NP Aerospace, the global vehicle integrator and armour manufacturer, has appointed Richard Smith as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. This addition to the Senior Executive Team (pictured) further strengthens the company’s growth strategy which includes the recent opening of the new 5.73-acre NP Aerospace UK Defence facility in Coventry.
Bringing 25 years of operational leadership experience in complex manufacturing environments, Richard is a Chartered Mechanical Engineer with specialist expertise gained during an extensive career. Having previously worked as Chief Manufacturing Officer at Helix, Group Managing Director at Ricor Group, Senior Operations Director at Norma Group, and Chief Operating Officer at Tharsus Vision the new COO is an asset to NP Aerospace at a time of rapid growth. This period of expansion is being backed by NatWest, who is providing NP Aerospace with a multi-million-pound funding package to grow its global business. NatWest is a proud supporter of customers operating in the defence sector.
In his new role, Richard will focus on global operational capability to support the company’s growth trajectory. With NP Aerospace having achieved mid-tier company status, with a turnover of over £50 million, taking on increasingly more complex projects from a portfolio of large contracts, the newest member of the Senior Executive Team will play a crucial role in powering the next phase of growth.
Richard Smith said: “It is an honour to join NP Aerospace to support the delivery of a focused growth agenda, designed to meet the evolving needs of the global defence sector. With a focus on operational excellence and commercial growth, a key part of my role will be to develop our equipment infrastructure as we expand to ensure we continue to deliver in the way that our customers are accustomed to.”