Park Aerospace Corp. Announces the Appointment of Dhivakar J. Kumar as Vice President of Operations and Product Development

Park Aerospace promotes long-time engineer Dhivakar J. Kumar to Vice President of Operations and Product Development, reinforcing internal leadership continuity.

Rhea-AI Summary

Park Aerospace (PKE) appointed Dhivakar J. Kumar as Vice President of Operations and Product Development. He joined Park in 2012 and has advanced through roles including Materials and Process Engineer, Lead Materials and Process Engineer, Engineering Manager and Director of Product Development.

Before Park, Kumar was a Product Engineer at WebCore Technologies from 2010 to 2012. He holds a Master of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India. Park develops and manufactures advanced composite materials and parts for global aerospace applications, including aircraft, UAVs, rocket motors and radomes.

Key Terms

automated fiber placement (afp), uavs, ablative materials, radome

4 terms

automated fiber placement (afp) technical

"designed for hand lay-up or automated fiber placement (AFP) manufacturing applications"

A robotic manufacturing method that lays down narrow bands of reinforced material (like carbon or glass fibers) onto molds to build strong, lightweight parts layer by layer. Think of it as a high-precision sewing machine stitching composite “fabric” into complex shapes with consistent quality. Investors care because it lowers labor costs, speeds production, and improves repeatability, which can boost margins, scale-up potential, and competitiveness in industries that value lightweight parts.

uavs technical

"military aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs commonly referred to as “drones”)"

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are remote-controlled or autonomous flying machines—think of them as motorized, programmable model airplanes or helicopters that can carry cameras, sensors, cargo or other equipment without an onboard pilot. For investors, UAVs matter because they create new revenue streams and cost savings across industries like defense, delivery, agriculture, and inspection, while being sensitive to regulation, technology changes, and manufacturing supply chains.

ablative materials technical

"Park also offers specialty ablative materials for rocket motors and nozzles"

Ablative materials are engineered coatings or blocks that intentionally burn, char or erode when exposed to extreme heat to protect the underlying structure, like a sacrificial shield on a rocket nose cone or heat exchanger. Investors care because these materials affect product safety, performance, certification timelines and manufacturing costs for companies in aerospace, defense and industrial markets; reliability or breakthroughs can influence contracts, liability and margins.

radome technical

"specially designed materials for radome applications"

A radome is a protective shell that covers and shields radar or antenna equipment while allowing radio waves to pass through with minimal interference. Think of it as a windshield for sensitive sensing or communications gear: it keeps out weather, debris and mechanical damage without blocking the signal. Investors care because radome materials, design and durability affect product performance, regulatory compliance, manufacturing costs and contract competitiveness in aerospace, defense and telecom sectors.

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NEWTON, Kan., Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Park Aerospace Corp. (NYSE-PKE) announced the appointment of Dhivakar J. Kumar as Vice President of Operations and Product Development of the Company.

Dhivakar originally joined Park in 2012, and, prior to his appointment as Park’s Vice President of Operations and Product Development, Dhivakar served as Materials and Process Engineer, Lead Materials and Process Engineer, Engineering Manager and Director of Product Development of the Company. Prior to joining Park, Dhivakar served as Product Engineer of WebCore Technologies, LLC from 2010 to 2012. Dhivakar received a Master of Science degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 2009 and received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University in Chennai, India in 2007.

Brian Shore, Park’s Chairman and CEO, said, “I am very pleased that Dhivakar has agreed to take on the new and important role and responsibilities of Vice President of Operations and Product Development. Dhivakar has progressed through many positions and has come a long way at Park since he started with us in 2012, and he provides much hope and promise for Park’s future. Congratulations, Dhivakar, on your well-earned and well-deserved promotion.”

Park Aerospace Corp. develops and manufactures solution and hot-melt advanced composite materials used to produce composite structures for the global aerospace markets. Park’s advanced composite materials include film adhesives (Aeroadhere®) and lightning strike protection materials (Electroglide®). Park offers an array of composite materials specifically designed for hand lay-up or automated fiber placement (AFP) manufacturing applications. Park’s advanced composite materials are used to produce primary and secondary structures for jet engines, large and regional transport aircraft, military aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs commonly referred to as “drones”), business jets, general aviation aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft. Park also offers specialty ablative materials for rocket motors and nozzles and specially designed materials for radome applications. As a complement to Park’s advanced composite materials offering, Park designs and fabricates composite parts, structures and assemblies and low-volume tooling for the aerospace industry. Target markets for Park’s composite parts and structures (which include Park’s proprietary composite SigmaStrut™ and AlphaStrut™ product lines) are, among others, prototype and development aircraft, special mission aircraft, spares for legacy military and civilian aircraft and exotic spacecraft. Park’s objective is to do what others are either unwilling or unable to do. When nobody else wants to do it because it is too difficult, too small or too annoying, sign us up.

Additional corporate information is available on the Company’s website at www.parkaerospace.com.

Contact: Donna D’Amico-Annitto

486 North Oliver Road, Bldg. Z Newton, Kansas 67114 (316) 283-6500