Founded in 1978, Western Australian business Orontide plays a vital role in Babcock’s supply chain, preserving Australia’s navy fleet, one coat of paint at a time.
Like many Western Australian small business owners during the past half century, Serge and Sophie Madrigali have followed the state’s industrial waves. In 1979 the couple dipped their toes into the waters of the commercial marine industry, before the state’s fledgling oil and gas prospects and the mining boom presented unmissable opportunities to expand their small maintenance and repair business.
Through it all, they’ve remained firmly rooted at Henderson, where their long history of delivering high quality engineering, preservation and maintenance services has made them a mainstay of the naval defence industry – and an important part of Babcock’s supply chain.
Growth through Collaboration
“I first established a relationship with Babcock about 10 years ago, back in the day when it was supporting the Anzac Class Anti-Ship Missile Defence Upgrade Project,” Orontide General Manager Industrial Services Fazl Bolar Soharab recalls.
“We started doing small pieces of work for Babcock where we’d mobilise from a yard down the road from the dock, go out there, do the work, and demobilise again.
“As Babcock grew and started taking on bigger tasks on the Anzac Class frigates like AMCAP [Anzac Midlife Capability Assurance Program], we organically grew with them. We started with about three staff, having no offices and using shared spaces, to now where we’ve got 40-plus staff with a full office set-up and a dome shelter within the shipyard.
“We’ve provided support on everything from DSRAs, SRAs, IMAVs and other emergent projects and dockings, so it’s been excellent .”
More than just a lick of paint
Orontide’s technical expertise and high quality preservation of naval vessels has earned them a solid reputation around Henderson amongst primes and defence customers alike.
“Preservation is their sweet spot,” Babcock Australasia Marine Portfolio Manager Jason Watts says. “They do it so well, and reliably”.
“What makes Orontide stand out as one of our trusted suppliers though, is its agility. Whilst proudly WA-owned, their ability to mobilise anywhere makes them increasingly valuable as the Australian Defence Force’s needs shift.”
That responsiveness and thorough planning is critical within the Australian Marine Complex environment too.
Fazl explains: “Every time a surface ship comes into drydock for maintenance, it has to be repainted or touched up somewhere. But you can’t just start painting.
“Environmental factors such as wind speed and direction must be carefully considered to avoid unintentionally contaminating nearby vessels or the surrounding water.”
Home safe every day
Working at height and in confined spaces can also present challenges. Fazl says Babcock’s emphasis on safety has enabled Orontide to create its own proactive culture, including appointing a full-time safety advisor on-site.
“Our safety personnel constantly communicate with Babcock’s and inspect vessels together to ensure everything runs smoothly,” Fazl says.
In it together
He says collaboration at both management and project levels has strengthened this prime-contractor relationship.
“I think what binds us is that we try to solve issues collectively. Babcock has confidence and trust in us to be able to deliver for the Commonwealth and provide value for money,” he explains. “If we succeed, Babcock succeeds.
“It’s been a fantastic collaboration, and with upcoming work through RMP West, we see great opportunities ahead.”
Building Workforce Capability
Workforce integration has been a significant outcome of the partnership. Babcock’s adaptive service delivery model, designed to meet the evolving needs of defence forces, has enabled Orontide to establish employment pathways and upskilling opportunities within the sector.
“It’s been particularly pleasing to see the steady stream of apprentices Orontide has brought through on our contracts,” says Jason. “As an industry, investing in our future workforce is crucial. Orontide is providing its staff with opportunities to develop new skills while contributing to the long-term capabilities of the Australian Defence Force.”
To upskill their existing staff, Orontide has formalised qualifications for experienced painters and blasters, while nurturing young talent.
“We’ve had some great success stories at both ends of our workforce. We’ve seen employees progress from apprentices, to leading hands, to supervisors, to quality controllers. They have really thrived in the defence environment thanks to Babcock,” Fazl says.
If you would like to grow your business with the defence sector, we invite you to partner with us here at Babcock.