Gentex joins SiG to boost aerospace exports
High tech helmet manufacturer Gentex Corporation is targeting a 40% sales increase for its UK operations thanks to Sharing in Growth (SiG), a government-backed competitiveness improvement programme. In the UK, Gentex produces helmet and industrial respiratory protection systems for global defence forces, emergency responders and industrial safety. It was selected for the programme because it plans to grow its UK operations from £14 million turnover to around £23 million by 2020.
The company’s UK head office and design and development centre is based in Letchworth Garden City where it employs 50 people and its UK manufacturing site is in Stranraer where it employs 82 staff.
As well as supplying the British MoD, Gentex’s UK operations currently export around 40% of their sales, which includes a contract to supply the helmet for pilots flying the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft as part of the corporation’s larger contribution to the JSF programme.
The helmet provides the platform for the Helmet Mounted Display and the other revolutionary technology planned for the pilots.
The Sharing in Growth (SiG) programme, which attracts £1.1 million from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) for each participating company, will help develop the company’s capability, productivity and competitiveness to secure more business and jobs in the UK.
Richard Dellar, Gentex Europe Managing Director, said: “We have ambitious growth plans based on our cutting edge technology and our strong customer base. So, by helping us secure more aerospace business, the Sharing in Growth programme will benefit our customers, our company, our staff, and indirectly our local community in Stranraer.”
Gentex expects the initial SiG focus in its UK facilities to be on increasing flexibility and productivity in manufacturing, driving improvement in the supply chain and developing a new product introduction process.
Established in 2013, the SiG programme is endorsed by Airbus, BAE Systems, Bombardier, GE, GKN, Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Lockheed Martin, and Rolls-Royce. To date suppliers on the SiG programme have secured more than £1.15 billion in contracts and more than 1700 jobs.
The intense four year SiG training and development programme is focused on leadership, culture and operational excellence delivered by SiG’s own 120 strong team of lean coaches as well as a bank of experts including The University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing, Deloitte, Industry Forum and the National Physical Laboratory. This fully integrated change programme makes normally unaffordable blue chip expertise accessible to smaller but ambitious suppliers because the training and development costs are paid by the Regional Growth Fund.
Said Sharing in Growth CEO Andy Page said: “Gentex Corporation has demonstrated that they have strong growth plans in the UK, which have the support of their key customers so we are delighted to welcome them to the programme. They have leading-edge technology and an impressive customer portfolio and we are keen to help them fulfil their world-class manufacturing and business ambitions. With our support, the first 26 companies on the programme have secured over £1.15 billion in contracts to date – around 20% of which is for direct export. Consequently we are well on target to hit our ultimate objective of safeguarding 10,000 UK jobs by 2022.”
With 50 companies already on the programme, SiG is looking to recruit around 10 companies with a typical turnover of more than £15 million and at least 100 staff to fill the remaining funded places. Companies interested in joining the SiG programme can complete an expression of interest form which is available at www.sig-uk.org/apply.