April 3, 2023 – North Vancouver, BC – As a Business Member of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), Seaspan is proud to announce it has become a CCAB Aboriginal Procurement Champion, a designation focused on supporting the growth of a diverse and prosperous Indigenous business community.
Becoming a Procurement Champion is a critical step in Seaspan’s commitment to creating meaningful partnerships, expanding supplier diversity, and providing procurement opportunities to nurture growth across Seaspan’s supply chain for Indigenous businesses in Canada.
Seaspan supports small and medium-size businesses across Canada and has awarded more than $2 billion in contracts to more than 700 Canadian companies related to the design and construction of new, large non-combat vessels for the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“Seaspan is working hard to take meaningful reconciliation actions, and the procurement pillar of our Indigenous strategy is designed to help achieve that goal. We are thrilled to work with CCAB to extend our extensive Canadian supply chain opportunities (>$2B under the National Shipbuilding Strategy) to include Indigenous businesses all across Canada,” said Dave Hargreaves, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development, Seaspan Shipyards. “Seaspan has a long history in supporting Indigenous employment, training and education, and we look forward to growing our support in Indigenous business development to the same extent.”
“We are delighted to welcome Seaspan on as an Aboriginal Procurement Champion and look forward to seeing their progress as they expand their relationships with Indigenous suppliers and increase procurement opportunities for Indigenous businesses across their entire supply chain,” said Tabatha Bull, President and CEO, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. “We are grateful that Seaspan shares our vision at CCAB to strengthen connections between corporate Canada and Indigenous businesses, which continue to be underrepresented in the Canadian supply chain. When companies like Seaspan publicly take a stand for economic reconciliation, we all benefit.”
An example of an existing Indigenous business within Seaspan’s broader supply chain is Triple H Services, which offers hydraulic maintenance and repair support to Seaspan and has been a trusted service supplier since 1992. Triple H recently became a business member of the CCAB to identify as an Indigenous business.
“We have worked with Seaspan for decades and our scope of work has evolved with the changing needs of their business – we have gone from primarily servicing their log barge cranes and barge systems to providing hydraulic expertise on their tugboats, and fuel barges,” said Geoff McCauley, President, Triple H Services. “As an entrepreneur, the personal aspect of life is naturally intertwined with the business aspect. I am proud to be an indigenous person and being a member of the CCAB is an extension of the personal to the business. My goal with the membership was not only to identify who I am as a company but to also connect with other indigenous businesses and/or businesses that support indigenous commerce.”
ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS
Seaspan Shipyards, a division of Seaspan ULC, is a leader in Canada’s shipbuilding and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce of 3,200 in North Vancouver and Victoria, Seaspan Shipyards has proven itself to be a trusted partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector.
ABOUT SEASPAN MARINE
Seaspan Marine Transportation is a group of Canadian companies that are primarily involved in ship assist, coastal and deep-sea transportation, ferry services and fuel bunkering on the west coast of North America. With well over a century of successful participation in coastal commerce, Seaspan is a major partner in the Pacific Northwest marine economy.
ABOUT CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR ABORIGINAL BUSINESS
CCAB is committed to the full participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s economy. As a national, non-partisan association, its mission is to promote, strengthen and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities, and awareness. CCAB offers knowledge, resources, and programs to its members to cultivate economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples and businesses across Canada. For more information, visit www.ccab.com.
Media Contacts
Ali Hounsell, Director of Communications, Seaspan
media@seaspan.com
604.612.5108
Alannah Jabokwoam
Senior Associate, Communications & Public Relations, Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
ajabokwoam@ccab.com
416.961.8663 ext. 227