WITH more than 2,000 employees, Cobham is Dorset's largest manufacturing employer.

Cobham is a FTSE 250 aerospace and defence business which has been increasing its competitive position despite the massive changes within the global aerospace industry.

In a 2001 survey of best-managed UK companies carried out by Management Today magazine, the organisation was ranked 37th out of the top 150 companies, and number one in the aerospace and defence sector.

Cobham is highly regarded in the US and European aerospace and defence sector for continued growth driven by investment, operational improvement and the ability to identify and successfully integrate acquisition targets.

The group has adopted a long-term strategy of organic growth, aided by good levels of investment in technology and staff development, and this strategy has resulted in Cobham developing its position within the aerospace and defence sector.

Despite the general decline in the civil aerospace market following September 11 2001, Cobham's results for the first six months of 2002 continue its record of year-on-year growth.

Group turnover increased by two per cent to £349.5 million. Over the last five years, the organisation has achieved a compound average growth rate of over 20 per cent in turnover and operating profit.

Cobham is a major supplier for some of the most important current military and civil programmes.

In the military sector these include the EH101, NH90, Apache and Tiger helicopters; the F-16, F-18, F-35, Typhoon and Hawk combat aircraft and the C17 and C130 transport aircraft.

Cobham has evolved from its Wimborne-based Flight Refuelling, which was originally formed in 1934. The group now includes more than 60 subsidiary companies world-wide.