15 Years of Rockwood Composites!

Founded in 2010 by Mark Crouchen, who brought expertise from Carbon Design and C2 Composites, Rockwood launched with a bold vision: to deliver complex composite components using compression and bladder moulding—eschewing standard autoclave techniques.

From a small operation in Devon, the company grew steadily, evolving into a multi-unit facility before consolidating in larger premises in Paignton in 2022. Over its first decade, Rockwood increased turnover tenfold and grew its team sixfold, even amid economic headwinds. Contracts across aerospace, defence, nuclear, and medical sectors helped fuel that momentum. A major milestone came in 2020 with the delivery of 10,000 Eurofighter Typhoon radar-decoy blades in partnership with Leonardo. In 2018, Rockwood earned the Composites UK Innovation in Manufacture Award.

In 2022, the company quadrupled its UK production footprint to over 30,000 sq ft, investing in state-of-the-art precision tools including a Hurco CNC machine and Hexagon Absolute Arm.

By late 2023, Rockwood expanded internationally, launching a 21,000 sq ft aerospace facility in Morocco, staffed by a team trained in the UK and built into its global growth strategy.

In 2024, Rockwood Composites restructured into The Rockwood Group, comprising four divisions:
• Rockwood Aerospace
• Rockwood Defence
• Rockwood Cryogenics
• Rockwood SARL (Morocco-based serial production)

Now a global player, Rockwood holds EN 9100:2018 certification and pursues ambitious sustainability targets—cutting pre-preg waste by 50% and maintaining zero-to-landfill operations.

15 years on, Rockwood stands as a testament to engineering excellence, sustainable growth, and the passion to solve tomorrow’s challenges—today.

“To our team, customers, partners, and community—thank you for being part of our journey. From a single workshop to a global group, I’m proud of what we’ve built together—and excited for what’s next.”
— Mark Crouchen, Founder & Managing Director