‘Factory of the future’ for aircraft components opens at SABB

The new facility will expand the company’s capacity to design and manufacture precision engineered components mainly for civil aircraft.

Accompanied by Congleton MP Fiona Bruce, the Minister met with apprentices and heard how SABB has improved productivity and expanded sales since its selection for the government-backed aerospace competitiveness programme Sharing in Growth.

Andrew Stephenson: “I was delighted to visit Senior Aerospace Bird Bellows today and see first-hand how this thriving UK company manufactures and designs crucial metal components for aircraft. The support they have received from the Government-backed Sharing in Growth programme has helped the company to boost its sales and productivity.

“Companies like Bird Bellows are a clear demonstration of how the UK is, and can continue to be, a world-leader in aerospace – backed all the way by our modern Industrial Strategy.”

SABB, which employs around 270 people at its Congleton plant, designs and manufactures components such as metallic bellows for industrial fluid control and aerospace applications

The company was selected for the Sharing in Growth productivity and competitiveness programme in 2017. Its ambition is to grow significantly over the next 10 years, by increasing efficiency and improving its delivery and quality performance to customers.

The SABB team is receiving specialist training and coaching through Sharing in Growth which is helping to develop a high performing team culture and to roll out global best practice across its business functions.

As a result, the company is working with key customers to develop next generation products and has ambitions to achieve significant growth in sales over the next five years. The building opened today by the Minister, is coming on stream as its ‘factory of the future,’ built on lean principles using the Senior Operating System approach in conjunction with Sharing in Growth.

John Stewart, Senior Aerospace Bird Bellows CEO: “As a growing company, we know the importance of investing in the future. Not only are we developing our capability and capacity with support from Sharing in Growth, we also recruit and train several apprentices each year. There are currently some 30 former apprentices working with us, some in key leadership roles.”

Andy Page, CEO of Sharing in Growth, said: “We were delighted that the Minister took such a keen interest in Sharing in Growth and saw at first hand the positive impact of the programme on one of our 60 beneficiaries. To date, SiG has helped companies to secure around £4 billion in contracts and 7,000 jobs.”

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