Pictured above: Pete Everitt of Powerkut and Chairman
of CWAF launches the regional aerospace forum with Brian Graham at
Coventry City Council in front of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner; one of
the stars of the 2010 Farnborough Air Show
At the Farnborough Air Show on Tuesday, a team of world class
engineering and manufacturing firms from across Coventry and
Warwickshire united to launch a new initiative that will combine
their expertise and facilitate joint-company tenders for major
aircraft programmes.
The Coventry & Warwickshire Aerospace Forum (CWAF) fuses
more than 300 years of engineering and manufacturing expertise from
companies working in the West Midlands aerospace sector. Together
they will to develop solutions and tender for business in the
demanding Aerospace & Defence sectors - in particular with
mechanical and electrical/electronic sub assemblies for in-flight
and on-ground applications.
Pete Everitt of Coventry-based Powerkut and chairman of CWAF,
said: "The group will work collaboratively to ensure that clients
need only one point of contact; whether it is a single enquiry for
a make to print precision machined component or a more complex
engineered solution, the group will maintain a focus on the key
drivers of quality, cost and delivery.
"This collaborative approach further strengthens our region's
world-renowned aerospace sector, moving CWAF's members higher up
the supply chain and creating opportunities to make a significant
contribution to the next generation of aircraft."
Pictured above: Bob Ainsworth MP, Pete Everitt of
Powerkut and Chairman of CWAF and Simon Burr of Aero Engine
Controls launch the Coventry & Warwickshire Aerospace
Forum
Endorsing the launch of CWAF on the stand of the Midlands
Aerospace Alliance at Farnborough was Simon Burr, chief executive
of Aero Engine Controls - a joint-venture between Rolls Royce and
the Goodrich Corporation. He said: "In today's economic
climate larger companies are looking to simplify their supply chain
interfaces. This type of partnering, with a single point of
customer contact, is a bold move that will put smaller Midlands
companies in contention for new business which would ordinarily be
out of their reach."
CWAF has also secured backing from Regional Development Agency
Advantage West Midlands as well as local MP Bob Ainsworth, who
officially launched the group.
Mr Ainsworth said: "Maintaining the manufacturing skill base in
the West Midlands is enormously important and the companies that
make up the West Midlands aerospace cluster are a vital part of
that. All of us should therefore be doing all that we can to
support their continued success and development.
"Britain has to pay its way in the world and high skilled top
end manufacturing capability can play an enormously important
part."