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Designed as a practical, engagement-focused event rather than a traditional trade exhibition, the conference proved to be a highly effective platform for organisations seeking to better understand defence procurement, engage with prime contractors, and explore opportunities to contribute to national security and innovation.

Anthony Pimm, Senior Director of Technology, delivered a thought-provoking contribution on the importance of maintaining a Sovereign Industrial Base. He highlighted the strategic necessity of retaining critical maritime and defence engineering capabilities within the UK, particularly in the context of global uncertainty and the need for resilient, secure supply chains. His remarks reinforced the role organisations like ESCO Maritime play in sustaining technical expertise, driving innovation, and supporting operational readiness.

Nicola Melia, General Manager, participated in a Women in Defence panel, sharing her own career journey as well as contributing to important discussions around inclusivity, leadership, and talent development. Her insights underscored ESCO Maritime’s commitment to broadening participation and supporting the advancement of women within the defence sector. The panel explored practical ways to improve representation and ensure the sector attracts and retains a diverse and highly skilled workforce.

Supporting the UK’s Defence Future

The Defence Procurement Conference aligns with the UK Government’s ambition to increase SME participation in defence spending by 50% by 2028. The West Midlands is increasingly positioned as a hub for advanced manufacturing, cyber capability, and sovereign defence expertise, making the region central to this ambition. ESCO Maritime’s active participation reflects its commitment not only to supporting defence delivery today but also to shaping the future of the sector. By contributing to discussions on industrial resilience and workforce inclusion, the organisation continues to play a key role within the UK’s defence ecosystem.

The ERS Silver Award is presented to organisations that go beyond pledging support and can clearly demonstrate how that commitment is embedded into policies, culture, and everyday practice. Achieving Silver places ESCO Maritime among a select group of employers who actively advocate for Reservists, veterans, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers (CFAVs), and Armed Forces families, while ensuring they are not disadvantaged in the workplace.

Why this award matters

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, run by the Ministry of Defence, recognises employers who align their values with the Armed Forces Covenant and actively support defence personnel. Progressing from Bronze to Silver is a major milestone and reflects the tangible steps ESCO Maritime has taken to turn commitment into action.

As Nicola Melia, General Manager, explains:

“We are extremely proud to receive the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award. This Award reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community, including Reservists, veterans, CFAVs and their families. Across ESCO Maritime Solutions, we recognise the significant skills, experience and values they bring to our organisation, and we remain committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment that enables them to thrive. We now look forward to building on this progress as we continue our journey towards a Gold Award in the future.”

Looking ahead to next year, ESCO Maritime is proud to be Associate Defence Partner with the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham, reinforcing our commitment to supporting wounded, injured, and sick service personnel and veterans on an international stage.

At the same time, we will continue to strengthen our policies, partnerships, and engagement as we work towards achieving the ERS Gold Award. This will include deeper advocacy, broader external engagement, and continued leadership support for the Armed Forces community.

The Combined Naval Event (CNE) 2026 will be held from May 19 to 21 at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre. This key forum for naval collaboration will bring together over 2,200 leaders, officials, and industry representatives from more than 85 nations, including strong participation from NATO and allied forces.

CNE 2026 will showcase six specialised theatres, each presenting a comprehensive agenda that covers a wide range of naval operations. Topics will include fleet readiness, maritime domain awareness, shipbuilding, undersea warfare, and emerging multi-domain challenges. The program is designed based on operational needs and strategic priorities, offering a unique opportunity to share insights, align strategies, and strengthen partnerships across the global naval community.

Booth G47

ESCO Maritime Solutions is proud to announce its role as an Associate Defence Partner of the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027.

The Invictus Games is an international adaptive sporting event for wounded, injured and sick (WIS) service personnel and veterans.  Founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, in 2014.  The Games harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their countries.

As a defence company with deep roots in the West Midlands, this partnership reflects our shared, company-wide commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community. It is an honour for our teams to stand alongside an organisation that inspires and recognises the strength and determination of those who have served.

This partnership represents a natural extension of our values, aligning with our ongoing dedication to those who have served and sacrificed.

Being part of the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 allows us to contribute to an event of global significance, one that not only celebrates extraordinary personal achievement but also highlights the importance of community, resilience, and support.

St. Louis, April 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE) today announced that it has completed the acquisition of the Signature Management & Power (SM&P) business of Ultra Maritime for a purchase price of $550 million in cash. SM&P is an established, long-standing provider of mission-critical signature and power management solutions for the US and UK naval defense markets. Their sole source product offerings will add significant scale to ESCO’s Navy businesses, providing increased content on US Navy submarine and surface ship programs and expansion into vital UK and AUKUS navy platforms.

SM&P will become part of ESCO’s Aerospace & Defense (A&D) segment. Their Signature Management and Power Management product lines are highly complementary to ESCO’s current naval programs. Signature Management offers solutions for surface ships and submarines that provide magnetic and electric field countermeasures to prevent underwater mine and sensor detection. Power Management provides innovative and highly-engineered motors that drive critical ship propulsion systems with an ultra-quiet design ensuring low vibration levels to increase stealth capabilities.

This acquisition supports ESCO’s long-term objective of expanding our leadership positions in our high-growth end-markets. SM&P is well-positioned to benefit from increasing global naval defense spending as the US and its allies upgrade their aging naval defense programs.

Our previously issued FY 2025 guidance does not include the impact of the SM&P acquisition. Our guidance will be updated to include the FY 2025 impact of SM&P in our Q2 2025 earnings announcement on May 7, 2025.

ESCO is a global provider of highly engineered products and solutions serving diverse end-markets. It manufactures filtration and fluid control products, advanced composites, as well as signature and power management solutions for aviation, Navy, space, and industrial customers. ESCO is an industry leader in designing and manufacturing RF test and measurement products and systems; and provides diagnostic instruments, software and services to industrial power users and the electric utility and renewable energy industries. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, ESCO and its subsidiaries have offices and manufacturing facilities worldwide. For more information on ESCO and its subsidiaries, visit ESCO’s website at www.escotechnologies.com.

SOURCE ESCO Technologies Inc.
Kate Lowrey, Vice President of Investor Relations, (314) 213-7277