GROSS MAX

Gross Max is a Long Beach, New York-based defense R&D company that received two SBIR awards from the U.S. Department of Defense, specifically the U.S. Navy. The company's primary research focus is the development of durable, lightweight composite cargo floor panels for military helicopters, specifically the CH-53K military cargo helicopter. Gross Max's DoD Phase II SBIR program (contract N68335-16-C-0095) developed advanced composite floor panel designs using hybrid glass-graphite and thermoplastic materials to replace the CH-53K's heavier aluminum floors while maintaining or exceeding strength and damage tolerance. The integrated tooling system developed by the company enables optimized and accurate fabrication of these lightweight floor panels, which offer significant weight savings for military logistics and rapid deployment missions. The technology has potential applications beyond the CH-53K to other military and civilian cargo aircraft and helicopters. Gross Max also completed a Phase I award in 2014 and an additional Phase II award in 2021, demonstrating sustained R&D capability in aerospace composite manufacturing for defense applications.