45Drives COO Robert MacQueen Joins Major Industry Panel at Velocity Summit on U.S. Defense Manufacturing

MacQueen Will Join Executives From Archer Aviation, Hendrick Technical Solutions and Phillips Corporation-Markforged at the November 17 Summit Featuring North Carolina's Governor, Commerce Secretary and Senior Military Leaders

WILMINGTON, NC - November 11, 2026 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - 45Drives, the leading manufacturer of open source enterprise data storage, virtualization infrastructure and on-prem AI, today announced that Chief Operating Officer Robert MacQueen will participate in the marquee Industry Velocity Panel at the inaugural Velocity Summit, taking place November 17 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Co-presented by the North Carolina Military Business Center (NCMBC) and The Protocase Companies, the summit will bring military, government and industry leaders together to address one of America's most pressing national security challenges: accelerating defense manufacturing capacity.

The panel, “Building at the Speed the Mission Requires,” will feature MacQueen alongside Chelsea Lloyd, Director, Supplier Quality Engineering at Archer Aviation; Scott Lampe, President of Hendrick Technical Solutions; and Bradley Garris, Business Manager at Phillips Corporation-Markforged. Jon Phillips, CEO of PhillComm Global, will moderate the discussion, scheduled for 12:45-2:00 PM EST.

MacQueen brings hands-on experience across the full technology production lifecycle. Having joined 45Drives in 2014 in engineering, he now oversees operations from product development through customer fulfillment. His work spans the challenges of designing, manufacturing and delivering complex enterprise infrastructure at scale.

“There's a world of difference between proving you can build something and being able to deliver it quickly, reliably and at scale,” said Robert MacQueen, Chief Operating Officer of 45Drives. “At 45Drives, we operate in that space between engineering, production and service every day. We know how much time gets lost to supply chain constraints, inefficient processes and unnecessary complexity. I want to bring that practical experience to the discussion about how North Carolina can help America build critical defense capabilities faster.”

The summit's final program also features video remarks from North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a keynote address by Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley, and remarks from Lieutenant General (Ret.) Christopher O. Mohan, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Materiel Command. Senior military officials will examine readiness requirements and industrial constraints before an afternoon roundtable focused on practical steps North Carolina can take to strengthen America's defense manufacturing base.

The Velocity Summit takes place November 17, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 3:45 PM EST, at Cape Fear Community College's Union Station Conference Center, Room 508, 502 N. Front Street, Wilmington, North Carolina.

For the complete program and registration, visit Velocity Summit.

About 45Drives

45Drives designs, manufactures and supports enterprise data storage and virtualization systems built on open-source software and non-proprietary hardware. Part of The Protocase Companies, 45Drives serves government, defense, research, enterprise and other organizations seeking high-performance infrastructure with complete control over their data, hardware and technology investments. Learn more at 45Drives.com.

Contact:
Jonathan Phillips
[email protected]

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