Once complete, the expanded facility would include hangars capable of accommodating large civil and defence aircraft in a segregated and secure environment.

The firm is also expected to leverage funding support to invest in capability enhancements across advanced engineering and manufacturing, and cyber-physical security systems.

HeliMods founder Will Shrapnel said the Queensland government’s support would enable the company to compete for larger defence and civil contracts.

“This expansion marks a new and exciting milestone for our business. We have worked hard over the years to build capability that is unique and sovereign and have established a proven track record in industry across both Australia and global export markets,” Shrapnel said.

“This investment will now allow us to further scale our capability and become a major player in the aerospace and defence industries, from right here on the Sunshine Coast.

“It represents an opportunity for us to become a next-generation provider to Defence, one that can deliver the highest levels of quality and rigour, without compromising on speed or agility.”

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Shrapnel said the project would also create new opportunities for the local community, helping to produce technology-enabled careers for younger Australians.

“Our team is incredibly energised by this growth and look forward to the exciting journey ahead,” he said.

Premier Palaszczuk added that the government’s commitment would support the state’s broader economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

“Aircraft manufacturing and maintenance has great potential to grow our economy and create thousands of local jobs in years to come,” the Premier said.

“By partnering with HeliMods, we can ensure that we create more of these jobs in Caloundra.

“Because we’ve been able to minimise the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Queensland, we can now focus on rebuilding our economy. That means more jobs and more projects like this that will pump millions of dollars into the Sunshine Coast.”

According to Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles, the partnership with HeliMods would create more than 65 Sunshine Coast jobs.

“We have a plan to rebuild the economy and create more opportunities for locals,” Deputy Premier Miles said.

“Advanced manufacturing is a growth industry. We’re tapping into this rapidly growing, global industry to stimulate our economy here in Caloundra.”

Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt lauded HeliMods’ work in developing design, engineering, advanced manufacturing, certification and systems integration capabilities for helicopters.

“Since its founding in 2002, HeliMods has achieved significant growth both domestically and internationally, and has established a strong reputation as world-leading in its field,” Hunt said.

“The company now employs a young, dynamic and highly skilled workforce of over 30 people, with more than half of those in specialist technical roles.

“We’re partnering with them to create even more jobs in the future.”

The Queensland government’s announcement comes just a week after the firm was awarded $150,000 under the federal government’s Defence Global Competitiveness Grants program.

HeliMods is expected to leverage the grant to boost its capacity to make components with shorter lead times. 

[Related: HeliMods secures Defence Global Competitiveness Grant]

Charbel Kadib

News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media

Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.