International aerospace engineering group MB Aerospace has completed the acquisition of Vac Aero (Poland) from its Canadian parent company Vac Aero International.

The business, which employs over 100 employees at two sites in Kalisz (central Poland) and Rzeszow (south-east Poland), specializes in providing protective and performance enhancing coatings for aero-engine and industrial gas turbine components. These OEM licensed and proprietary coatings provide wear, corrosion and heat resistance properties across performance critical compressor, combustor and turbine components. Since the company was founded in 2003, it has developed an extensive range of special process capabilities including heat treatment and vacuum brazing, vacuum carburizing, air plasma spray (APS) and high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) protective coatings, as well as corrosion and oxidation resistant paint coatings. The former Vac Aero subsidiary will continue to serve key customers in Europe including UTC, Pratt & Whitney and Siemens.

The business will remain at its two current sites and will be immediately rebranded as MB Aerospace Technologies (Poland). In order to support the existing customer base and growing aerospace market in Eastern Europe, MB Aerospace is planning to invest across the business with particular focus on its surface coating services, including thermal and plasma coatings and a range of paint capabilities, as well as heat treatment and brazing processes.

Craig Gallagher, MB Aerospace chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted to acquire the Polish operations of Vac-Aero – now trading as MB Aerospace Technologies (Poland) – as its extensive range of capabilities and skilled employees will help us broaden our offering to existing customers and the expanding aerospace market in Poland and the surrounding industrial areas of Western and Eastern Europe.

“With thermal and plasma coating capabilities now available to us in the region, we can provide customers with fast, responsive lead times for aero-engine and industrial gas turbine component treatments, whilst mitigating the logistics, and cost, of shipping products long distances to have such critical work done.”

Dave Farmery, managing director of MB Aerospace Poland, added: “We have inherited a well-established and respected business in Poland with highly skilled employees and a wide range of customer approvals. Working closely with the existing team, we will invest heavily to provide the local market with the capabilities and capacity required to ensure customers continue to receive a world-class service.”

Tomasz Krążyński, General Manager, of MB Aerospace Technologies (Poland) said: “After more than a decade of growth and success under Vac-Aero we look forward to starting a new chapter within the MB Aerospace family of companies. The acquisition offers a fantastic opportunity for the business and the planned investment will help us establish ourselves as one of the premier providers of thermal processes and surface coating services in Europe.”