Engineering company Baker & Provan has come a long way since 1946 when World War II veterans, Arthur Baker and Don Provan, bought an optical profile grinder and set up a partnership in Western Sydney.
It now operates a 6,500 sqm workshop facility on its original St Marys site and employs more than 85 people.
The company manufactures, repairs and overhauls custom-made small-to-heavy mechanical engineering components and equipment for Defence, rail, mining and infrastructure. Its objective is to establish itself as a sophisticated manufacturing partner with growing local capabilities including international partnerships.
Managing Director Mal Hiley said Arthur and Don enlisted in the army in 1942 and served in New Guinea. They decided that if they got out alive, they would start a company.
“They got out and started Baker and Provan … as a small tool making shop with a single piece of equipment.
“The small business struggled at times in the early years but grew through a series of building expansions to the major facility that we have today.
“The business grew from a tool-making shop to a multi-discipline workshop including machining, fitting and fabrication.”
Don left Baker & Provan in 1976, with Arthur Baker acquiring his interest with the company remaining a family-owned business.
Baker & Provan now has operations in Cooma, NSW to support Snowy Hydro and other local industry and also provides sustainment services to Australian Navy RAN vessels in Henderson, WA, and Garden Island, Sydney.
In the late 1980s, the company was successful in a tender to manufacturer boat slewing arm davits for Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac Class Frigates.
“When you win a [Defence] contract, whoever builds a piece of equipment, basically then has a 25-year maintenance contract, as the original equipment manufacturer."
Following Baker and Provan’s entry into the Defence market, this sector now makes up about 30 % of the entire business.
Over the past 35 years Baker & Provan has established strong relationships with a range of European suppliers to both maintain their equipment but to also manufacture equipment for new Defence programs such as the Hunter Class Frigate Program as part of the Australian Industry Capability initiative.
Baker & Provan uses ICN to pursue opportunities, both via the Gateway portal and with the personal relationships with ICN’s on-the-ground supply chain experts.
“They also provide support outside the portal with more of a personalised approach,” Mal said.
Baker and Provan has strategically positioned itself as a Tier 2 Defence contractor so when an opportunity came via ICN to tender for light weight mast doors and torpedo doors as part of the Hunter Class Frigate Program for BAE, it was recognised that our UK-based Tier 1 partner, Marine Systems Technology (MST) was better placed to pursue the primary contract with Baker & Provan providing local manufacturing support
More recently, Baker and Provan has established a joint venture with Spanish company, Industrias FERRI, which amongst other benefits, enables local manufacture of FERRI products at Baker & Provan’s Western Sydney facility thereby significantly reducing supply times and enhancing local Defence capability.
According to Mal, ICN has been actively helping Baker & Provan explore new partnerships and has been supportive of the partnership with Spanish company Industrias FERRI.
“There's a high level of commitment to Australian industry capability, and that is becoming more of a focus as well with the increasing uncertainty around the world, and with the long supply lines” Mal said.
Meanwhile, BAE has selected Baker and Provan for its Partnering4Success program, aimed at growing Australia’s sovereign capability. BAE only chooses 10 companies a year to take part.
“It’s a significant recognition to be in that group of 10, selected out of a supply chain of about 1600,” Mal said.
“We’re at the very beginning of that program and we very much look forward to the opportunity that it will provide.”
For more information, go to the Baker and Provan website.