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With this technology in hand, by 2006 Marport was ready to extend its reach in the marketplace. “If you’re a new company out trying to sell technology that’s already been done by the big guys, you’re toast,” says Kenny. “But if you’re able to show up at the party with something that’s of tactical and strategic interest, you’re going to be invited to play.”
“We have a core set of technology now that we can leverage into products and commercialize into markets.”
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There’s no doubt that the defence sector is currently Marport’s focus. The big public step came in mid-2009, when Marport bought C-Tech, a 40-year-old company devoted to designing and manufacturing sonar systems. Based in Cornwall, Ontario, C-Tech offered complementary technology, experienced workers and certified manufacturing facilities. For a fledgling, fighting company like Marport, C-Tech also offered a strategic shortcut.
Acquiring C-Tech “was designed to accelerate our penetration into the defence market,” says Kenny. “That’s a pretty closed club, a pretty exclusive club and … C-Tech had the key to the membership club, they had an excellent reputation, they built legacy systems, and they have some pretty cool technology in their own right … it was a beautiful integration.”
It took about a year to finalize the deal. Which is no time at all, according to Kenny, considering the advantages gained by bringing the two forces together.
The next big collaboration was announced in late 2009 when Marport signed a multi-year, multi-million dollar research and development deal with General Dynamics. General Dynamics has more than 92,000 people worldwide and General Dynamics Canada is one of the largest defence contractors in the country, supplying sophisticated sonar systems to a number of the world’s naval forces. It’s another perfect fit for Marport; another clear pathway to market and sales.
“There’s renewed interest in undersea,” says Kenny. “And I think we fit pretty directly into that demand, whether it is underwater surveillance technologies or sensing or communications or even our own unmanned robot – an unmanned underwater vehicle that you can strap various sensing devices onto to go and try to locate the nasty things out there.”
Kenny feels Marport has established itself in the fishing industry, and sales continue to be strong in this sector. He predicts the lucrative military market may occupy the bulk of the company’s attention for the next one to three years. Beyond that, Kenny sees more partnerships leading the day when Marport is equally as advanced in the ocean energy and sciences sectors.
“I think we’ve developed a pretty diverse business model. And central to it all is technology and the innovative aspect of that technology. But technology by itself is really difficult to deposit into a bank account, but if we can leverage that technology as a core in various projects, you will be able to bring it to the bank. And that’s what we’re doing.”
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Outside of ensuring a steady source of investment money, Marport shares another major and constant challenge with most other companies of its size and scale: the battle to stay ahead of the pack. “You need to make sure nothing is going to come along and change your game right away. You’re constantly on, you’re hyper-aware, all antennas are up all the time and all radar are spinning to make sure (you’re ahead of) all the sources of competition.”
At 110 people, Marport is still a small company, albeit one with a strong foothold in the global marketplace and big plans to make a difference with its signature technology. “We have to keep moving ahead. We’re digging a ditch, digging a ditch, and every day we’re just shovelling ahead.… Three things are important: you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing every damn day, you’ve got to commit to what you’re doing every damn day, and you’ve got to execute. Because there are other people out there who want the market share we’re after just as much as we do.”
