RPC hosted a tour yesterday for Dr Mike Kelly, Minister for Defence Materiel and were also very pleased to welcome back Ms Michelle Rowland, Greenway MP and Mr Ed Husic, Federal Member for Chifley.
This was Mike Kelly’s first visit to the Seven Hills site and the third visit for Michelle Rowland and Ed Husic.
A tour of the factory was led by Mr GA (Tony) D’Andreti – Executive Manager - Defence, and included showing the Minister the Life of Type Extension refurbishment process for Floating Support Bridges (FSB), and RPC’s manufactured ballistic spall curtains.
This was followed by a speech by Dr Kelly to RPC staff and management in which he said that he could see that RPC were like one big family and that they have great engineering and innovative skilIs. Dr Kelly continued to say that “what RPC do in Seven Hills helps the Australian Defence Force survive”.
RPC Defence survey and repair structures, and also manufacture, maintain and refurbish military equipment in composite and metal materials, covering Land, Air and Maritime Systems. RPC use new or established designs, specialist manufacturing and repair techniques.
Some of the new projects RPC have tendered for are the Bridge Adaptor Pallet as part of Army’s Land 121 Phase 3B project and Land 121-4 Hawkei. RPC Defence recently submitted an offer to the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) to improve the current spall curtains made by RPC, in conjunction with CSIRO, as part of the Capability Technology Demonstration (CTD) Program.
Mr GA (Tony) D’Andreti, Executive Manager Defence, said “it is important that we have the support of the Minister for Defence Materiel Mike Kelly and our local members and imperative that defence projects are carried out by skilled Australian companies such as RPC. Our skilled workers, including some who have been with us for 40 years, have been passing on their specialist skills to our young apprentices.”
Mr Tony Caristo, Managing Director said “I am very proud of the work our Defence business unit is doing and I am encouraged, that with the support of our Federal and local MP’s, Defence Projects will be carried out by competent Australian companies like RPC Technologies. We have very good relationships with all the defence primes including, GDELS, Thales, RMMVA , BAE Systems and with this and the opportunities in front of us I have high aspirations for the future growth of the Group where RPC Defence will play a major part”.
RPC employees also enjoyed the visit and the opportunity to meet the Defence Materiel Minister and their local members.