Brand awareness

Born out of parent company Aalco Metals, Amari Aerospace was finally set-up as an independent business unit in August 2007, demonstrating the company's commitment to the aerospace sector, and allowing it to react quickly to the market.

“Aalco is an established brand in commercial metals, but there's little overlap between Aalco and the highly specialised service that we provide, and so it was felt necessary for us to establish our own, focused identity in order to be in touch with the market,” explains Dave Enright, general manager at Amari Aerospace.”

With its head office and dedicated facilities in Southampton and Manchester, the company is in ideal locations to serve not only the European market, but also the domestic UK market. Amari Aerospace also has the advantage of the extensive Aalco distribution network which means that it can deliver across the globe, whilst at the same time offering guaranteed next day ‘just-in-time' delivery in the UK.

In addition to its own multi million pound stock investment, offering all the main aerospace grades, Amari Aerospace is supported by many other companies in the organisation that it can draw on for a wide range of other materials. “This means,” Mr Enright affirms, “that we can supply materials such as steel and titanium, and offer competitive complete multi-metal packages."

Amari Aerospace has a strong network of associate companies in the USA, providing QQ, AMS and MIL specification metals on daily airfreight consolidations into the UK.

With its new facilities in Southampton, the company has effectively extended its core business of supplying and processing aluminium bar and sheet by adding plate to its portfolio, which it expects will be the main driver for business over the coming years. Its range of British and American certified products can be supplied cut from 0.25 to 8 inch thick plate using the new Mayer AL 200 saws.

Investment in other plant and equipment means that Amari Aerospace can also undertake additional fabrication processes including blocking, surface machining, punching, pre-drilling, scalping, deburring and dot matrix engraving. Further processing is available though the Aalco network where sister companies can undertake guillotining, laser profiling and waterjet cutting.

At a cost of £40,000, the addition of a new swarf vacuum removal system running across the machining area and ending in a large compactor outside the facility represents a serious investment. According to Dave Enright however, it was definitely the right decision. While justified by the removal of potentially hazardous dust from the shopfloor alone, and the clean environment it creates for workers and the processing of materials, there have also been direct financial benefits. “The vacuum method generates scrap that can be easily recycled, and so there is a return on the scrap we produce,” he says. “And machine and tooling costs have dropped as they are being kept cleaner and are therefore lasting longer.”

Investment in equipment and stock is, of course, only part of the story. “In a quality and time critical market like ours, exceptional customer service has to be a watchword,” Mr Enright concludes. “This is particularly the case in the current challenging economic environment and with the trend for OEMs and their suppliers to rationalise the supply chain in attempts to streamline and reduce costs. Our strategy is therefore based on a service led approach, applying quick turnaround and flexibility to all activities.”

Amari Aerospace
www.amari-aerospace.com