“Green Door Co helped us to elevate Birdon’s profile at a pivotal time in our global growth. They took the time to deeply understand our business, our achievements and the complexity of what we do – and turned it into clear, compelling award submissions that genuinely reflected our strengths. Their strategic approach, professionalism and end‑to‑end support lifted a huge weight off our internal team and delivered results that speak for themselves.”
— Jane Hillsdon, CMO, Birdon
Company Profile
Birdon Group
Birdon is a global maritime engineering and asset-lifecycle partner delivering end-to-end solutions – from design to decommissioning – for government, industry and communities.
Objective
Birdon needed to lift its public profile and establish itself as a well-known, trusted brand in both Australian and international markets. The recognition strategy aimed to support the tender process, highlight their specialised strengths and secure strong validation of their expertise in areas of sustainability, engineering, world-first innovations and complex asset management.
Benefits of working with Green Door Co
- Created a focused awards strategy across local, national and industry levels.
- Brought Birdon’s standout projects to life through clear storytelling.
- Handled interviews, evidence and submissions from start to finish.
- Gave Birdon’s busy marketing team specialised support when they needed it.
Value Created
- Secured major national, industry and regional award wins.
- Built credible visibility across defence, engineering and global markets.
- Highlighted Birdon’s strengths with compelling, award-ready storytelling.
- Freed internal teams by managing the full awards process.
Founded in Port Macquarie in 1977, Birdon Group has grown into the Western world’s largest manufacturer of army watercraft and a trusted partner to defence and government agencies worldwide. The Australian-owned group delivers comprehensive maritime solutions from design and shipbuilding to asset disposal, environmental works and infrastructure projects.
Objectives
Although Birdon was a long-established business, their public profile, in Australia and overseas, was relatively low. Awards and PR had never been a focus, which meant the company’s capabilities and achievements weren’t widely recognised outside their existing networks. Pursuing an external recognition strategy became a strategic priority to achieve three key objectives.
- Validate specialised achievements: Showcase Birdon’s strengths in areas such as sustainability, asset management, engineering excellence and complex innovation, areas that often require credible, third-party endorsement to be fully appreciated.
- Build brand awareness and credibility: Elevate Birdon’s visibility and reputation with government partners, investors, potential employees and other critical stakeholders across Australia and international markets.
- Strengthen tenders and market trust: Use awards to generate independent exposure and credibility, helping Birdon become known and trusted in competitive tender processes locally and globally.
Internally, the company was juggling multiple complex objectives. Translating Birdon’s story into award-ready narratives was a challenge for an already stretched marketing team, and bringing in specialist support allowed them to streamline the process and confidently pursue an awards recognition strategy.
Solution
Green Door Co partnered with Birdon to build a recognition strategy that would lift their profile with the audiences that mattered most, while taking pressure off their internal marketing team.
A focused strategy to build credibility
Together, we developed a mix of awards that would give Birdon visibility at every level:
- Premium national awards: We targeted high-profile programs like the Premier’s NSW Export Awards for strong national and international recognition.
- Industry-specific awards: Engineering, defence and asset management awards were chosen to back up Birdon’s technical capability.
- Regional recognition: Local programs, including the Mid-North Coast Awards, helped celebrate Birdon’s roots and long history of growth in the region.
Bringing Birdon’s strengths to life
Each submission was written to clearly show what sets Birdon apart. This included highlighting major achievements like their world-first, environmentally controlled disposal of Ex-HMAS Sirius, where an outstanding 99.13% of materials were reclaimed.
Fully managed support
Green Door Co took care of everything: identifying the right awards, interviewing the Birdon team, gathering evidence and writing and submitting each entry. This end-to-end support meant Birdon could focus on their work, knowing the recognition strategy was moving forward smoothly behind the scenes.
Value Created
The awards program delivered exactly what Birdon needed: stronger brand awareness, credible third-party endorsement and recognition across the areas most important to their growth.
Strategic positioning and credibility
Birdon earned high-profile recognition both within their industry and in their local community, helping them build the trusted, respected brand they were aiming for.
Validation of their core strengths
The wins and shortlists clearly demonstrated the depth and breadth of Birdon’s capability:
- Sustainability: Recognition in the Asset Management Excellence Awards and the Premier’s NSW Export Awards (Sustainability and Green Economy category) highlighted their best-practice approach to environmental responsibility.
- Innovation: Wins in the Mid North Coast Awards for Innovation and a shortlist in the Engineers Australia Excellence Awards underscored their ingenuity and technical leadership.
- International business: Success in the Mid North Coast Awards for International Business and the Premier’s NSW Export Awards cemented their position as a growing global exporter.
- Industry authority: Shortlistings in the Australian Defence Industry Awards and the Engineers Australia Excellence Awards reinforced their reputation for delivering complex, large-scale projects with confidence and capability.
Meaningful market exposure
The recognition gave Birdon the visibility they’d been missing, helping them stand out from competitors and strengthening their profile ahead of major tenders and international expansion.
AWARD WINS
2024 Asset Management Excellence Awards
Sustainability
2024 Premier’s NSW Export Awards
Sustainability & Green Economy
2024 NSW Mid North Coast Awards
Innovation
International Business
Business of the Year
FINALIST
2024 Engineers Australia Excellence Awards
Project Awards
2024 Australian Defence Industry Awards
Sovereign Industry Champion
