|
|
|
|
The eBearing News
August 29, 2003
Cobham Reaffirms Fate of Westwind Bearing Unit
copyright © 2003 eBearing Inc.
Cobham Group PLC (UK), an aerospace and defense industry supplier, is reorganizing says the company, "to more clearly
align products and services with the customers and markets they serve."
The Flight Refuelling division is being eliminated, reorganized and renamed the Aerospace Systems Division.
Aerospace Systems will consist primarily of the company's FR-HiTEMP, Flight Refuelling Military Systems,
Sargent Fletcher, Stanley Aviation, Carleton Technologies and Conax.
The other two divisions, Avionics and Flight Operations & Services, are unaffected by the reorganization.
Robin Clark, a 22-year Cobham veteran and Managing Director of Flight Refuelling, left the company.
Andrew Stevens, currently head of Rolls-Royce defense aerospace division, will join
Cobham in November 2003 to head the new Aerospace Systems Division.
Left out of this process entirely is the company's Westwind Air Bearings Ltd. unit, which will report
separately, directly to CEO Allan Cook. Westwind is the world's leading
manufacturer of rotary air bearing systems and high-precision, high-speed air bearing spindles. Its
customers are primarily involved in semiconductor manufacturing.
Founded in 1965, Westwind was originally a small UK-based manufacturer of dental drills. In 1968, Federal-Mogul
Corporation (USA) bought Westwind. The company gradually developed into the world's leading supplier of high-precision,
high-speed air bearing and spindle systems. In May 1993, Federal-Mogul sold Westwind to the investment
firm Kleinwort Capital (UK). At the time, Westwind's sales were £8.5 million. Kleinwort made strategic
investments in Westwind, reorganized and redirected it toward the semiconductor market. In November 1995, with
sales topping £26 million, Kleinwort sold Westwind to Cobham for £75 million.
Cobham continued to develop Westwind, cementing its position as the leader in air bearing spindles.
The company's fortunes have been up and down through the years, however, tied to the volatile semiconductor industry.
In 2001, the company shed 100 workers (25%) from the primary Dorset manufacturing location, shifting some
work to other Flight Refuelling operations. In March 2003, Westwind opened new manufacturing and
remanufacturing facilities in Suzhou, China.
As far back as 2001, Cobham had been testing the waters for a possible divestiture of Westwind.
Cobham was becoming strictly focused on aerospace and defense, and Westwind was no longer considered
a core business. At the time, Cobham's Gordon Page said Westwind, "is not something we are going to
give away," but, "not something I would die in the ditch for."
•2001 article: Cobham confirms Westwind Air Bearing is for sale
|
|
|
printer-friendly version
|
|
- by Bruce A. Carr
from individual research,
tips and commercial sources.
Copyrighted material; unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
|
|
eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Copyright 1999-2010, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright information is on www.copyright.com
Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
eBearing Inc, eBearing.com, and "... for everything that moves" are registered
trademarks of eBearing Inc.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
eBearing.com ... for everything that moves™
Entire contents Copyright © 1999-2010, eBearing Inc. All rights reserved.
eBearing.com and "... for everything that moves" are registered trademarks of eBearing Inc.
|
|
|
