South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has officially opened Babcock International Group’s new Australasian headquarters in Adelaide.
The new facility, known as Babcock’s Australasian Regional Support Centre, was first announced in July 2016 when the engineering support services company said it would establish its Australasian base in South Australia, supported by a $2.5 million incentive package from the state government.
As part of the deal, Babcock’s aviation businesses, as well as Babcock Mission Critical Services Australasia (previously headquartered in Brisbane) and Babcock Offshore Services Australasia would all be based in Adelaide.
Premier Weatherill said the Regional Support Centre would create 48 highly skilled new jobs. Babcock employs about 725 people in the region.
“It is clear that the aims of the Babcock International Group and the South Australian Government are mutually aligned, both striving for strong sustainable job creation and economic growth to fuel further business activity in the state,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Having Babcock’s key decision makers locally based in Adelaide, will put our state front of mind for future investment plans as the Babcock Australasia business seeks to grow further.”
Babcock Mission Critical Services Australasia was previously known as Australian Helicopters before it rebranded in June 2016. It provides EMS, search and rescue, surveillance operations, law enforcement, aerial work and marine pilot transfer services with a fleet of helicopters based in Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.
Similarly, Babcock Offshore Services Australasia, which supports oil and gas clients, was the new name for what was previously known as Bond Helicopters.
Babcock Australasia chief executive David Ruff said the Regional Support Centre was a platform for growth.
“Our new Regional Support Centre brings together senior leadership for Babcock’s core businesses in the aviation, land and marine sectors, under one roof in the Adelaide CBD,” Ruff said.
“It confirms Babcock Australasia as a business of serious scale and an exemplar of efficiency, across those market sectors. It is a hallmark of Babcock’s investment in Australia and of our commitment to the region.”
Ruff noted Babcock Offshore Services Australasia had recently been awarded a contract by ConocoPhillips to provide helicopter support services in the Timor Sea. Meanwhile, Babcock had also secured a five-year contract to support ground support equipment (GSE) across Qantas and Jetstar’s domestic, regional, freight, catering and engineering operations.
Further, Ruff said Babcock’s regional turnover had grown about 25 per cent in the past year to a figure “in excess” of A$250 million. The company’s full year results will be announced later in 2017.
