09
Aug 2026
9th Aug 2026
Rowan Precision is celebrating its membership of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), highlighting the value of relationships, collaboration and shared standards as the UK aerospace sector builds on the momentum generated by a record-breaking Farnborough International Airshow.
For a precision engineering business operating within one of the world’s most demanding manufacturing sectors, membership of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance represents more than a place within an industry network.
It connects Rowan Precision with an aerospace community built around engineering expertise, manufacturing capability, innovation and the long-term relationships that underpin major aircraft and engine programmes.
The Midlands occupies an important position within that community. Home to a dense concentration of aerospace manufacturers, engineering specialists and supply-chain businesses, the region contributes capabilities spanning propulsion, structures and systems through to precision components and advanced manufacturing.
For Rowan Precision CFO Glenn Aston, the strength of that ecosystem comes from businesses understanding that aerospace performance is ultimately collective.
“The Midlands Aerospace Alliance brings together companies with an enormous depth of engineering knowledge and manufacturing capability, and we are proud to be part of that community,” said Aston.
“Aerospace has always been an industry built on relationships. Programmes run for many years, often decades, which means customers need suppliers they know, understand and trust. Membership of the MAA gives businesses across the region another opportunity to build those relationships, share knowledge and strengthen the aerospace supply chain together.”
That emphasis on collaboration was particularly visible at the 2026 Farnborough International Airshow, where the scale of commercial activity provided a powerful indication of confidence across the international aerospace industry.
The event generated orders and commitments worth tens of billions of pounds, encompassing hundreds of commercial aircraft and hundreds more engines. For UK manufacturers, the significance extends throughout the supply chain as those programmes translate into sustained demand for engineering, machining, inspection and specialist manufacturing expertise.
Technical Sales Manager Neil Williams attended Farnborough for Rowan Precision and believes the event reinforced the importance of strong supplier relationships alongside technical capability.
“Farnborough gives you a very clear picture of the scale of the aerospace industry and how interconnected everything is,” said Williams.
“You see the aircraft and the major technologies, while behind every one of them sits a huge network of companies, engineers and specialists working together. Precision machining forms an important part of that network.
“The relationships developed across the industry matter enormously. Customers want to work with suppliers who understand their requirements, communicate effectively and consistently deliver. Those partnerships become stronger over time because they are founded on trust and a shared commitment to quality.”
At Rowan Precision, that commitment is supported by the company’s AS9100 aerospace quality management accreditation.
AS9100 provides an internationally recognised framework for quality management across aviation, space and defence manufacturing, covering areas including process control, traceability, risk management, product conformity and continuous improvement.
For Rowan Precision, the accreditation complements its CNC machining capability and experience in manufacturing high-precision components for demanding applications.
Its machining capability includes advanced CNC technology and sliding-head lathes capable of producing complex, tightly toleranced components with the repeatability required by aerospace customers.
Yet technical capability represents one part of the supplier relationship.
Aston believes the combination of accredited processes, manufacturing expertise and open communication is increasingly important as aerospace programmes expand and supply chains prepare for sustained demand.
“AS9100 provides customers with confidence in the systems and processes behind the components we manufacture,” he said.
“It demonstrates the discipline that sits throughout the business, from understanding requirements and controlling production through to inspection, traceability and continuous improvement.
“Alongside that comes the human element. Long-term aerospace partnerships are built through communication, reliability and people doing what they say they are going to do. When those principles are combined with strong manufacturing capability, you create relationships capable of developing over many years.”
The Midlands Aerospace Alliance plays an important role in creating an environment where those relationships can develop.
By connecting aerospace companies throughout the region and representing the capabilities of the Midlands supply chain, the organisation provides a platform through which manufacturers can engage with one another, develop opportunities and contribute to the continuing competitiveness of UK aerospace.
For Rowan Precision, membership also reflects the company’s ambition to continue strengthening its position within the aerospace manufacturing community.
Williams added: “There is tremendous capability across the Midlands, and organisations such as the MAA help make that capability visible and connected.
“For Rowan Precision, being part of that community gives us opportunities to meet people, understand where the industry is heading and demonstrate what we can contribute as an AS9100-accredited precision machining business.
“Some of the strongest customer relationships in engineering develop over years. They begin with a conversation, progress through understanding one another’s capabilities and requirements, and grow through consistent delivery. That’s why being active within the aerospace community matters.”
Following the success of Farnborough 2026, attention across the aerospace supply chain is increasingly turning towards converting confidence and aircraft orders into manufacturing capacity and delivery.
For businesses throughout the Midlands, that creates an opportunity extending well beyond an individual exhibition or order announcement.
Aircraft programmes depend upon thousands of companies contributing specialist capabilities, frequently across multiple tiers of the supply chain. Maintaining those programmes requires quality systems, manufacturing investment and, critically, enduring partnerships between customers and suppliers.
Aston concluded: “Farnborough demonstrated the confidence and ambition that exists across aerospace. The opportunity for UK manufacturing is significant, and the Midlands has the skills, heritage and engineering capability to play an important role in delivering it.
“Our membership of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance is something we’re proud of because we believe strongly in that collaborative approach.
“Rowan Precision will continue investing in its capability, maintaining the standards expected of an AS9100-accredited aerospace manufacturer and, above all, building trusted relationships with customers and partners.
“Ultimately, aerospace is a long-term industry. The strongest businesses recognise that long-term success is achieved together.”