BAE Systems recently honoured its top suppliers for the U.S. maritime business during the ‘Partner2Win’ Supplier Symposium held in Jacksonville, Florida. The company recognized eighty-seven suppliers who supported maintenance, modernization, and refit projects for U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels.
The Partner2Win program represents a collaborative partnership between BAE Systems’ three shipyards located in Jacksonville, Florida; Norfolk, Virginia; and San Diego, California, along with a wide network of naval and commercial ship repair suppliers from across the country.
During the event, Matt Paxton, President of the Shipbuilders Council of America, a national advocate for both large and small maritime businesses, spoke to attendees about a significant shift occurring in the industry.
“We are at a historic moment. Not since the 1970 Merchant Marine Act have we seen this level of attention on peacetime shipbuilding and ship repair in the United States,” Paxton remarked. “Our collective hope and advocacy are aimed at fundamentally reshaping the industrial base for the better. We need to better utilize our existing ship repair capacity, expand our ship repair opportunities, and improve the overall health and trajectory of the industry.”
The BAE Systems Ship Repair business leader echoed Paxton’s sentiments while discussing the extensive partnerships with maritime industry companies.
“Last year, our three shipyards successfully completed numerous ship maintenance and modernization projects thanks to the high-quality work performed by our strong team of both large and small businesses,” said Paul Smith, Vice President and General Manager of BAE Systems Ship Repair. “Later this year, we will commission a new 25,000-ton ship lift and a four-acre land-level repair facility in Jacksonville. I look forward to the projects we will undertake together with this new repair facility.”
The top ship repair supplier awards were presented to four companies:
2024 Subcontractor of the Year: Allied Universal, a security and facility services company that provides security for all three BAE Systems U.S. shipyards, known for engaging Navy and commercial vessels that require the highest levels of security and confidentiality. The company expanded its service delivery last year, achieving greater efficiency.
2024 Small Business Supplier of the Year: AMP United, a full-scale marine preservation company, supported fourteen major ship repair projects across the three shipyards in the past year. Approximately 40 percent of the Ship Repair business’s sales in 2024 were conducted with small businesses like AMP United.
2024 Maintenance, Repair, and Operations Supplier of the Year: Airgas USA, a leading supplier of industrial gases and safety products, provided onsite support for welding rods and supplies to all three shipyards. Their efforts last year to track weld rods ensured compliance with government regulations.
2024 Safety, Health, and Environmental Supplier of the Year: The 3M Company, a multinational conglomerate involved in industrial, safety, consumer goods, and technology sectors, hosted multiple demonstrations of safer technologies and techniques that enhanced safety within the shipyards.
Forty-eight gold, twenty-seven silver, and twelve bronze awards were distributed. Additionally, the following companies were recognized alongside the standout award winners:
BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair’s Small Business of the Year: TCI Mechanical of Atlantic Beach, Florida.
BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair’s Subcontractor of the Year: Advanced Marine Preservation, LLC of Jacksonville, Florida.
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair’s Small Business of the Year: AMP United of Dover, New Hampshire.
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair’s Subcontractor of the Year: Standard Calibration of Chesapeake, Virginia.
BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair’s Small Business of the Year: Standard Ship Repair of National City, California.
BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair’s Subcontractor of the Year: California Marine Cleaning of Pompano Beach, Florida.
