Latest from Austrade

Australian aerospace exporter unveils US expansion

03 Jul 2013

Australia’s Ferra Engineering will open an aerospace manufacturing facility in the US state of Oklahoma in response to its growing international business.

Brisbane-based Ferra’s focus on research and development (R&D) and advanced facilities has helped boost the company’s exports, which make up 70 per cent of its business.

“Ferra chose to expand to Oklahoma because its central location enables us to easily provide service to our customer base on both coasts and international markets,” Ferra Managing Director Mark Scherrer said in a statement.

Ferra specialises in the design, manufacture, assembly and testing of aerospace structures and sub-systems. Its customers include Airbus, Boeing, BAE Systems, GE Aviation, Goodrich, Lockheed Martin, Thales, Marvin Engineering, Northrop Grumman, Parker and Rolls-Royce.

Earlier this year, US aerospace giant Boeing contracted Ferra to build wing kits that triple the effective range of the Joint Direct Attack Munition Extended Range (JDAM-ER) system, which allows aircrews to deploy a JDAM-ER-equipped weapon from beyond the range of an enemy’s air defence system.

Ferra was named Boeing Supplier of the Year for 2011 in the International Category. It has also been awarded platinum supplier status by US-based unmanned weapons systems manufacturer Northrop Grumman.

The Australian company is also involved in research partnerships with Lockheed and the University of Queensland for advanced titanium machining and manufacturing processes.