Composites Technology Research Malaysia Sdn Bhd (CTRM), a government-owned company, has won the prestigious Strategic Supplier Award by Goodrich, a Fortune 500 company and a global supplier of systems and services to aerospace and defence industries. The company has also secured a 20-year contract valued at RM3.5 billion to supply composite aircraft components to Goodrich.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who announced the deal, said the contract for the next five years would be worth about RM450 million, while the two-decade period of the contract would be the lifespan of the aircraft. In a press release issued by Goodrich, the company said CTRM was selected for the Goodrich Strategic Supplier Award for "exceptional quality and delivery performance in providing composite components for the Goodrich Aerostructures business, as well as its participation in continuous improvement activities". The Goodrich Strategic Supplier Award recognizes suppliers that show outstanding quality at required delivery schedules, a commitment to customer satisfaction, and the application of lean operating principles and continuous improvement.

The award is given to a select few among its thousands of suppliers. Goodrich Chief Supply Chain Officer, Dan Pleshko, who presented the award to CTRM during his visit to CTRM's headquarters in Melaka, said that the Malaysian company had been a strategic supplier since 2003. The US company has recently decided to make CTRM a Centre of Excellence for the production of some large composite components, which together with the award reflects Goodrich's confidence in CTRM, according to Tim Martin, the Director of Material and Supply Chain for Goodrich's Aerostructures Business.

CTRM, designated as a composite manufacturing centre of excellence would supply nacelle components, the enclosed part of an airplane, for multiple commercial airplane programmes. Set up in 1990, CTRM, which was tasked to develop the high technology based industry focusing on aerospace and composites, has grown to become a player within the global composites supply chain for major commercial and military airplanes makers worldwide, including Airbus UK, Spirit AeroSystems, EADS, CASA, GKN Aerospace and SONACA, besides Goodrich.