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It will go into the new Millennium as the North West Aerospace Alliance and will represent members' interests nationally and internationally.

The Consortium, which was formed in 1993, has seen a dynamic growth in membership to more than 140 companies and has become a model for similar organisations worldwide.

The North West is the largest single centre of the UK Aerospace industry with an annual output of £5 billion supporting more than 40,000 regional jobs.

It works on behalf of companies including giants such as British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce, major sub-contractors and the many small firms which make up the aerospace supply network.

Local members include Velden Engineering (UK) Ltd, Silcoms Ltd, APPH (Bolton) Ltd, British Steel Engineering Steels and Universal Steel & Aluminium Ltd.

The Alliance represents North-west companies from the Scottish to the Welsh borders.

The chairman, Mr Dennis Mendoros, said: "With the approach of the Millennium, the time is right to properly reflect the growth in size and influence, both nationally and internationally, of the North-west aerospace industry."

Mr Mendoros, who is a board member of the new North West Development Agency, said the NWAA would work closely with the NWDA to promote the region's image as a centre of technological excellence both in the UK and internationally.

The Consortium was the first organisation of its kind in the UK and among the first in the world.

It now has links with like-minded organisations across the world in countries including Canada, the USA, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy and Australia.

Chief Executive Mike Clifford said: "With change in focus of the industry and the rapid move towards a global market structure, we need to make sure that the voice of the North-west aerospace industry is heard whenever crucial issues emerge.

"This move to a broader identity will help us to achieve this."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.