New VP aerospace joins Hardide Coatings

Advanced surface coating technology company, Hardide Coatings has appointed Rob Holmes as vice-president aerospace as the company targets strategic growth in the aerospace and defence sectors.

Holmes joins from Nasmyth Group where he spent 10 years in senior business development positions in the global aerospace industry. Most recently he was aerospace development executive responsible for the long-term development of global aerospace markets, specialising in the UK, EU and Asia Pacific. Holmes has 25 years of engineering industry experience, of which 17 years is in aerospace. His career has encompassed engineering, project management and senior sales and commercial roles.

Holmes will be responsible for developing business opportunities in the aerospace and defence sectors for Hardide Coatings’ range of nanostructured tungsten carbide/tungsten metal matrix composite coatings. Aerospace and defence customers currently include Airbus, BAE Systems, Leonardo Helicopters, Lockheed Martin and Triumph Group.

Holmes (pictured) said: “I am pleased to be joining a company with such a strong reputation for technical excellence. The Hardide coating technology allows the aerospace primes to be fully compliant with global and ethical environmental factors while also optimising the performance of parts and reducing operational costs. There are many opportunities in the vast aerospace and associated industries’ supply chain for the coating technology and I am looking forward to supporting its commercial development.”

Philip Kirkham, CEO of Hardide commented: “The aerospace and defence sectors are strategic growth areas for the company and Rob’s extensive international experience, knowledge and contacts in our target areas will be a real asset to the company.”