KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2022 – UMW Aerospace Sdn. Bhd. (“UMW Aerospace”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the UMW Group, was awarded with the “Supplier Best Practice Award” at the recent Rolls-Royce Global Aerospace Supplier Conference 2022 in the United Kingdom.
The UGS Initiative was officially launched today by YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) in Pantai Sri Tujoh, Tumpat. Representing the Menteri Besar of Kelantan at the event was YB Tuan Mohd Saripudin Tuan Ismail, Chairman of the Agriculture, Agro-based Industry, Biotechnology, Green Technology and Environment Committee of Kelantan. Also present were Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman, Group Chairman, UMW Holdings Berhad and Dato’ Ahmad Fuaad Kenali, President and Group CEO, UMW Holdings Berhad.
The Supplier Best Practice Award recognises suppliers with exceptional qualities, including focus on continuous improvement in operations and cost optimisation as well as their commitment towards zero defects. The criteria also include demonstrating proactive engagement and commitment to utilise the Supplier Engagement Plan to thrust performance, driving rate readiness and robust planning, as well as adopting new technologies.
UMW Aerospace is currently the only home-grown company to become a Tier 1 supplier to Rolls-Royce. In August 2015, UMW Aerospace signed a 25+5-year contract with Rolls-Royce to manufacture and assemble fan cases for the latter’s Trent 1000 and Trent 7000 engines. Based in the UMW High-Value Manufacturing Park in Serendah, UMW Aerospace successfully delivered the first fan case for Trent 1000 engines in November 2017. Subsequently, it delivered the maiden fan case for Trent 7000 engines in October 2020.
UMW Aerospace’s commitment to quality and excellence has led to various recognitions in recent years, despite being relatively new in the aerospace industry. It received the Trusted to Deliver Excellence Award from Rolls-Royce in 2018. In 2021, UMW Aerospace was inducted into Rolls-Royce’s High Performing Supplier Group, which it has successfully retained in 2022. In addition, UMW Aerospace seeks to uphold high safety standards with its remarkable safety record of 2,152 days without industrial accident or Zero LTI (“Lost-Time-Injury”).
Congratulating UMW Aerospace on its outstanding achievement, Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (“MIDA”) remarked, “The Government is fully committed in developing Malaysia’s aerospace industry and we are proud that UMW Aerospace has been honoured with Rolls-Royce’s Supplier Best Practice award. This recognition highlights UMW Aerospace and our wider aerospace industry’s capabilities and dedication to meet the extremely stringent requirements by the OEMs for quality and performance. Such accolade is a recognition that Malaysia is indeed an ideal location to meet the growing demand of the aerospace industry in the Asia-Pacific region. Through the Twelfth Malaysian Plan and the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2030, we aspire to position Malaysia as the number one aerospace nation in Southeast Asia. This is part of a wider effort to achieve our National Investment Aspirations which emphasises Sustainable Development Goals by earmarking aerospace as one of the key focus sectors for investment development and attraction.”
Also commending UMW Aerospace on the award, Naguib Mohd Nor, President of the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Association (“MAIA”) added, “Malaysia is increasingly playing an important role in the global aerospace supply chain, with ample capacity to grow. With the need for high-technology capabilities when dealing with aerospace parts, this recognition is a testament to UMW Aerospace’s emphasis on delivering excellence. The involvement and development of more local players, with key focus on innovation is imperative to make the country more competitive in the aerospace sector.”
UMW Holdings Berhad President and Group CEO, Dato’ Ahmad Fuaad Kenali remarked, “We are honoured and humbled with this achievement. Our unwavering commitment to high quality products and services has indeed been recognised by Rolls-Royce. UMW Aerospace has proven itself once again as a reputable player in the highly regulated aerospace industry within a short period. We believe this achievement will provide UMW Aerospace the impetus to participate in more aerospace projects for Rolls-Royce as well other OEMs within the aerospace industry. We believe this achievement also demonstrates Malaysia’s potential to become a key hub for the aerospace industry.”