Member Article

New machine helping growth of Warwickshire aerospace business

A Warwickshire aerospace supplier is continuing with its growth plans after buying a state-of-the-art machine to fulfil its orders.

Arrowsmith Engineering based on the Bayton Road Industrial Estate in Exhall, manufactures bespoke precision components for clients across the globe from Singapore to the USA.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub helped Arrowsmith Engineering’s Managing Director Jason Aldridge apply for a grant to purchase a new CNC machine for specialist work for orders for Rolls-Royce, Meggitt and Incora.

CWLEP Growth Hub Account Manager Laura Delahunty liaised with Coventry City Council and introduced Jason to Coventry City Council Business Development Advisor Kierandeep Bal.

Arrowsmith Engineering was successful in applying for a top up grant of £8,400 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Investment Fund which is part funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with the business contributing £76,000. .

This was the second grant the business has received through the Investment Fund after receiving £24,026 towards a CNC fourth axis machine and a cobot in March 2019.

Jason said the new advanced machine would enable the business to operate more efficiently against competitors from overseas.

He said: “The CNC machine makes us more cost effective because it can be linked to our automated cobots and is therefore assisting Arrowsmith to achieve our digitisation and automation plans.

“With the importance and introduction of digitisation and automation, our older machines are not suitable. Purchasing this digital ready machine allows us to adapt our milling system which makes us more compatible to the latest technology which is required by our aerospace customers all over the world.

“We need to be cost-effective so that our customers like Rolls-Royce, Meggitt and Incora continue to bring their work to us, which is keeping work in the UK. This grant has let us buy the newest equipment to enable this.

“Our order book is growing again after Covid-19 and there is growth throughout the aerospace industry. Customers are buying their products from all over the world which means we have to be as cost effective as anyone else and to do that we have to have the best kit to make full use of technology since it allows us to be competitive.”

Laura Delahunty, Account Manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said Arrowsmith Engineering is competing with the best manufacturing firms in the world in the aerospace sector.

She said: “Arrowsmith Engineering is one of the region’s leading aerospace precision component manufacturers and this grant is helping them to meet their increasing number of orders cost-effectively as well as hopefully winning new work.

“The aerospace industry was severely hampered by the pandemic and it is great to see such an established business from our area bounce back stronger.”

Kierandeep Bal, Business Development Advisor at Coventry City Council, added: “The pandemic unfortunately had a significant impact on so many businesses and industries leading to businesses closing down; Arrowsmith Engineering has shown great resilience to get through tough times and come out the other side even stronger and still achieve growth.

“The Investment Fund Programme is all about supporting businesses who are looking to grow and expand and that is exactly what Arrowsmith have achieved with a helping hand.” The Growth Hub is supported by funders including Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire’s District and Borough Councils.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .