A GLASGOW-based engineering company has bucked the trend during the worldwiderecession to invest £6million in high-tech equipment.
A GLASGOW-based engineering company has bucked the trend during the worldwiderecession to invest £6million in high-tech equipment.
The move secures the jobs of the 150 employees at Castle Precision in Castlemilk.
The company produces components for several commercial aero engines as well as the latest generation of fighter aircraft - the joint strike fighter Lightning 2.
And it staged an open day yesterday to acknowledge the importance of the latest investment and to officially open the extensive refurbishment at the plant.
The ceremony was carried out by Dr Masahiko Mori, president of Japanese machine tool company Mori Seiki.
Castle Precision is run by Marcus Tiefenbrun, who is not satisfied at just being the first in the UK but has improved the accuracy of measurement and the level of traceability on products which will make the firm a world leader.
Mr Tiefenbrun said: "We recognise that we work within the most safety-conscious sector of engineering dealing with aero engines.
"Each part has to be machined to the n'th degree and checked again and again.
"We were the first company to actually use probing to measure components inside CNC lathes.
"That ensures that we can provide ultra-accurate parts which our customers desire and deserve."
Castle Precision is involved in improving the processes utilised in the manufacture of their products, currently in conjunction with two international companies, Mori Seiki of Japan and Hexagon of Switzerland.
Castle also collaborates with companies such as CGTech and Renishaw to bring enhanced application to their technologies.
It has a staff of more than 150, almost all of whom live within 10 miles of the plant the workforce and has a high percentage of apprentices - 33 - on the staff.
Since 2003, when turnover was £5.5m, there has been a steady increase to £10.9m in 2006 and £14.4m in 2008.
Mr Tiefenbrun added: "For a number of years we have been investing at least £1m a year and, of course, over the past two years we have been putting £6m into new plant and machinery, which I am confident will have a considerable impact on next year's figures."
