Key Takeaways
- • Arlington Capital Partners launches Highwater, a global naval services platform combining portfolio company Eptec Defence with AMP United, positioning the entity to service US, Australian and allied naval fleets across submarines, carriers and surface ships.
- • Highwater operates 600+ employees across six strategic locations (Norfolk, San Diego, Honolulu, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth) and provides integrated services including surface preparation, coatings, containment, abatement, scaffolding and structural support designed to accelerate repair cycles and extend vessel service life.
- • Steve Zogas appointed as chief executive; Vice Admiral William Galinis, former commander of Naval Sea Systems Command, joins board of directors, signaling deep integration with US Navy procurement and modernization priorities.
- • Platform consolidates fragmented naval sustainment services across allied navies, addressing critical infrastructure gaps in vessel preservation and repair capacity as defense spending and fleet modernization accelerate globally.
Summary
Arlington Capital Partners has launched Highwater, a newly formed global naval services platform targeting the specialized vessel preservation and repair market for US, Australian and allied naval forces. The platform consolidates Arlington's existing Eptec Defence portfolio company with AMP United, a US-based provider of naval preservation, structural and scaffolding services, creating an integrated operator positioned across the full spectrum of naval sustainment and maintenance services.
Highwater's service offerings span surface preparation, coatings, containment, abatement, scaffolding and structural support work. The company explicitly targets acceleration of repair cycles and extension of operational service life for submarines, aircraft carriers and surface combatants. The platform operates more than 600 employees distributed across six key operational locations: Norfolk and San Diego on the US coasts, Honolulu in the Pacific, and Sydney, Adelaide and Perth in Australia. This geographic footprint directly aligns with US Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleet basing and Australian naval infrastructure, suggesting strategic positioning to capture both domestic and allied-nation contract opportunities.
Leadership appointments underscore the platform's institutional credibility within defense procurement ecosystems. Steve Zogas leads as chief executive. Vice Admiral William Galinis, who previously commanded Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)—the US Navy's principal acquisition and lifecycle management authority for ships and submarines—has joined the board of directors. This placement signals embedded relationships within Navy leadership and program management structures critical for securing multi-year sustainment contracts and modernization work.
The launch reflects consolidation within a historically fragmented naval services market. As US and allied navies prioritize fleet modernization and extend service lives of aging capital ships amid extended procurement cycles, demand for specialized repair capacity, expertise in advanced coatings and containment systems, and accelerated maintenance scheduling has intensified. Arlington's combination of existing defense infrastructure capabilities (Eptec Defence) with specialized US naval preservation expertise (AMP United) creates an operator with geographic reach, technical depth and relationships positioned to capture a material share of allied naval sustainment spending.
Highwater's service offerings span surface preparation, coatings, containment, abatement, scaffolding and structural support work. The company explicitly targets acceleration of repair cycles and extension of operational service life for submarines, aircraft carriers and surface combatants. The platform operates more than 600 employees distributed across six key operational locations: Norfolk and San Diego on the US coasts, Honolulu in the Pacific, and Sydney, Adelaide and Perth in Australia. This geographic footprint directly aligns with US Navy Atlantic and Pacific Fleet basing and Australian naval infrastructure, suggesting strategic positioning to capture both domestic and allied-nation contract opportunities.
Leadership appointments underscore the platform's institutional credibility within defense procurement ecosystems. Steve Zogas leads as chief executive. Vice Admiral William Galinis, who previously commanded Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)—the US Navy's principal acquisition and lifecycle management authority for ships and submarines—has joined the board of directors. This placement signals embedded relationships within Navy leadership and program management structures critical for securing multi-year sustainment contracts and modernization work.
The launch reflects consolidation within a historically fragmented naval services market. As US and allied navies prioritize fleet modernization and extend service lives of aging capital ships amid extended procurement cycles, demand for specialized repair capacity, expertise in advanced coatings and containment systems, and accelerated maintenance scheduling has intensified. Arlington's combination of existing defense infrastructure capabilities (Eptec Defence) with specialized US naval preservation expertise (AMP United) creates an operator with geographic reach, technical depth and relationships positioned to capture a material share of allied naval sustainment spending.
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