Survitec Group is a British manufacturer of personal survival equipment for usage after ejecting from aircraft or when at sea.
History
RFD Reginald Foster Dagnall formed RFD in 1920 in Surrey. Beaufort had been founded in 1852.
RFD liferafts and dinghies were used extensively in World War II for allied aircrew.
RFD Beaufort pioneered submarine escape technology in the 1950s, known as Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE).
Survitec The Survitec Group was actually formed in 2000. In 2001 it bought DSB (Deutsche Schlauchboot GmbH). In 2009, The Shark Group (founded in 1975) closed its Northumberland site and production was moved to Birkenhead.
In 2004, it was bought by Montagu Private Equity for £146 million.Times August 2009
In January 2010, Survitec was bought by the private equity firm Warburg Pincus from Montagu Private Equity for £280 million.2010 sale
In December 2010, it bought Revere Supply Inc of Florida, to become SSPI.
In May 2011, Survitec began the process of acquiring two further companies; Grimsby-based Cosalt Marine, for £31 million.Belfast Telegraph and the commercial liferaft and MES business of Bordeaux-based Zodiac. Cosalt Marine, employed over 450 people at 21 worldwide sites, with a turnover of £57 million.
Structure Its headquarters and registered office is on Beaufort Road in Birkenhead. The RFD Beaufort factory in Birkenhead is on the A5030 between Poulton and Claughton, next to the Great Float. The RFD Beaufort factory in Dunmurry is on the A1.
It has servicing plants around the world: Sharon Center, Ohio, USA - RFD Beaufort Inc Grimsby, United Kingdom Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy - Eurovinil Plymouth, England Eschershausen, Niedersachsen, Germany - DSB (Deutsche Schlauchboot GmbH) Les Attaques, Pas-de-Calais, France - RFD France Belgium - Antwerp, Ostend Netherlands - Grou, Rotterdam Spain - Algeciras, Barcelona Birkenhead - RFD Beaufort Dunmurry - RFD Beaufort Dyce, Aberdeen - SurvivalOne and Shark Group (formerly in Broomhill, Northumberland) Aberdeen - - Survitec Survival Craft Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan - RFD Japan Shanghai, China - WH Brennan Hong Kong - WH Brennan WH Brennan Singapore - WH Brennan WH Brennan Australia Auburn, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia - RFD Australia, Freemantle, Melbourne, Slacks Creek New Zealand - Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington Gosport, UK ("Crewsaver") Canada - Dartmouth, Mount Pearl, Vancouver ("DBC") Norway - Aalesund, Bergen, Stokmarnes, Kristiansand Sweden - Gothenburg
Customers Customers include Ministry of Defence US Navy US Air Force Royal Australian Air Force Royal Australian Navy Shell Lockheed Martin BAE Systems Carnival Cruise Lines Royal Caribbean Cruises Princess Cruises
References
General references Northumberland factory closes in March 2009
External links Survitec Group RFD Beaufort Marine