge of defense production, and a national security supply chain that needs them. Michigan's automotive supply base is the deepest pool of untapped defense manufacturing capability in America. Closing that gap is both my business and my mission.
The thinking behind DXP™ shows up in the Defense-Ready Series, published with Automation Alley; in commentary on the National Defense Industrial Strategy; and in my work across NDIA's Manufacturing, Procurement, and Small Business divisions. In August 2026 I completed MIT xPRO's Executive Education Program in AI Strategy and Leadership — building AI-augmented delivery so DXP™ can scale across the industrial base.
Completed MIT xPRO's Executive Education Program in AI Strategy & Leadership, awarded 6 Continuing Education Units and conferred by the Vice Provost for Open Learning, MIT Sloan School of Management. One assignment was recognized by MIT as Exemplary. The program's work on leadership responsibility went directly into DXP™ — AI-augmented delivery with a named human accountable for every finding.
View Certificate →Executive education from one of the world's premier institutions — bringing Ivy League strategic rigor to defense market advisory and operational leadership.
Military career built on accountability, operational discipline, and mission-first execution — values that define every SLFS engagement and the DXP™ advisory framework.
Built and optimized complex supplier ecosystems across three continents. Led sourcing, network optimization, cost transformation, and organizational restructuring at enterprise scale.
Deep roots in Michigan's automotive and auto-adjacent manufacturing sector — understanding the operational strengths of the industrial base and the specific gaps defense entry demands.
Michigan's industrial base — forged in automotive precision, high-volume manufacturing, and operational discipline — is uniquely positioned to compete in aerospace & defense. The supply chain DNA is there. The machine capability is there. What has been missing is the compliance infrastructure, regulatory fluency, and strategic readiness intelligence to make the pivot successfully.
That is changing. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has made defense supplier readiness a strategic priority — actively working to help Michigan manufacturers understand, prepare for, and capitalize on the growing demand in the U.S. defense industrial base. Programs like the Michigan Defense Center and targeted A&D supplier development initiatives are creating an ecosystem of support for manufacturers ready to make the move.
Summit Line Federal Solutions and the DXP™ framework exist at the intersection of that state-level momentum and individual company readiness. We translate the opportunity into actionable intelligence — telling manufacturers exactly where they stand, what gaps exist, and what the realistic path to defense contract eligibility looks like.
MEDC & Michigan Defense Center are actively investing in supplier readiness programs to help Michigan manufacturers cross the threshold into A&D contracting. DXP™ aligns directly with this state-level strategic initiative.
The window is open. Manufacturers who build readiness infrastructure now will be positioned to capture contracts as DoD continues diversifying its supplier base away from legacy single-source dependencies.
See Where You Stand — Free →Three principles that guide every DXP™ engagement — from a 5-minute free screening to a full Phase 2 Decision Brief.
Every engagement begins with honest, unbiased assessment. No inflated findings. No sales pitch. Just an accurate picture of where you stand and what it will realistically take to move forward in defense.
Defense market entry is a specific challenge requiring specific expertise. DXP™ is built on practitioner-level knowledge of DCAA, DFARS, CMMC, and program management — not generic advisory frameworks.
Summit Line Federal Solutions exists to strengthen Michigan's position in the national defense industrial base — one well-prepared supplier at a time. The MEDC is building the ecosystem. We're building the readiness.
Every DXP™ engagement is led personally by Jerold Hawkins. Start with the free Phase 1 screening, or reach out directly to discuss your situation.
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