15
Dec 2025
10th Dec 2025
In safety critical markets such as aerospace and defence, where machining precision, reliability and speed are non-negotiable, Rowan Precision is quietly positioning itself as a progressive and resilient example of quality British manufacturing. Now one year into its acquisition by OSYS Rowan Limited, the Birmingham-based CNC specialist is undergoing a strategic shift — one that blends its 40-year heritage with the ambition and forward momentum of a new leadership era. Under the stewardship of CFO Glenn Aston and CCO Jaz Khunkun, Rowan is looking to redefine what a modern UK machining business can be.
For decades, Rowan Precision has built its name on the consistent delivery of high-tolerance components, produced through an arsenal of advanced CNC sliding-head, mill-turn and fixed-head machining centres. Its AS9100, ISO9001 and ISO13485 credentials underpin the trust placed in the business by aerospace, medical, defence and industrial customers. Yet what has taken place over the past twelve months is more than incremental improvement: it is a deliberate repositioning of Rowan from a dependable component supplier to a strategic production partner.
As Glenn Aston describes it, the first year has been about strengthening Rowan at its foundations. “Rowan has always had the core ingredients — capability, craftsmanship, and trust,” he explains. “What we’ve focused on this past year is strengthening the systems, the people and the strategic direction to ensure those strengths scale with customer demand.” That has meant the building on investing in the machinery capable of complete-in-one machining, modernising metrology with the latest Keyence and Aberlink systems, and embedding digital quality controls that allow Rowan Precision to deliver tighter tolerance, faster turnaround and greater repeatability than ever before. The result is a production environment that feels more agile, more data-driven, and more aligned with the demands of aerospace and high-performance manufacturing programmes.
But technology alone does not define Rowan’s trajectory. Increasingly, customers approach the company looking for more than precision parts — they seek technical partnership. CCO Jaz Khunkun sees this shift as fundamental to Rowan’s identity. “We’re helping customers solve problems, reduce risk, and accelerate programmes,” he says. This ethos is reflected in Rowan’s expanding assembly capability, its design-for-manufacture support, and the adoption of advanced quality planning tools such as FMEA, SPC and PPAP. The business is becoming a conduit between complex design intent and reliable, scalable production — a role that few UK machining companies are currently equipped to play.
People, too, remain central to Rowan’s long-term plans. Like many in the sector, the company faces the dual pressures of an ageing workforce and a tightening labour market. Rather than compete endlessly for scarce talent, Rowan has invested in apprenticeships, internal development and a culture built around precision and pride. Apprentices now rotate across machining, quality, assembly and continuous improvement, gaining a breadth of experience that mirrors the needs of a modern manufacturing operation. As Aston puts it, “We’re building a business that will outlast all of us. That means investing in people — in apprentices, with Khadijah Zaman, Sheriyar Hussain and William Robinson joining the organisation, in progression, by recognising the crucial role that Head of Operations Karen Harrison-Thomas has played in the more than thirty years she has been with the business – and Technical Sales Manager Neil Williams approaching his fourth year with the company, to create a culture that values precision and pride.”
The first year of new ownership has also brought a heightened focus on sustainability, with the firm green lighting investment in machine monitoring, new LED lighting and solar panels as part of its commitment to decarbonising the sector.
As the company looks ahead, its direction of travel is increasingly clear. Rowan is evolving into a business defined by technical depth, digital capability, and a commitment to operational excellence. Plans for further automation, expanded assembly operations, enhanced data-driven quality systems and deeper integration with customer supply chains all point to a company ready to compete at a higher tier. “Our vision is to build one of the UK’s most dependable precision partners — a business that customers can scale with, plan with and trust with their most demanding components,” Aston says.
Rowan Precision’s story isn’t one of dramatic reinvention, nor of recovery from decline. Instead, it is a story of deliberate elevation — the transformation of a respected engineering company into a modern, globally relevant manufacturing partner. It demonstrates that with disciplined investment, empowered people and clear leadership, British machining can move faster, innovate confidently, and hold its own on the world stage.
After forty years of engineering excellence, Rowan Precision is not stepping into a new chapter — it is stepping into a new gear.