By Brad Smith, Sandler Training
As Halifax grew from a small military garrison to a thriving center of maritime prosperity, the military has also become one of Halifax's biggest employers.
Today, CFB Halifax is Canada's largest base and employs about 10,700 military and civilian personnel in HRM, with a payroll of $430 million. DND also spends $380 million for good and services for a combined direct impact to the HRM economy of $810 million.
And now it's about to get even bigger!
Irving Shipyards Limited has been chosen to negotiate the right to build the much talked about $25 billion contract as part of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy. This has the potential to create steady work for 8,500 people a year in the Canadian maritime sector. And although big, it is only part of a bigger story. Additionally work is already underway as part of the Royal Canadian Navy Strategic renewal process, which includes: renewal of our current frigates, introduction of the new Cyclone helicopters, upgrades and modernization of the Victoria class submarines, and upgrades on the Aurora maritime patrol aircraft.
But if you're waiting for your ship to come in and the contracts to land on your lap, you will miss the boat. As Nova Scotians we can't stand by with our hands held out for our piece of the pie. We must aggressively go after the opportunities that exist now and prepare for the opportunities that will be present in the future. This level of spending has attracted world-wide attention and competitors are here or already on their way. We're competing globally for money being spent in our own backyard.
Irving and other primary contractors have a responsibility to deliver the best value for the taxpayer dollars. And the same will be expected of their sub-contractors throughout the supply chain. Are you ready to compete on this world stage?
We must leverage our Halifax advantages in the oceans and marine sectors and unleash our entrepreneurial spirit to ensure this prosperity stays within our region and becomes the catalyst for future growth.
There are many resources out there now to help to position you as part of the procurement and supply chain for these business opportunities. Don't wait for your ship to come in - go and get it now! This opportunity is ours, but only if we compete and win it.
©2012 Sandler Training Inc. (www.atlantic.sandler.com) is an international sales and management training/consulting firm. For a free copy of Why Salespeople Fail And What To Do About It, call the Sandler Training at 902-481-0772 or e-mail bsmith@sandler.com.
