I enjoyed a fascinating visit to Hardide Coatings’ new purpose-built site on Longlands Road Estate in Bicester. I met CEO, Phil Kirkham, and Finance Director, Simon Hallam, who showed me around the facility to see the giant coating reactors. Hardide is the leading global innovator and provider of advanced carbide/tungsten metal matrix composite coatings. It was interesting to understand that Hardide’s chemical vapour deposition coatings are used in high-wear applications in industries from drilling to aerospace. Hardide currently holds approvals from Airbus, BAE systems, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, and Triumph group.
We are proud to have so much modern industry in the local area, providing worldwide solutions and attracting global business. Hardide established their headquarters and UK manufacturing facility in Bicester in 2003, opening a site in Virginia in the United States in 2016 to process parts for customers in North America. In September last year, Hardide moved to a brand-new site which has doubled the size of their operation and accommodates 32 staff.
It was encouraging to hear that after taking out two Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans (CBIL), Hardide’s finances are slowly recovering. The Government scheme proved vital in supporting small and medium-sized businesses, like Hardide, through the pandemic.
Chief Executive Officer, Phi Kirkham, said:
"We were delighted to welcome Victoria to our new and larger premises in Bicester, Oxfordshire where we coat critical parts used in high-wear applications for major companies in the aerospace, defence, energy and precision engineering sectors."
