Firth Rixson signs US$1B supply deal with United Technologies

SHEFFIELD, U.K.—British aerospace components maker Firth Rixson Ltd. has signed a US$1-billion deal to supply parts to United Technologies Corp. (UTC) and its Canadian subsidiary.

The 10-year deal will see Sheffield, U.K.-based Firth Rixson supply engine and system components to UTC and Pratt & Whitney Canada.

The deal between the firms comes as UTC looks to boost production of its commercial and military aircraft engines, including Pratt & Whitney’s new Pure Power engine family and UTC’s new engines for Boeing Co.’s 787 and Airbus SAS’s A320 programs.

“This is an exciting time for UTC and our suppliers as we prepare to increase our capacity and establish UTC-wide agreements with key suppliers,” UTC’s vice-president of operations, Benoit Brossoit, said in a release.

Brossoit said Firth Rixson’s status as a top-tiered supplier with his company made the selection of the British firm an easy one.

“This had significant influence on their selection for new business,” he said of Firth Rixson’s ‘gold’ supplier status.

“Gold suppliers perform better, which naturally makes them more competitive. This also enables them to meet our expectations for the highest quality standards while also meeting our cost and delivery requirements.”

Firth Rixson said the contract “will considerably benefit” 11 of its 12 global facilities, though it didn’t specify which one was left off the list.

The company has plants in the United States, England, Hungary, the Czech Republic and China.