Three decades ago, in a small toolroom in Carrickfergus, a company was quietly taking shape. Founded in 1994 with a single injection moulding tool and a precision engineering mindset, IPC Mouldings began its journey with modest ambitions and a determination to do things properly. Today, as we celebrate 30 years in business, that same company is an award-winning, globally recognised manufacturer trusted by the leaders of the aircraft interiors industry and operating at the highest levels of quality and performance.
The road here has been anything but ordinary.
The Early Years — Building the Foundation
Through the late 1990s, IPC steadily expanded its capabilities, laying the groundwork for what was to come. Then in 2002, a defining moment arrived, our first major contract in aircraft interiors. It was the beginning of a relationship with a sector that would come to define us.
A Decade of Transformation
By 2012, IPC entered a new phase, one of deliberate, structured growth. A programme of strategic change led to the achievement of ISO 9001 and AS9100 Quality Accreditations, while diversification into the medical sector opened new horizons. The following year, a major expansion of our premises doubled our manufacturing area, drove investment in new machinery and delivered a 30% increase in production.
In 2014, an invitation from B/E Aerospace to join the SC21 Supply Chain Excellence Programme marked another turning point, embedding a culture of continuous improvement that would define the years ahead. Membership of ADS Group further cemented our place at the heart of the UK aerospace industry.
Recognition on the National Stage
The accolades that followed were testament to the team’s commitment. SC21 Bronze in 2015. SC21 Silver in 2016, presented at Farnborough International Airshow. EFQM 4 Star recognition. And perhaps most proudly, Manufacturer of the Year at the First Trust Business Awards — recognition that IPC had become something genuinely special.
In 2017, we took our story to the world, exhibiting for the first time at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg. We arrived not just with products, but with a bold statement of intent — POISE, a one-off concept seat designed and built in just eight weeks in collaboration with Bradfor Ltd, Tangerine and Magnesium Electron. It turned heads and showcased exactly what IPC and the supply chain are capable of when imagination meets precision.
Reaching the Summit
By 2019, IPC achieved what very few manufacturers in the United Kingdom had managed, the Gold Performance Standard Award in the ADS SC21 Programme for Operational Excellence, placing us among only five companies in the country to hold that distinction. It was a proud moment, and a reflection of years of relentless focus on quality, performance and people.
Navigating the Storm
Then came 2020, and with it, a challenge none of us could have anticipated. The global pandemic brought the aerospace sector to its knees. But IPC responded with the same resolve that has always defined us. Delivering on time, in full, with 100% quality throughout one of the most turbulent periods in modern industry not through luck, but through the unwavering dedication of our team.
Rather than simply survive, we used the period to plan. A three-year strategy built around industry rebound scenarios and capacity modelling ensured that when the sector recovered, IPC would be ready. We retained SC21 Gold for the third consecutive year, proof, if any were needed, that our standards never slipped.
A New Era
2022 brought the launch of Finnair’s Business Class seating — another milestone project and another demonstration of what IPC delivers at the highest level of the market. EFQM 5 Star recognition followed, alongside a fourth consecutive SC21 Gold Award.
Then in 2023, we set out our most ambitious vision yet; our 2027 Strategy: Quality and Scale without Compromise. A clear roadmap for growth, increased capacity and capability, and the values that will carry IPC into its next chapter. That same year, we marked another milestone we are quietly proud of, nearly £23,000 donated to NI Hospice over the years, a reflection of our commitment to the community that has always been part of our story.
Here’s to the Next 30
To mark our 30th anniversary, we gathered at the Northern Ireland International Airshow in Portrush, a fitting setting for a company so deeply rooted in aerospace, before celebrating with our team at our Carrickfergus facility, reflecting on the journey and looking ahead with genuine excitement.
To every colleague, customer and supplier who has been part of this story, thank you. IPC Mouldings is what it is because of the people who believed in it, worked for it and stood by it.
Here’s to the next 30 years.
