TOM HUGHES, the man who steered one of Burnley's largest companies from the brink of closure, has retired after 14 years at the top.

And he believes he has left Hurel-Hispano in a stronger position than ever before as part of one of the world's major aerospace players.

But he still remembers when he first arrived in Burnley in 1987 to join the then ailing Lucas Aerospace. It was feared he had come to close the business and he actually announced to the workforce in May 1988 that the firm would have to shut down.

His strenuous efforts to find new investment, however, had paid off. At the eleventh hour, French-owned aerospace firm Hurel-Dubois came forward with an offer to buy the business.

Even though it took almost a year to finalise the deal, the recovery had begun. Long-term contracts with customers such as Rolls-Royce gave the company a platform on which to build.

Said Mr Hughes: "It is very satisfying to have seen the progress of the company over the last 14 years and to know I am leaving it stronger than it ever has been.

"We have close to 800 people working here and they are an excellent workforce - a credit to the area."

The company, which is now part of the Frenmch state-owned SNECMA group, has an annual turnover of £80 million.

It concentrates on the design, engineering and manufacture of commercial jet engine thrust reversers that form part of aircraft braking systems and other aerostructures.

The company reorganised its production line earlier this summer to cope with a major surge in orders from the Brazilian manufacturers of the Embraer 145 jet. The company almost doubled its orders from Hurel-Hispano which also took on additional engineers to meet the demand. The new managing director is Jon Laughton who joined the company as operations director from BAE Systems where he has spent most of his career.