Sheffield aerospace firm signs £160m contract with Rolls-Royce

CW Fletcher, an aerospace and nuclear manufacturing company from Sheffield, has signed a record £160 million long term contract with Rolls-Royce.

Managing director Steve Kirk commented: “This is hugely significant for every one of us at CW Fletcher and represents many months of work at both companies. The contract forms a key part of our growth strategy which will also see the start of our new facility in Sheffield to add a further 2,000m² of manufacturing space and secure the future of our 200 strong workforce. We are confident that the future is bright for advanced manufacturing here in Sheffield.”

Ian Oliver, strategic buyer at Rolls-Royce, said: “Rolls-Royce is pleased to secure this deal with CW Fletcher, which builds on the previous 70 years plus relationship. CW Fletcher is an important supplier to Rolls-Royce and the deal helps secure the long-term relationship between the companies.”

CW Fletcher has a strategy for sustained growth based on being one of the first companies selected for the UK’s flagship Sharing in Growth competitiveness improvement programme.

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The company has participated in the bespoke and intense training and business transformation programme which focuses on leadership, culture and operational capability delivered by Sharing in Growth’s own 100 strong team. This includes business coaches as well as a bank of world-leading experts including The University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, Deloitte and the National Physical Laboratory.

Set up by industry in 2012, Sharing in Growth is endorsed by Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bombardier, GE, GKN, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, MBDA, Rolls-Royce, Safran and Thales because it is helping the UK advanced manufacturing supply chain to become more competitive and win a larger share of global aerospace contracts. This is achieved typically by addressing a 20% cost gap and targeting 50% productivity improvement.

Sharing in Growth CEO Andy Page commented: “We are thrilled with CW Fletcher’s well-deserved success. It is testament to the effectiveness of Sharing in Growth and we’d encourage other ambitious companies to follow CW Fletcher onto our programme. As an industry-led programme our aim is to deliver sustainable business growth in the advanced manufacturing sector based on investing in people and processes to drive up productivity and competitiveness. “

CW Fletcher is a manufacturer of machined fabrications, in a range of materials, up to 2m in diameter. Its modern facility contains 5-axis milling, CNC turning, heat-treatment, pressing, sheetmetal work, non-destructive testing and a range of welding techniques.

Sharing in Growth www.sig-uk.org