MB Aerospace doubles size of operations

Britain's MB Aerospace Holdings Ltd reports the acquisition of U.S. company Gentz Industries, a manufacturer of precision aerospace engine components. MBA, a leading aerospace company with facilities in England and Scotland, said the acquisition is doubling the size of MBA's operations for supply chain management and the manufacture and repair of machined and fabricated components used by original equipment manufacturers. "Our U.K. businesses continue to perform well, reporting an annual increase in revenue of 20 percent for the last four consecutive years and this acquisition opens up real opportunities for us to grow the business and develop strong long-term prospects in a mature aerospace market," Craig Gallagher, chief executive of MB Aerospace, said. "We see strong synergies between the U.S. and UK. operations with two very distinct customer bases providing the opportunity to leverage the capabilities and strengths of both businesses into new markets, while securing employment and supporting the rapid growth of the business on both sides of the Atlantic." Gentz has a 130,000-square-foot facility in Detroit. In addition to component manufacturing, it has significant component repair capabilities, MBA said. In-house expertise, include electron-beam welding, laser deposition welding and vacuum brazing. Among Gentz customers: Pratt and Whitney, Hamilton Sundstrand, Rolls-Royce, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Volvo Aerospace and the U.S. Department of Defense.