Highwater, a provider of naval services to the US, Australian, and Allied navies, has announced the acquisition of Taylor Bros Marine, a naval outfitting and habitability company in Australia.
“Taylor Bros has built an exceptional reputation over four generations. We are excited to invest in that legacy,” CEO of Highwater, Steve Zogas, stated.
“Together, Taylor Bros and Highwater create a leading Australian provider of sovereign naval sustainment capabilities, combining marine preservation, engineering, outfitting, and habitability expertise. This expands our ability to support customers across the full naval lifecycle while accelerating delivery and improving program execution. With over 700 employees across Australia and the U.S., Highwater will continue investing in our people, capabilities, and infrastructure to support the growing requirements of our customers throughout the Indo-Pacific.”
Highwater is a portfolio company of Arlington Capital Partners, a Washington, DC-area private investment firm specialising in defence and government-regulated industries.
“We joined with Highwater because they share our values and our belief in building sovereign Australian capability,” Director of Taylor Bros, Phillip Taylor, said.
“Just as importantly, they respect the culture and people that have made Taylor Bros successful for the last 90 years. We’ve worked 23 years alongside Highwater’s constituent organizations across Australia, and we are excited to be in a position to serve the Royal Australian Navy and Allied fleets at a greater scale.”
Taylor Bros' leadership team will continue to lead the company, and the Taylor family will become shareholders in Highwater. This transaction follows Highwater’s acquisition of Eptec Defence, an Australian provider of naval preservation services, and AMP United, a US-based provider of naval preservation and repair services.
Based in Hobart, Tasmania, Taylor Bros is a fourth-generation family-owned business that provides end-to-end design, engineering, prefabrication, and installation for complex marine habitability modules across Australia.
This Friday, the company will celebrate 90 years of serving Australian shipbuilders and defence primes.
“This partnership expands the career opportunities available to our highly skilled employees and ensures their future is part of a business committed to long-term investment,” Director of Taylor Bros, Greg Taylor, indicated.
“We have great confidence in the continued momentum of the business as part of Highwater, carrying forward our legacy as a trusted sovereign partner to our customers for over 90 years.”
Moelis Australia acted as financial advisor and Johnson Winter Slattery served as legal advisor to Highwater and Arlington Capital Partners. Equion acted as financial advisor and Keypoint Law provided legal counsel to Taylor Bros.