The Birmingham-based company received the keys for its new 16,500ft2 factory in September 2018 and had production at its new facility up and running by the start of December.
AE Aerospace has already committed to creating 20 additional jobs since its move, and by the end of the year the site will employ 70 people. With four times the capacity of its previous Dymoke Street premises, the new factory will accommodate an ambitious expansion programme, which has been supported by a £1.75 million funding packaged from Lloyds Bank.
A £1,000,000 asset finance facility has also allowed AE Aerospace to purchase four new Mazak 5-axis machines, which means the business can significantly reduce lead times for its customers and increase capacity by 50%. The company plans to double its turnover by the end of 2020.
The investment helps AE Aerospace exploit growing customer demand for its components in a buoyant aerospace market, and provides the foundations to deliver on its vision to become a fully servitised business. The manufacturer’s long-term strategy has been to become a ‘glass factory’, which means that customers will have access to a fully-servitised model of machining by the hour.
Customer Focused Cells are now up and running and during 2019, the business will implement its automated Capacity Planning and Production Scheduling System, enabling staff to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
The team can then venture on the third and final stage of the servitisation journey. AE Aerospace’s customer cells and new ERP system will be rolled out through a new web-based portal, providing dashboard dedicated customer account teams. Customers will also be able to change running orders as and when they choose.
The factory move marks a new chapter for the business which was crowned Manufacturer of the Year at the Insider Made In The Midlands Awards 2018. It allows the manufacturer to implement its business plan and continue to secure success by investing in people, plant and process.
AE Aerospace managing director, Peter Bruch, said: “The new premises will help us to realise so many opportunities. We have been experiencing rapid growth for some time, and with our order books full and demand continuing to rise, we had simply run out of space. Now, with the increased capacity, we can maintain our momentum, respond to the needs of our customers, and step up another gear as one of the Midlands’ fastest growing manufacturers.”
(Left to right, top row) Peter Bruch, managing director, Carl Goodlad, production manager. (Left to right, bottom row) Dean Thomas, senior manufacturing engineer, Tracey Bruch, financial controller, Denys Brown, sales director, Andy Masters, engineering director
