BANGOR firm Denroy Plastics has secured a £3.5 million contract to make components for a major aircraft manufacturer.
The five-year deal with GKN will see Denroy supplying various moulded parts for the single aisle range of Airbus aircraft currently at a build rate of 42 aircraft per month into both the Yeovil and Filton sites.
The components will be for the internal wing assembly and are used to mount fuel pipes, hydraulic pipes and electrical cables.
Final components supplied to GKN are not just moulded components but have the added value of assembly work.
Denroy Plastics is part of the Denroy Group which also includes the world renowned Denman International hair-care range.
It has experienced huge growth in its aerospace sector over recent times, thanks largely to the increasing cost of production in China, encouraging buyers back to the western world.
Denroy chairman John Rainey said the contract was "more good news to Bangor and to the local economy overall".
"Denroy has been very successful in recent years in attracting major contracts in the aircraft sector and we are very encouraged at this latest announcement. Denroy celebrated its 40th birthday last year, and this latest contract sees us face into the future in very robust shape," he said.
Mr Rainey said the company was also in advanced talks with another aircraft manufacturer for the supply of various moulded parts for the single aisle range of Airbus aircraft into both the UK and Far East.
The contract value will be around £1.8 million and will be confirmed later in the year.
In May The Irish News revealed plans by Denroy to ex-tend its main factory in an expansion worth more than £2m.
It comes as production of the Denman hairbrushes, which are supplied to hairdressers and retailers across the globe, has increased 50 per cent in the past two years.
It is anticipated the expansion due to take place later this year will create around a dozen jobs adding to the 180-strong staff.
Denroy has been moulding plastics since 1972 and during that time it has designed, developed and manufactured products for the most diverse uses and applications.
Last year, the company revealed that it had secured European funding to research a new injection moulding and composites manufacturing process for use in the global aerospace sector.
It is hoped the process could place Denroy Plastics at the forefront of ground-breaking technology opportunities for the aerospace industry.
The project aims to develop a process to injection mould thermoplastic composite components for aerospace structural applications.
The target areas will be the replacement of small-to-medium sized machined aluminium, titanium and hand lay-up thermoset composite components.