Firm polishes act to take off

Marston Aerospace" class="imageframe imgalignright" height="130" src="http://www.expressandstar.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/wd2610954marston-8-js12.thumbnail.jpg" width="175"/>Traditional metalworking skills are combining with hi-tech design to make a Wolverhampton firm a vital supplier to both the aerospace industry and motorsport teams from Formula 1, Indycar and America's massively popular Nascar series.

In the past two years alone, HS Marston Aerospace has boosted its workforce numbers by 25 per cent to cope with growing demand for its heat transfer and fluid systems for military and civilian aircraft and the electronics industry.

The company has also become the main supplier of high performance radiators to Formula 1, developing radical designs to fit in with the racing cars' aerodynamic shapes. Marston's skill at producing these radiators – effectively built by hand – has now brought in work from America's Indycar and Nascar stock car racing scene.

A 30-strong team work in the special products division, but general manager Kevin Dawson keeps a close eye on the details of all the work going on. Secrecy is paramount among the fiercely competitive Formula 1 teams and engineers at Marston will often work alone or in pairs on work for just one team.

But motorsport is just one small area of the work at HS Marston Aerospace. Managing director Mike Andreae and operations director Mike Frost oversee a business making and repairing vital components for aircraft ranging from the new frontline Eurofighter Typhoon to Shorts Dash-8 turboprop passenger plane across its 200,000 sq ft site.

HS Marston equipment cools the oil in engines made by Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney, as well as cooling the air from the engines that then feed into aircraft air-conditioning systems.

"We currently employ 360 people, which is a 25 per cent increase in the last two years," said Mr Andreae.

"A lot of that is down to the recovery in the aerospace industry since 9/11 but we have also won work on new strategic programmes such as the Boeing 787, Airbus A380, A400M and the Joint Strike Fighter. We have seen a 50 per cent increase in turnover from around £22 million in 2001 to £35 million today.

"Although a lot of our equipment is quite hi-tech, it is hand fabricated using traditional sheet metal working skills. Over the last few years we have invested a lot in 'lean manufacturing' techniques, such as changing the factory layout to improve efficiency."

The Marston brand goes back 260 years, to the Perry family japanning business.

HS Marston Aerospace's own origins date from before the First World War when the Sunbeam business started making aero engines.