Our facility in Rochester, U.K. has seen the design and manufacture of avionic solutions and technology for more than a century, with parts of the site dating back to the production of Stirling Bombers during World War II. In recent years it’s been home to ground-breaking innovations such as developing the Striker® II Helmet-Mounted Display, taking flight controls underwater as part of the Dreadnought submarine, and producing the world’s first certified active inceptors.
In October 2024, the biggest change in more than a generation to the historic Rochester site was announced. Redevelopment plans with a £220 million investment – the largest the company has made in a single site for at least a decade – will see a new 32,000m2 state-of-the-art factory built, with ground set to be broken in 2026. The new factory will see strides in efficiency and collaboration, improving outcomes for customers and enhancing the employee experience.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future of the Rochester business for generations to come,” said Rochester Business Center Director Dave Banks. “We’re ensuring we can keep serving our global customer base, protecting servicemen and women who put themselves in harm’s way for our sake, supporting commercial air travel, and developing the next generation of precision controls.”
Building the new Rochester factory isn’t a straightforward task, however. “It’s a bit like replacing parts in an aircraft while it’s mid-flight”, says Banks. “Unlike other sites where a piece of land is purchased and a new factory is built, due to our space constraints we’re redeveloping the site we’re working on, while maintaining performance for our customers.”
The progress so far
The transformation of the Rochester site started in 2016 with an exploration of whether refurbishment, relocation, or building a new factory would be the best option.
Since the build of a new factory was decided on, a core team has been on a journey to understand planning rules, obtain advice from the local Medway Council, and consult with manufacturing and program leads within the current factory to inform the master plan of advance works.
“To make the most of this blank canvas and create a factory that, from the ground up, meets our needs, we’ve engaged extensively with internal and external stakeholders and organizations,” said Sam Berkhauer, business transformation director.
The new factory is a true team effort, with every function of the business engaged to understand their requirements of operational, maintenance, and resource efficiency needs. Data gleaned in hundreds of hours of dialogue and workshops with cross-functional teams is now progressing the design planning, led by colleagues from BAE Systems’ Real Estate and Infrastructure (RE&I) team.
Impacts in efficiency
“The build of the new factory takes us one step closer to bringing our future factory to life,” said Lee Penford, operations director at the Rochester Business Center. “Our vision is to create a world-class advanced technology manufacturing facility that reflects our products and services. The infrastructure of the building will enable a digitally connected factory where data from equipment and processes is available in real time. The manufacturing areas are designed as highly flexible and visual workspaces with the ability to rapidly reconfigure, enabling better utilization and increased growth capacity.” Unhampered by an older building, a new factory designed from scratch will include a ‘digital backbone’ to enable data-driven decision-making from a single point of truth, with cross-functional programs located together, resulting in closer collaboration.
Benefits for employees
Successful transformations are built on the foundation of strong engagement, particularly with employees. To do this, workshops have been held with Operations colleagues to gather insights, experience, and commitment – all critical in making this transition smooth, efficient, and successful.
“The build of the new factory is being used to galvanize colleagues in a conversation to bring them along on this journey: making sure that our people are not only informed, but actively involved in shaping their future workspace,” said Berkhauer.
This dialogue shows that the new factory is more than just a change of location, or bricks and mortar: it’s about a sense of belonging, purpose and pride in what we do and how we do it. For our employees, the new factory is needed to secure the future for generations to come.
As the largest employer in the area, the new factory is poised to have a significant impact on the local economy. With plans to add 300 employees to the Rochester site over the next five years, the factory represents a major milestone in the company’s growth, underscoring our commitment to investing in the local community.
There’s a palpable sense among our technicians, engineers, and support teams that this is an opportunity to build a future our people can take pride in – to foster an environment where innovation and continuous improvement thrive, where high standards are the norm and where we raise the bar for excellence together.
“The spirit of creativity, collaboration, and inspiration that has been present throughout our history will no doubt continue to guide us as we design and realize the bright future that we are envisioning for the Rochester site,” said Banks.
By Joanne Pohl, Communications