SFI grant strengthens aerospace company in the Northwest

Citation

(2007), "SFI grant strengthens aerospace company in the Northwest", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779eab.033

SFI grant strengthens aerospace company in the Northwest

SFI grant strengthens aerospace company in the Northwest

A Selective Finance for Investment (SFI) grant of £400k will ensure that BHW (Components) Ltd in Wigan will be able to develop in the Northwest of England.

BHW is a Wigan-based manufacturer of airframe structures, assemblies and detailed parts as well as providing component kitting and advanced logistical management services. They are a subsidiary of Hampson Industries PLC a quoted company on the London Stock Exchange. They are seen as a strategic company in the aerospace industry in the Northwest.

SFI funding was approved to enable the company to purchase plant and equipment in order to undertake a contract for the supply of parts for the Eclipse 500 aircraft at their site in Wigan. BHW (Components) Ltd had been awarded a contract to supply the empennage or tail assembly of a new aircraft that had been developed in the USA by the Eclipse Aviation Corporation (Eclipse). Eclipse was keen for BHW to supply the parts to Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA and SFI funding helped secure the project for Wigan.

Mark Hughes, executive director for Enterprise, Skills and Innovation said: “The SFI grant system is used to provide companies within the region with a suitable foundation on which to grow their business. BHW was successful in acquiring a large contract that would go some way to safeguarding jobs for their current workforce and creating new ones. The awarding of a SFI grant went some way to ensuring the company had the equipment that they would need to complete the order.”

BHW will now need to ramp up production to 750 units per year, with the project being completed by September 2012. To date the project has created 66 jobs and safeguarded seven.

Mark Abbey, Divisional Managing Director for Hampson Aerospace, said: “BHW is a proud partner of Eclipse Aviation and the 500 programme has helped sustain the aviation industry in Wigan through some testing times. The team at BHW (Components) Ltd thank the NWDA for their support in helping to bring this venture to life.”

The NWDA delivers SFI grants on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry to manufacturing and service businesses within the regions assisted areas. The scheme supports new capital investment projects that lead to improvements in productivity, skills and employment.