In Atherstone, Warwickshire, a quiet revolution is unfolding on the shop floor at ANT Industries. With over 45 years of aerospace manufacturing pedigree, the precision engineering firm is now enjoying record growth in 2025 — and according to Managing Director Shaun Rowley, it’s a success story about people as much as it is investment and partnerships. More specifically, the right mix of people.
“The magic happens when you combine the wisdom of experience with the energy of youth,” says Rowley. “We all too often lament on the growing skills gap in the sector but we reflect on the high volume of long standing engineers who have started their career here as apprentices and now underpin our senior position. We’ve got team members here with 30, 40 years of aerospace engineering behind them, and they’re so absolutely driven to pass that knowledge on. That culture of mentorship and shared responsibility is now embedded in how we operate — and it’s powering our growth as the torch is being passed to an exciting future generation of engineers.”
From its 28,000 ft² advanced manufacturing facility in Atherstone, ANT Industries produces mission-critical components for more than 20 aerospace and gas turbine engines. With capabilities in turning, milling, grinding and assembly — and expertise across exotic materials like nimonic alloys and titanium — the company is a tier-one supplier to some of the world’s most demanding aerospace programmes.
But Rowley sees big challenges on the horizon in fuelling growth; in availability of materials, in the demands of its world class customers but in skills in the wider manufacturing community.
“The reality is, up to 50% of the UK’s engineering skills base in manufacturing could retire within the decade,” he warns. “That’s not a forecast — it’s already happening. If we don’t transfer that knowledge now, we risk losing it forever, we absolutely have a golden opportunity to tap into an invaluable resource of knowledge and experience in lifetimes served in precision engineering.”
It’s why ANT Industries is doubling down on its internal culture of collaboration. As the firm recruits for two new quality engineers, Rowley is bullish about the kind of environment new joiners can expect.
“We’ve got absolute masters of the craft here, and they’re far from seeing their careers out quietly — they’re mentoring, they’re guiding, and they’re actively helping younger engineers succeed. That’s good for morale, but it’s fundamental to our strategy. It creates shared responsibility, shared reward, and the strongest possible foundation for the next generation as they look no further than to the experts internally.”
The strategy is already bearing fruit. ANT’s apprenticeship programme is taking shape, and cross-generational project teams are delivering results faster, with fewer quality escapes and greater resilience to supply chain shocks. As legacy engineers transition to mentor roles, the business retains core knowledge while empowering new perspectives to drive continuous improvement.
With growth accelerating and a clear path for talent development, ANT Industries is proving that traditional manufacturing firms need not be left behind in the race for future-ready capability. In fact, Rowley believes the best is yet to come.“There’s this outdated idea that manufacturing is a sunset industry. But with the right team, the right mindset and the right partnerships, I can tell you — at ANT Industries, the sun is still rising.”