Northern Ireland-based IPC Mouldings has become only the fifth business in the UK to achieve the SC21 Gold Award in the aerospace supply chain.

The company (www.ipcmouldings.com), which has a facility in Carrickfergus and this month celebrates its 25th anniversary as a supply chain partner in aircraft interiors, offers a range of services — including mould tool design and manufacture, CNC machining and injection moulding — to the aerospace, medical and other industries.

Managing director Joanne Liddle said: “This achievement reinforces our dedication to quality and delivery, ensuring that the products and services we provide to customers are of the highest standard. We have exceeded expectations by going from an SC21 Bronze in 2015 to a Gold Award in 2019.

"Our team has worked effortlessly to create a culture of continuous improvement, in line with our values and our vision for the company.

“We would like to thank our sponsor, Collins Aerospace, for its commitment throughout the SC21 journey. We would not have achieved the Gold Award without the continued support of this global leader in aircraft interiors.”

Collins Aerospace manager Stuart McKee said: “In such a competitive market, it is important that supply chain performance continues to improve and maintain exceptional standards.

"Through its hard work and dedication to SC21, IPC has proven that it has the necessary skills to deliver world-class products, and Collins Aerospace is delighted to have played a key role in supporting the company.”

IPC Mouldings delivers 2.5 million parts annually to the aerospace sector, with a quality performance of 99.97% and on-time delivery of 99.7%.

There were 3.6 billion global air passengers in 2018, and IPC Mouldings parts travelled with over 900 million of them.