Doncasters Group says its first "fully integrated" contract - to supply turbo components for Hamilton Sundstrand's APS5000 auxiliary power unit for the Boeing 787 - opens the door to similar deals with other customers, writes Murdo Morrison.
The 23-year contract is the biggest in the UK company's history and will be worth up to $15 million a year within five years. Doncasters will manufacture parts - including blades, turbines, nozzles and inlet housings - at eight of its factories in Germany, Mexico, the UK and USA. Its New England Airfoil Products business in Farmington, Connecticut will manage the overall supply chain, and Doncasters will install engineers at Hamilton Sundstrand Power Systems in San Diego.
Mike Askew, managing director of Doncasters' $280 million-turnover aerospace division, says the company edged out its rivals for the deal "not just because of what we were offering commercially, but also because of the breadth of capabilities we could provide". He adds: "We have gone out to find a strategy that differentiates us, by leveraging our combined capabilities. This contract is exactly in line with what we want to do."
The 226-year-old company, which employs 3,700 people at 20 sites in Europe, the USA and Mexico, has said it wants to change its image from traditional precision components manufacturer to systems integrator.
Source: Flight International
