BENS Delegation Visits ONEX Elefsina Shipyards Elefsina, May 9, 2025
ONEX Elefsina Shipyards welcomed a delegation from the American organization Business Executives for National Security (BENS), led by General Timothy M. Ray (retired US Air Force Commander), President & CEO of BENS. The visit took place on Friday, May 2, 2025, as part of BENS’ ongoing effort to strengthen cooperation between the private sector and government agencies to address contemporary national security challenges. BENS, as a non-partisan and non-profit organization, leverages the experience and best practices of its members from the business and industrial sectors, in order to offer innovative solutions and know-how to US national security issues since 1982.
The official reception of the delegation was held by the President and CEO of ONEX Shipyards & Technologies and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association of Hellenic Shipyards, Mr. Panos Xenokostas, who in his speech gave a historical review of the course of the shipyards, emphasizing the risk taken by the company for the revival of the shipbuilding industry, the trust shown by employees and partners in this effort, as well as the decisive contribution of the loan from the United States Development Bank (DFC). Mr. Xenokostas also pointed out that this funding was the result of a strategic initiative of the Greek government, integrated into the overall plan for the reconstruction of the national defense industry. He stressed his gratitude to the workers and shipowners who supported the project, as well as the importance of continuity and perseverance despite the initial difficulties, as well as the importance of the revival of the Syros & Elefsina shipyards by ONEX for the local communities and the national economy.
During the visit, Panos Xenokostas explained to the delegation that the reconstruction of the shipyards contributes to the creation of a strong national shipbuilding body, which constitutes a pillar for national defense and reduces dependence on foreign countries, while at the same time promoting employment and economic development in strategic areas of the country, thus strengthening the national security and defense system as a whole. The company’s executives presented in detail the main programs, cutting-edge technologies and innovations being implemented, followed by a tour of the shipyard facilities.
ONEX, having undertaken the difficult task of rehabilitating and reopening the shipyards, presented its vision for the creation of a national defense shipbuilding industry with high added value, which will ensure the country’s autonomy and independence in the field of warship construction. The need to attract new human resources with incentives, good salaries and safe working conditions was emphasized, as ONEX’s shipyards are a model in the country and a focal point for the defense industry in the Mediterranean, now playing a decisive role at an international level.
BENS’s visit to the Eleusis Shipyards signals the importance of international cooperation and the exchange of know-how to strengthen national security and industrial development, while highlighting the potential of the Greek shipbuilding industry to play a leading role in the wider region.
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