On the 10th March 2019 one hundred and ten of the original employees of C.W. Pope and Associates original employees and the partners got together for a reunion that coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the company.
C. W. Pope and Associates was established on the 17th March 1969 when Charles and Robin Pope decided to stay in Newcastle to service the NDT market after Metlabs (Charlie’s previous employer) decided to pull out.
From their humble beginning C.W. Pope and Associates grew to be a major player in Australia’s mining, manufacturing and construction industries with their conformity and integrity assessment products and services.
Training was strong in the company’s development, particularly in NDT. Many of the company’s trainees are still active in the industry today whether that may be with the company, customers, competitors, suppliers or other associated engineering industries.
C.W. Pope and Associates were acquired by the Australian listed CCI Holdings in 1999 to become CCI Pope Pty Ltd who were in turn acquired by the French based multinational conformity assessment group, Bureau Veritas, in 2007 to become Bureau Veritas Asset Integrity and Reliability Services (BV AIRS).
It was a great afternoon of reminiscing and nostalgia and a testament to the vibrant, interesting and rewarding industry we work in.
As Charlie stated “the older we get the better we were”.
Consistent with their commitment to innovation, product development and novel applications of NDT the party celebrated with the cutting of a fully edible replica of a USK 7B, AC Magnet and cracked casting. The cakes were decorated by Natalie Hoover (nee Card, daughter of Kelvin Card), innovation must be in the genes.
