Østensjø Rederi (ØR) has been awarded the New Zealand Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry for projects greater than $15m.
Carl Johan Amundsen, Chief Project Officer in ØR collected the prize from the Secretary of Defence in a ceremony in Wellington on Monday.

Each year the NZ Minister of Defence presents awards to highlight and reward the contribution made by industry to Defence in New Zealand. ØR was nominated this year as recognition of the work done with the delivery of Edda Fonn as a converted Dive and Hydrographic Vessel in May.

Carl Johan Amundsen together with NZ Minister of Defence Ron Mark, Keith Gilchrist and Frank Dyer from the Royal New Zealand Navy. Photo: Royal New Zealand Navy

“From our perspective it was a project that provided:
• collaborative outcomes that resulted in a gain-gain relationship, delivering a value for money outcome,
• engagement that led to significant innovations in product and technologies to optimise the outcome, and
• a relationship which was conducted with openness and co-operation, engendering the development of mutual trust, respect and confidence”, commented NZ Defence Acquisition Lead, Keith Gilchrist, after the  nomination.

Before delivery, Edda Fonn was converted by ØR to fulfill the specification of the Royal New Zealand Navy for their operations with the ship. The vessel was renamed HMNZS Manawanui and commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the ship’s sponsor in an event at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland in June.

According to the New Zealand Ministry of Defence website (https://www.defence.govt.nz/industry-working-with-defence/2019-awards-of-excellence-to-industry/), the Awards were established by the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council in 1998 to highlight and reward contributions made by industry to Defence. The 2019 awards were presented in the following categories:
• Category 1: Provision of a service to Defence less than $15 million
• Category 2: Provision of product to Defence less than $15 million
• Category 3: Provision of a product or service to Defence in excess of $15 million
• Special Awards: For outstanding contribution from an individual from
Industry to the relationship between Defence and Industry.

The other finalists in ØR’s Category (Category 3) were:
• TAS, LT McGuinness, Planet Design and Kensington Swan for the design, project management, build and legal oversight of the Project to deliver anew Defence Headquarter; and
• Air New Zealand for their maintenance support to
the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Boeing 757 aircraft.

 

Read more in Scoop Independent News;

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1911/S00207/winners-of-defence-industry-and-employer-support-awards.htm