Manchester aerospace firm wins $22M U.S. Army contract

MANCHESTER — A Manchester-based aerospace manufacturer won a $22 million contract to make aircraft parts for the U.S. Army, the Defense Department announced earlier this month.

PCX Aerosystems-Manchester, a division of Newington’s PCX Aerosystems, was the sole bidder on the five-year deal, set to start this year and wrap up by 2029.

PCX employs 386 people at three main sites, two in Connecticut and one in Santa Ana, California.

The company maintains 485,000 square feet of manufacturing space and has invested $14 million in advanced machining equipment since 2014, according to its website.

The Manchester division is located at the former Timken Aerospace Drive Systems at 586 Hilliard St. PCX bought Timken in 2022, the last in a string of acquisitions that included companies in Enfield, Boylston, Mass., and Long Beach and Anaheim, California.

Founded in 1946 as the Purdy Corporation, the Manchester firm expanded PCX’s product line, according to a company statement. Timken Aerospace Drive Systems revenue was expected to be around $50 million in 2022.

“Manchester brings a deep history and expertise in supplying complex gears, gearboxes, and transmissions to the aerospace and defense industry, expanding our capability set in our core target market of mission critical components and assemblies,” PCX CEO Tom Holzthum said.

Greenwich-based private equity firm Greenbriar Equity Group bought PCX Aerosystems in 2021, citing the manufacturer’s track record on making complex parts for customers including Boeing, Bell, General Electric, and Sikorsky. Greenbriar said its portfolio was worth $6 billion at the time.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media A medevac version of a U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter on display during a ceremony at Sikorsky Aircraft, in Stratford, Conn. in Sept. 2021. PCX Aerosystems-Manchester makes parts for many aircraft, including Sikorsky’s UH-60.