An aerospace giant and a major Gloucestershire employer has unveiled its new factory - a multi-million pound investment in its future in the county.

And in a nod towards the history of the site onto which it is moving its operations in early 2020 Dowty Propellers also took part in a tribute to a significant part of the county's aerospace history.

The very site it has moved onto, at Gloucester Business Park in Brockworth, was once home to Gloster Aircraft Aerodrome where British turbojet engine inventor Sir Frank Whittle witnessed some of the first test-runs of the then new technology.

That it has long been swept aside by the business park, and is now being replaced by a company making the very latest version of the technology which predated his jet engine was not lost on Dowty Propellers, as you might expect.

Prior to the inauguration ceremony for its new facility, Ian Whittle - the son of Sir Frank - unveiled a display at the Jet Age Museum incorporating a one-metre-long runway segment from the original aerodrome.

This was where such iconic airplanes as the Gloster E.28/39 (Britain's first jet-powered aircraft) performed taxiing trials, and the Gloster Meteor (the only Allied jet fighter to be put into service during World War II) was built and flown.

In addition to the display donated to the Jet Age Museum - an all-volunteer, charitable organisation dedicated to the preservation of Gloucestershire's aviation legacy - an identical tribute with another runway segment has been located in the reception area of Dowty Propellers' new Brockworth facility.

"Today's inauguration underscores Dowty Propellers' firm commitment to continuing its leadership in creating, manufacturing and supporting the most sustainable, efficient and robust propeller systems," said Dowty Propellers President Oliver Towers.

"It also is an unequivocal testament to our employees, who met the challenge of literally rebuilding Dowty Propellers from the ground up in what is widely seen as one of the most remarkable recoveries in the aviation industry."

Its new 183,000-square foot building brings together Dowty Propellers' primary resources at one site: from the full production process for its propeller systems to the company's administrative offices, design and engineering teams, as well as its repair and overhaul (DPRO) centre - the UK arm of Dowty Propellers' global support network.

It will incorporate technologies for the high-quality production, control, repair and in-service support of the company's propeller systems, which are used on turboprop and turboshaft engines powering regional airliners and military airlifters, along with amphibious aircraft and marine hovercraft.

The Brockworth facility replaces Dowty Propellers' original headquarters and blade manufacturing facility in Gloucester that was destroyed by fire in February 2015.

To enable the continuation of operations, the company purchased new production equipment and created an interim blade manufacturing facility at Mitcheldean.

This equipment is now being transferred from Mitcheldean into the new building at Brockworth, which is to become fully operational in the first half of 2020.

Additionally, the UK DPRO centre - which previously had operated at a separate location in Gloucester - will now be integrated into the new Brockworth facility, providing additional synergy with the company's design engineers, production specialists and support teams.

There also are DPRO centres in Sterling, Virginia, USA, and Brisbane, Australia, as well as a team of field service engineers that are deployed around the world for field repairs.

Post-fire recovery efforts ensured that the supply and support of propeller blades and their related control systems continued unabated.

This enabled airframers to maintain the production line cadence for new-build airplanes, while airlines and military operators kept their aircraft fleets flying - including Lockheed Martin's C130J Super Hercules airlifters and De Havilland Aircraft of Canada's Dash 8-400 regional airliners.

"The entire Dowty Propellers team was focused on the return-to-production, as well as providing support that was critical to the C-130J Super Hercules' global operator community. Lockheed Martin values the commitment and partnership exemplified by Dowty Propellers as the company worked to rebuild its operations and restart the propeller blade production line," stated Rod McLean, the vice president and general manager for Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin.

Todd Young, chief operating officer of De Havilland Canada, said: "On behalf of myself and our team, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary commitment of Dowty Propellers and its employees.

"The Dowty Propellers team has always maintained a partnership approach with De Havilland Canada. Notwithstanding the 2015 event, the Dowty Propeller team has been able to provide seamless support to our production line and ensured continued worldwide support to our airlines."

As a business of GE Aviation, Dowty Propellers benefited from its parent company's resources in the post-fire recovery efforts. Within hours of the February 2015 fire, core Dowty Propellers teams had been relocated to GE Aviation offices in Bishops Cleeve, Cheltenham, where they were provided with telephones, computers and system connectivity.

This enabled the preparation of a reset plan that focused on three elements: keeping the Dowty Propellers-equipped aircraft fleets flying with customers and operators; rapidly re-establishing the composite propeller blade production capability; and retaining the company's ranks of skilled employees.

The reset plan was successfully carried out as defined immediately after the fire, with Dowty Propellers meeting its milestones during the four years that followed - including the timing for today's new facility inauguration ceremony.

"The new facility offers a unique opportunity to realise the benefits of the significant investments made in recent years in the new technologies and advanced manufacturing techniques that will support the development of more-efficient and lower-noise propellers," said Gary Elliott, chief executive officer of the Aerospace Technology Institute which creates the technology strategy for UK aerospace, and funds research and development.

"We are pleased to support the DigiProp programme and Dowty Propellers' state-of-the-art research to find ways to increase the efficiency and reduce the noise footprint of what is already an inherently efficient propulsion system. Propellers have a great future as we need ever more efficient aircraft, including their application in hybrid and electric-powered solutions."

"Dowty Propellers' efforts over the past four years not only represent its commitment to the exciting future of propellers, but also its commitment to providing world-class products and solutions for its global customer base," added Brad Mottier, GE Aviation's vice president and general manager of business and general aviation and integrated systems.

"With this state-of-the-art facility, Dowty Propellers is poised to continue its leadership in this industry with sustainable, smart technologies and a driven, dedicated workforce."