From conferences to trade missions, recertifications to new supplier relationships, 2023 has been a busy year for our team at McGreevy Engineering. 

A full calendar of attendance at international events saw our capabilities as a manufacturer reach a global audience; networking opportunities meant new relationships were built and existing ones strengthened, and over the last 12 months, Northern Ireland has been recognised for the manufacturing and engineering potential that exists in the region, with momentum growing in the space, aerospace, and agri-tech industries. 

In our final blog of 2023, we look back at some key events of the last 12 months, as we look forward to what’s to come in 2024. 

DBT UK Space Trade Mission to Australia

McGreevy Engineering is proud to work closely with Northern Ireland’s Space sector, and in February, we were chosen to participate in the UK Space Trade Mission to Australia, hosted by the Department for Business and Trade . We joined the delegation for the two-week trip, travelling between Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, and eventually the Australian International Airshow.

Australia provided the ideal place for this trade mission, offering an inspiring story of what a burgeoning Space sector looks like. 

Through investment and research, universities and companies in Australia have been helping to advance our knowledge of Space, and the capabilities for Space exploration, earning itself a reputation as a global Space innovation hub. Like Australia, the Northern Ireland Space sector has started to enjoy both national and international recognition for our capabilities. As well as the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland and promote the thriving Space sector that exists here, this trip provided unique insight into new ways that McGreevy Engineering can support the Space sector’s development in Northern Ireland.

Manufacturing Excellence in the Aerospace Sector

Northern Ireland enjoys a unique level of expertise in aircraft interiors and is a region which has been continually recognised for its aerospace excellence. 

Throughout the years, McGreevy Engineering has worked alongside Invest Northern Ireland to help demonstrate these capabilities to a global audience and this includes at the leading expo for aircraft interiors, Aircraft Interiors Expo. 

In June, we exhibited at the expo in Hamburg, which showcases the latest products and services in aircraft interiors, and had the opportunity to see what the future of the sector might entail. As air travel becomes increasingly popular, aerospace companies are responding by ensuring their products are safer, higher-quality, more sustainable and more competitive. This has resulted in exciting developments for aircraft interiors, with some primary themes from the Expo including sustainability, achieving net zero, and advances in how interiors are manufactured, such as automating processes. 

McGreevy Engineering is proud to work with some of the leading aerospace companies globally, and the Aircraft Interiors Expo provided us with a unique opportunity to engage with some of our key customers, as well as potential new ones.

Ensuring a Quality Service

Over the last 40 years, McGreevy Engineering has been entrusted by customers to find innovative solutions to their engineering problems and deliver products that are best in class. What gives our customers confidence in us as a supplier, is our numerous quality accreditations, including ISO 9001 and more recently, SC21 Silver. Back in October, we were delighted to achieve recertification in AS9100, following a robust assessment and auditing of our processes. The integrity of our work is key to customer confidence, and our team has spent years refining our processes to guarantee this. Shortly after this, we achieved Silver in the Supply Chain for the 21st Century Programme, an ADS-led initiative that measures and certifies a company’s delivery, quality, and sustainable improvement in their supply chain management.

Our quality accreditations are testament to the high-quality precision machined components we manufacture for customers across a range of sectors, including the aerospace, automotive and agri-tech industries. 

Showcasing Space Capabilities

In November, one of the last major events in the Northern Irish STEM calendar took place as the UK Space Conference came to Belfast for the first time, attracting international attention as leading figures and companies descended on the city. The event showcased the region’s rich engineering heritage to a global audience, and allowed leaders in the field to see what the Northern Ireland Space sector has to offer. 

As part of the UK Space Conference, our Managing Director, Aaron McGreevy, attended the Department for Business and Trade’s networking breakfast, in partnership with the UK Space Agency, which explored the opportunities that exist for international collaboration. Looking ahead, Northern Ireland’s Space companies will be looking to take advantage of the collaborative opportunities that exist globally, and having a forum to forge relationships and demonstrate our capabilities is invaluable for the future of the sector. 

As we reflect on the last 12 months, we are proud of all we have achieved not only for our customers and our team, but the sectors we work with and the wider Northern Irish industry. Being part of a thriving and innovative manufacturing sector allows us to advance and look for opportunities further afield, as well as build a team that is experienced and dedicated to excellence. 

Going into 2024, we are committed to continuing to invest in our capabilities and ensure our customers receive the highest quality products with the most innovative solutions.

If you would like to speak to a member of our team about an upcoming project, contact us by calling: 028 9044 8755 or email: [email protected].