Marshall ADG – AS OLD AS THE INDUSTRY AS MODERN AS THE HOUR
By Howard Wheeldon, FRAeS, Wheeldon Strategic Advisory Ltd.
15 Nov 13. Founded in Cambridge in 1909 and now with close to 2,000 employees and an annual turnover exceeding £1bn Marshall Group continues to move from strength to strength. Privately owned and chaired by the fourth generation of the family in the form of Robert Marshall the success of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (ADG) may be put down not only to being flexible and adaptable to constantly changing requirements and having a great ability to innovate but also because of a long ago established habit of ploughing profits back into the company.
I have known and respected Marshall’s for a very long time but through all those years I can say that the past two have brought about the most significant rewards and positive attitude and approach toward change. Marshall ADG is not just an independent survivor but a large and still fats growing company. Moreover it is a company not just to be considered fit for purpose today it is also one that has an excellent forward strategy. In the capable hands of CEO Steve Fitz-Gerald since 2011 who was brought in from the external world of defence and aerospace to move the group forward I can without reservation say that with Robert Marshall working closely alongside as Chairman that Steve Fitz-Gerald has already made very significant impact on scale, efficiency and forward strategy of this fine and very interesting company.
Whilst still a large player in the legacy area of motor vehicle together with after-sales-support in which today Marshall’s remains the second largest privately owned UK automotive dealer group the group is best known both nationally and internationally for its activities in aerospace, defence and aviation services. Efficient, reliable and hugely respected by the many Governments, air forces, equipment suppliers and many individual companies that make use of the wide variety of engineering, design and support services Marshall’s is today extremely well placed to provide an ever increasing level and range of product, services and support to a global customer base. With an increasing international presence including locations in Canada, Australia and the Netherlands I am in little doubt that with more hard work and effort Marshall ADG has an excellent future to look forward to.
Marshall Aerospace and Defence (Marshall ADG) is the UK’s leading independent aerospace and defence company and one of very few around the world that offers a full range of skills and services in the land, sea and air domains. In the aerospace and defence category these are wide ranging and include original equipment manufacturing including aerostructures and system, design and engineering consultancy, project and flight testing, upgrade and modification work, global engineering and technical support inclusive of structural, test and certification work plus substantial through life product support.
With main operations centred around the company’s 475-acre privately owned Category 7 twenty-four hour access Airport in Cambridge with its 1,965 metre long main runway, making this also capable of handling narrow bodied airline jets, business jets and other private commercial aircraft, the fast growing aviation services activities are very wide ranging including full maintenance and servicing facilities, business aviation facilities, maintenance and servicing and all the typical fire-fighting, security, customs and immigration support to be expected at a large well run airport. Earlier this year the company completed an extensive upgrade of the existing airport facilities at Cambridge Airport in order to welcome daily scheduled passenger services between Cambridge and other leading cities across Europe.
In Land Systems equipment Marshall’s has a long history of producing specialist vehicles, DROPS, flatracks, complex deployable systems, field ambulances