Birdon Group

On July 25, 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard exercised “Option Order 1” for Birdon’s 47’ Motor Lifeboat (MLB) Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) contract. This modification extends the term of the contract through Order Years 6-10 and will allow up to another 72 MLBs to receive significant overhauls and upgrades.   “The unilateral contract modification speaks to the Coast Guard’s confidence in Birdon’s abilities as a major contractor,” said MLB Program Manager Patrick K.. “We are fully committed to continuing to deliver high quality boats on schedule to operational units on both coasts.” #MakeItHappen #MotorLifeBoats #USCoastGuard #MLB #SLEP  

The team at Birdon is looking forward to attending Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition this year from September 11 - 13. We are particularly excited about the fact that our Managing Director Terri Benson will be part of the Hub's dynamic speaker line-up to share stories from our exporting journey. Her presentation; Navigating International Waters; Lessons Learned from Birdon's Export Journey, will delve into the valuable lessons learned as our Australian-owned business expanded its global operational footprint across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Key Takeaways: > How we gained reputation and credibility from achieving overseas success. > How export has positively impacted Birdon and our customers across the globe by enhancing innovation and delivering tailored solutions. > The strategies we used to overcome a diverse range of challenges faced in entering the US market. 📅 Date: Thursday, 12th September 🕑 Time: 2:10 PM - 2:45 PM 📍 Location: Land Forces Hub You can register for this session and more here: https://lnkd.in/gj6rqHCe We look forward to seeing you there. #MakeItHappen #LandForcesHub #Birdon

Last week, we had the honor of hosting Rep. Jerry Carl (AL-01) and Bayou La Batre Mayor Henry Barnes Sr. at Birdon’s Alabama shipyard. The visit was a fantastic opportunity to discuss the significant work being carried out at our facility, as well as our future plans for investments, economic development, and community engagement. Rep. Carl and Mayor Barnes engaged in insightful discussions with our team, highlighting the importance of our ongoing projects and the positive impact they have on the local community. Following the discussions, they joined our senior leaders for an extensive tour of the shipyard, led by Shipyard General Manager Ronald Rábago and Birdon CEO Jamie Bruce. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to drive growth and innovation in the region. #MakeItHappen #EconomicDevelopment #Shipbuilding

Last week, Birdon hosted a Connecticut Manufacturing Ambassador event at their Portland, CT facility. During the event Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz and Chief Manufacturing Officer Paul S. Lavoie unveiled the “I Got It Made” marketing campaign, which seeks to educate young people on the diverse job opportunities present in Connecticut’s manufacturing sector. The campaign, which is set to launch statewide at the end of August, aims to involve more young people in the industry, which employs nearly 10% of the state’s total workforce. #MakeItHappen #Birdon #IGotItMade

We are pleased to be attending the Hunter Defence Conference today and tomorrow. Our General Manager of Defence; Joe Smith is honoured to be part of an industry panel on day 2 of the conference, (Thursday 22 August) alongside Bale Defence Managing Director; Link Bale and Nupress Group Chief Executive Craig McWilliam. Joe will be sharing insights on how Birdon has, and plans to, navigate the Defence environment, including the new Defence Strategy and attendees will gain valuable perspectives from all panel members on the following topics: > The influence of NDS, Budget, IIP, and DIPS on each business. > Business focus areas for the next 12-24 months. > The challenges and opportunities faced in the current Defence landscape. We are looking forward to connecting with industry leaders and sharing our experiences. This panel session is from 2.30pm - 3.30pm and will be moderated by Bret Barton. #MakeItHappen #HunterDefenceConference #Birdon #DefenceStrategy

Our CEO, Jamie Bruce, was featured in the July/August edition of the Asia Pacific Defence Reporter where he shared his insights on how companies based in Australia and the US are reacting to AUKUS Pillar I and Pillar II. In his article, Jamie shares how Birdon has strategically allocated significant investments to enhance our capabilities and infrastructure, ensuring that we are well-equipped to not only meet the demands of AUKUS Pillar I & II, but to also be able to leverage other opportunities that may arise in our chosen industries. To read the full article, along with the perspectives from other industry leaders about AUKUS, download the full online Magazine at: https://lnkd.in/gFu_M4si

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Cicely Sylow to our Advisory Board. Cicely brings a wealth of experience in commercial and corporate law, with specialist expertise in competition and regulatory matters. Her diverse industry experience spans manufacturing, construction, aviation, technology, media, tourism, healthcare, residential, resources and energy, and financial services, both domestically and internationally. Prior to her appointment to the Advisory Board, Cicely spent the past four years as Birdon’s General Counsel leading the legal and risk functions at Birdon, advising the executive team on a wide range of legal and strategic issues. She was committed to achieving commercial and corporate objectives while managing risk and protecting enterprise assets. In the announcement of her appointment to the Advisory Board, Cicely shared her admiration for the company, stating "Birdon is an organisation that never ceases to inspire me at every level. Culturally it strives for operational and technical excellence and is resolute in its ambitions to deliver the desired and unique solutions to its customers. I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to use my legal and commercial expertise to guide Birdon as it navigates existing and increasingly complex projects and regulatory landscapes,” she said. John White, Chair of the Board, said “We are thrilled to welcome Cicely to our Advisory Board. Her extensive legal expertise and strategic acumen will be invaluable as Birdon continues to grow. Cicely’s commitment to excellence and her dynamic approach makes her a perfect fit for our team.” Jamie Bruce CEO, added: “Cicely’s appointment is a significant addition to our Advisory Board. Her knowledge of Birdon, broad industry experience and deep understanding of legal and regulatory matters will greatly benefit Birdon. We look forward to Cicely’s ongoing contributions and the continued positive impact she will have on our business.” #MakeItHappen #TeamBirdon

Recently, Birdon deployed an experienced recycling team to Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory to separate, load and export almost 1,000 tonnes of scrap metal and tires from the Island. This unique disposals project brings our US and Australian teams together to deliver this important project directly to the US Navy at one of their most strategic bases in the world. The island is located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, seven degrees South of the equator. As such, this project comes with many challenges including equipment considerations, complicated logistics and team deployment. The Birdon team is experienced in creating bespoke solutions to ensure that our customer's requirements are productively and safely achieved even in very remote corners of the world. #DiegoGarcia #MakeItHappen #Disposals #USNavy

A huge congratulations to our Commercial and Communications Manager Sandra Armstrong who has been appointed to the Board of Advisors of the Mobile Chamber. We're confident that Sandra's expertise and dedication will greatly benefit the Chamber. Join us in celebrating Sandra's achievement and wishing her the best in this new role. #Leadership #MakeItHappen #TeamBirdon

Congratulations Carly Bakes, our talented and passionate Industry Engagement Manager. Carly has been longlisted for this year’s 2024 Australian Defence Magazine (ADM) Women in Defence Awards for the Rising Star category. According to ADM, the inaugural WIDA longlist was carefully selected from a record number of outstanding nominations. Carly has made significant contributions to the Australian defence industry in 2023 by leading Birdon Australia’s AIC strategy, integrating Australian suppliers into global supply chains, and enhancing sovereign capabilities. She was selected for the Australian-American Young Leadership Dialogue and is active in her efforts to support other women in the defence industry. Carly has mentored Australian veterans transitioning to civilian roles, facilitated networking through state-funded groups, and advocated for sponsorship of key initiatives that support women working within the defence industry. Carly’s passion for the defence sector is driven by her desire to protect the country and its people, and she believes that promoting strong female role models and providing access to female mentors can encourage more young women to join the defence sector. Good luck Carly! We're very proud of you. #TeamBirdon #AustralianDefenceMagazine #Awards #WomeninDefence #MakeItHappen