How Griffin Marine Services Scaled Nationally and Internationally With the Right Systems, Strategy and Support
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When boilermakers‑turned‑marine specialists Troy Ranford and Martyn Stroud founded Griffin Marine Services in 2014, they brought decades of shipbuilding and maintenance experience to a small but ambitious operation. What began as a specialised welding service in Sydney quickly grew into a trusted partner for the Navy and its prime contractors—expanding into painting, mechanical services, and full project management.
Twelve years later, Griffin has become one of Australia’s most responsive and capable marine maintenance providers, operating across the country and throughout the Pacific. But behind the company’s accelerated growth lies a deliberate strategy: investing in capability, culture, systems, and leadership.
A Business Poised for Growth
By 2021, the company’s momentum was undeniable. The directors recognised that to scale sustainably—and meet the rapidly growing demand across Defence and commercial marine sectors—they needed added commercial capability at the leadership table.
That year, Michael Sertorio joined as an equity partner, bringing extensive experience in business operations, growth strategy, and management system transformation. Under his guidance, Griffin shifted from a highly skilled technical services provider to a sophisticated, scalable marine capability business.
The results were immediate and profound:
the team doubled from 50 to 100 staff in just two years.
With more than 60 years of combined marine and shipbuilding experience, the three directors have built a company known for responsiveness, capability, and quality—qualities highly valued in Defence environments where vessel readiness is critical.
A National Footprint With Global Reach
From its origins in Sydney, Griffin has expanded its operations nationally, including:
- Perth – now home to the company’s head office
- Sydney – foundational operations and Defence support
- Darwin and Cairns – critical hubs for northern Defence activities
More recently, the company has expanded internationally, supporting Defence and prime contractors throughout the Pacific, including Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Griffin is now the only company of its type supporting the Navy’s Regional Maintenance Centres nationally—a testament to its breadth of capability and long-standing relationship with prime contractors such as Austal, Babcock, BAE, Navantia, Norsta, Thales and Teekay.
“Our day-to-day contact is with prime contractors, but the Navy is our ultimate client,” Mr Sertorio explained. “It’s a partnership across the country. The work is often urgent and highly responsive—keeping vessels at sea, operational and ready.”
Building Systems That Support Scalability
With rapid growth came the need for stronger infrastructure behind the scenes. To evolve Griffin’s capabilities, operating model, and management systems, the company partnered with Insight Advisory Group to implement AroFlo, a modern field management platform that would underpin future growth.
Working with Insight’s Consulting Principal Adrien Giraud and Senior Consultant Sylvia Cruz, Griffin undertook the significant task of unifying its data, processes and workflows into one modern, reliable system.
Implemented in 2022, AroFlo has transformed the way Griffin works:
- All project data is now stored on a single, integrated platform
- Compliance and auditing processes have been streamlined
- Project management and reporting are consistent across locations
- Efficiency has improved at every stage—from quoting to delivery
“Having a single source of truth is critical,” Mr Sertorio said. “It makes us efficient, responsive, and future-ready. We’ve also built the system to support future AI capability, so we’re setting ourselves up for long-term innovation.”
Growing in Line With a Changing Marine Landscape
While Defence remains Griffin’s core focus, the company has broadened its service offering, now supporting:
- commercial vessels
- cruise liners
- mega yachts
- marine infrastructure projects
Major infrastructure upgrades are underway, particularly in Darwin, Cairns and HMAS Stirling, and Griffin is positioned as a key partner across these programs.
“These upgrades are part of the future vision for Defence marine capability, and our systems and strategy now reflect where the industry is heading,” Mr Sertorio said. “We’ve aligned our management processes to support that next phase.”
This growth occurs within a complex, high‑risk environment—one that requires careful management to maintain quality, safety and operational standards.
“It’s critical we manage our growth deliberately,” he said. “The work is demanding, and we need to protect quality as we expand.”
Culture as a Strategic Advantage
Alongside technology and process improvements, Griffin has also strengthened its leadership and governance.
David Singleton, former Managing Director of Austal and a senior executive across global defence and engineering sectors, joined as a Board Advisor—bringing strategic depth and industry insight.
The directors also appointed Chris Stoll as General Manager. A Navy veteran with senior management experience at Austal and Babcock, Chris brings leadership, engineering expertise and program management capability at a national scale.
For the directors, culture remains central to everything.
“Our big focus is quality—quality of staff, quality of management, and quality of outcomes,” Mr Sertorio said. “We’re proud of our team, and we’re adding people who elevate us even further.”
Safety, wellbeing and culture are major points of investment for the leadership team.
“It’s something we talk about constantly,” he said. “When culture is strong, it shows in every job we deliver.”
Recognition in a Highly Competitive Sector
Griffin’s commitment to excellence has been acknowledged industry‑wide. The company was named a Finalist in the Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Defence (SME) in both 2022 and 2023—an achievement that highlights its contributions to national Defence capability.
“It reflects the incredible impact the team has had,” Mr Sertorio said. “In a competitive industry, it’s a significant accomplishment.”
Looking Ahead: Growth Underpinned by the Right Systems and People
As Griffin Marine Services continues its expansion, its founding values remain unchanged: responsiveness, reliability, capability and a genuine commitment to clients.
Its collaboration with Insight Advisory Group has been instrumental in establishing the systems and processes required for sustainable, long-term growth—allowing Griffin to evolve without losing the culture that made it successful.
“It’s something the business continues to be known for,” Mr Sertorio said. “Our responsiveness, our can‑do attitude—it’s as strong today as it ever was. With the right people, processes and culture, we’re well positioned for the next chapter.”
