Excellence in Business Awards 2011: Aerospace deals help firm fly high in global market

The Wakefield-based firm, which won the Exporter of the Year category, sponsored by thebigword Group, designs and develops machinery for a range of purposes.

The company, which has 220 staff and a turnover of £17.7m, operates in over 30 countries worldwide, including the US, China, India, Japan, Nigeria, and Egypt.

Exports account for about 30 per cent of the company’s turnover and include multi- million pound projects such as manufacturing machinery for UK projects including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Joint Strike Fighter aircraft programmes.

Within the company’s traditional metalforming business, target markets continue to include China, Brazil and India, where this year an office has been opened. Confirmed orders in excess of $4m have recently been secured from the aerospace and aluminium processing sectors in these countries.

The judges said exports were at the core of everything Group Rhodes does – it is truly helping to re-balance the UK economy. They also liked the fact that the company was exporting machinery, rather than products or services, which made it a rarity these days.

Managing director Mark Ridgway said the reason for the company’s success was its ability to differentiate its products on an international stage. He added: “We actually produce products of which there are only three of us in the world competing in that field. The aircraft industry in China and India is certainly on the up – a lot of regional jets are required in China. We are also working with Lockeed Martin and BAE on military jets as well.

“So while the business is much more than aerospace manufacturing machinery, it has been a major fillip for the business over the last three or four years.”

The company also manufactures assemblies to support Allied forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Over $1.5m sales of technical fabrications have been recently supplied to the US Navy for installation on the new class of DGD Destroyer.

According to Mr Ridgway, the company’s main strength during the downturn has been its ability to remain true to its core competencies yet at the same time diversify its product range across a number of sectors, including manufacturing superplastic forming presses used in the production of lightweight components in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Developing on its success in the UK market where over 40 machines have been installed in Rolls Royce and British Aerospace, the company won its first contract to China in 2006.

Last year, the company received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the innovation category, an award that was given for the development of products particularly focused on the Chinese aerospace market.

Mr Ridgway also sits on the Advanced Engineering Sector Advisory Board to UKTI, a body formed by the government to develop the international sales of the UK’s advanced engineering industry.

As a result of this international work he received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to industry.

The company employs over 20 mechanical, electrical and software design engineers as part of its 220-strong workforce.

Looking to the future, Mr Ridgway said: “We’ve got a lot of new products in the environmental sector. We’ve just designed and developed a product alongside (waste management firm) Shanks on developing systems to make household waste into biodegradable products, which can then be potentially used to produce energy elsewhere.”