The biggest employer in Tewkesbury, which enjoyed a multi-million-pound turnover last year, is celebrating 50 years in Gloucestershire.

Moog celebrated its half a century in the town by welcoming the friends and family of its staff onto its two sites, offering them a glimpse behind the scenes of the company.

Over 700 people took them up on the offer, to celebrate the landmark achievement and to learn more about the history of the company and the global projects it is involved in.

Exhibits showcased Moog's involvement in the development of primary and secondary flight controls for commercial and military aircraft, its role in developing technology that powers the Centre Court roof at Wimbledon and its miniature servo valves featured in Formula 1 cars.

"While Moog is a multinational company operating in 26 countries around the world, our culture and values are akin to being one big family," said Chris Curr, entity manager at the industrial systems division of Moog, which is the largest employer Tewkesbury.

"When we wanted to mark our 50th year in the UK, it was a natural decision to involve the families and friends of our staff."

It was the invention of the servo valve which led to Moog's presence in Tewkesbury.

Its founder, Bill Moog, developed the world's first mechanical feedback servo valve in the early 1950s, licensing the manufacturing to Cheltenham-based George Dowty in 1958.

Demand for the product and the availability of a skilled workforce saw Moog launch in the UK a decade later-initially choosing Cheltenham as its base before moving to Tewkesbury in 1979.

Open day attendees were able to see a range of technology in action, from traditional lathes, CNC machines and miniature hydraulics to futuristic industrial 3D printers and robotics.

A 14-seat simulator also gave those in attendance a first-hand experience of the simulation technology the company develops for the automotive, rail and aerospace industries.

"We were overwhelmed at the number of people that joined us and I know all of our staff were extremely proud to show how a group of passionate people, based in a small town like Tewkesbury, can lead the world in what they do," said Mark Lawton, site manager and sector operations director at Moog Aircraft Group.

Two segments of Moog operate within Tewkesbury - Moog's Industrial Systems Group and Moog's Aircraft Controls Group. In the United Kingdom, Moog plays a key role in developing, manufacturing and implementing a wide range of engineering products and solutions, including servo valves, flight control and actuation systems, automotive and aerospace test and simulation technology, and systems for energy production.

In 2017 Moog Industrial Group saw sales of $843 million (US). Moog Inc enjoyed a turnover of $2.5 billion (US).