RFDS SA/NT has entered a new three-year major partnership with Australian manufacturer and supplier Ahrens to support the delivery of critical emergency, primary and preventative health care in remote and regional communities.
This partnership reinforces Ahrens’s longstanding support for regional and remote communities and formally recognises Ahrens as a Major Partner of the RFDS within SA and NT. In recognition of this support, Ahrens’ branding will appear on key RFDS assets, including one of the organisation’s ‘flying intensive care units’.
Ahrens has previously collaborated with the RFDS on several vital infrastructure projects, including the RFDS Patient Transfer Facilities in Tennant Creek, NT (2025) and Renmark (2023), alongside ongoing financial contributions and event sponsorship.
Ahrens Managing Director Stefan Ahrens said the partnership reflects the company’s commitment to supporting regional communities and the people who call them home.
“We’ve been sponsoring the RFDS for a long time because they play such an important role in looking after people in remote areas,” Stefan said.
“As a family business with deep regional roots, it’s personal to us to ensure our employees, customers and communities in which we operate have access to essential healthcare services, no matter where they are.”
Stefan said the partnership not only formalises Ahrens’ ongoing support but also aims to raise greater awareness of the RFDS’s work.
“For us, it’s about promoting the incredible work they do. We want people in regional areas to understand the services available to them and know that the RFDS is there when they need it."
Stefan Ahrens, Managing Director, Ahrens
RFDS SA/NT Executive General Manager – Strategy, Brand & Reputation Charlie Paterson said the organisation is proud to officially recognise Ahrens as a Major Partner.
“For generations, the Ahrens family has been a loyal supporter of the RFDS through donations, volunteering, advocacy and infrastructure delivery,” Charlie said.
“Today, we’re proud to celebrate Ahrens Group as a Major Partner and acknowledge its commitment to the health and wellbeing of rural and remote Australians.”
Mr Paterson said Ahrens’ support would have a lasting impact across multiple fronts.
“Beyond financial sponsorship, Ahrens plays an important role in delivering our health infrastructure investment program, such as the recently opened Tennant Creek Patient Transfer Facility, which will support more than 400 patients each year,” he said.
The partnership is expected to enhance patient transfer efficiency, expand emergency and primary healthcare capacity, and strengthen community wellbeing through ongoing collaboration.
“The Ahrens people, their values, and our shared vision for healthy, vibrant regional communities make this partnership a natural fit,” Charlie added.
Together, we’ll continue to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those living, working and travelling across rural and remote Australia.
Charlie Paterson, Executive General Manager, Strategy Brand & Reputation, RFDS SA/NT
ABOUT AHRENS
Ahrens is a 123-year-old, fifth-generation, family-owned business, now operating from over 30 locations primarily in Australia, and operations in the US and Asia, employing close to 2,000 people.
Ahrens is a nationally recognised, full service Manufacturing, Construction, Engineering, Mining Services, Sheds & Silos, Water Storage and Property Investments company. Ahrens’ family of brands deliver a complete range of project services and cost-effective solutions through their unique in-house capabilities and personal approach to business.
Learn more about the Flying Doctor.
