Marshall of Cambridge has confirmed that, as part of the ongoing work to find a new home for its Aerospace and Defence business, it has signed an Option Agreement for a 150-year lease on a parcel of land on Cranfield University’s proposed Air Park development.
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group Chief Executive, Gary Moynehan, explains: “Whilst it is important to note that the signing of the Option Agreement does not represent a final decision to relocate Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to Cranfield, we are pleased to have reached an agreement which provides us with a credible relocation option.
“We are very excited by Cranfield’s ambitions to create a Global Research Airport and are already collaborating closely with them on a number of R&D projects. As such, the signing of this Option Agreement represents a further strengthening of a valuable relationship that I am sure will deliver significant benefits to all parties over the years ahead, irrespective of where we ultimately make our new home.
“However, there are still a wide number of factors that we need to take into account before making any definitive decision about the best location or locations for the MADG business when we ultimately relocate by 2030.”
Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Cranfield University, said: “We are delighted to be progressing our talks with Marshall through the signing of this Option Agreement.
“Located at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, Cranfield with its Global Research Airport and MADG would provide a vibrant ecosystem of research, technology demonstration and innovation in aerospace that is unrivalled in the UK.
“We believe the relocation of MADG to Cranfield would further strengthen the partnership between one of the UK’s leading privately-owned aerospace and defence companies and one of the UK’s leading aerospace and defence universities.”
Biggest ever contract
In a separate announcement Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (MADG) announced that they had won a ten-year multi-million dollar contract with the US Marine Corps to provide depot-level maintenance to its 66-strong fleet of KC-130J tanker aircraft deployed worldwide.
The contract, one of the biggest in the company’s history, enables MADG to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in support of Naval Air Systems Command’s Tactical Airlift Program Office (PMA-207).
The Multiple Award Contract (MAC) was issued by Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Fleet Logistics Center (FLC) Yokosuka after a rigorous international competition that included extensive pre-solicitation audits and demonstration of past performance.
MADG Chief Executive, Gary Moynehan, comments: “This really is fantastic news that represents a very significant step forward in our strategy to grow our share of business in North America. This win builds on more than 50 years of service to the Royal Air Force which has, and continues to be, the bedrock of our Military Aerospace business. I am very proud that the US Marine Corps is prepared to place its trust in a privately-owned British company to undertake this important work.”
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