Defence

Babcock grows Australian footprint with new contracts and jobs

Posted 13 April 2017

Babcock International Group plans to expand its Australian and New Zealand footprint in 2017-2018 after 12 months of growth which has seen its employee count increase by 22% and its regional revenues lift by 25%.

Babcock Australasia Chief Executive Officer David Ruff said the company had more than 725 employees in the region - including 48 new roles in Adelaide - following the establishment of a new Regional Support Centre in Adelaide, opened today by the Premier of South Australia the Hon. Jay Weatherill MP.

"The decision to establish a larger, central support centre in South Australia marks a significant milestone for Babcock in the region and it provides a consolidated platform to sustain our growth, across both Australia and New Zealand," said Mr Ruff, who was formally appointed as Chief Executive Officer in January this year.

"We came to South Australia because we see a great pool of skills and talented, young people, particularly in the engineering space where we see the creation of a sustainable indigenous Australian industrial sector."

Babcock shifted its aviation businesses to Adelaide under an agreement with the Government of South Australia. These businesses deliver critical operational services to emergency sectors across a number of states, including South Australia.

"We appreciate the support of the State Government and Investment Attraction South Australia in supporting our consolidation in Adelaide," Mr Ruff said.

Mr Ruff also announced that oil and gas company ConocoPhillips (03-12) Pty Ltd had awarded Babcock Offshore Services Australasia a contract to provide offshore helicopter support services to its Bayu-Undan production operations in the Joint Petroleum Development Area of the Timor Sea. Babcock’s two new Airbus H175 helicopters will operate from Dili, Timor-Leste and be supported from the company’s new Joint Operations Centre in base in the Regional Support Centre in Adelaide.

Mr Ruff said the company had brought together its entire aviation fleet network under the Joint Operations Centre. The ‘Ops Cell’ is responsible for the forward planning and daily delivery of safe, helicopter services across Australia and into the oil & gas regions to the country’s northwest. It supports 13 bases and 31 helicopters across the country.

Babcock’s regional combined turnover is in excess of $AUD250 million, up 25 per cent on the previous year, after a strong performance by the company’s aviation, land and maritime businesses. London-based Babcock International Group will announce its results for the 12 months to March 30 later this year.

Mr Ruff said Babcock’s focus was now on expanding its regional businesses including asset management, emergency services, aviation and defence.

Babcock’s expertise in asset management distinguishes the company from regional competitors; an example of this is last year’s five-year contract to provide asset management services to support Qantas’ national fleet of ground support equipment, across 60 locations nationally.

As well as its contract with Qantas, Babcock has global capability in asset management and supports a range of customers including MSP Group in South Australia, the London Fire Brigade, the French Air Force, the London Metropolitan Police and the UK Ministry of Defence; as well as the management of over 17,000 assets for airports in Amsterdam (Schiphol), São Paulo (Guarulhos), Rome (Fiumincino) and London (Heathrow, Gatwick).

"Globally, Babcock is 35,000 talented, committed and highly qualified people working across six continents, generating worldwide revenues of over $AUD9.5 billion Australian dollars," he said.