US group buys UK composites expertise

The move is seen by Brookhouse as an important step in realising its ambitious growth strategy and by Kaman as a means of furthering the group’s goals in the aerostructures segment, significantly enhancing its position in the composite structures market. The Kaman Aerospace Group includes Kaman Aerospace Corporation and Kamatics Corporation and has its roots in 1945. Kaman Aerospace Corp includes three principal operating divisions: the Aerostructures Division, the Helicopters Division, and the Fuzing Division. The Aerostructures division, a sub-contracting activity, has a metal parts focus, manufacturing parts such as airframe structures, wing structural components and control surfaces, fan reverser fixed structures, access doors, detail parts and electrical equipment racks. Brookhouse, founded in 1951, became a formal group of companies in June 1998. The company employs 465 people, operating in 240,000 sq ft of production floor space in North Western England. Over the last 10 years, the company has put much focus on composites which has seen Brookhouse become the leading UK independent supplier to the aerospace industry, it is claimed. The company’s expertise covers design and build of composite aerospace structures, composite tooling, and ground support equipment. The Brookhouse Group is now a major aerospace supplier, with supply positions on many key aircraft programmes, including the A320, A330/340, JSF, A400M, Goshawk T45, Tornado spares programme, etc. These contracts include the complete build and assemble of a number of predominately composite structures, including all details and production tooling, and in some projects also include design.