Royal IHC Expands into Offshore, Mining

 

Royal IHC announced it has expanded its activities with the acquisition of Fraser Hydraulic Power (FHP) in the UK and Robbins Technology Group (RTG) in Brisbane, Australia. With these latest acquisitions, IHC has expanded its offshore rental fleet and gained a stronger foothold in the mining market respectively.

Founded in 1986, FHP designs and builds systems for laying subsea cables and umbilicals with tracked engines and tensioners, cable carousels, and drum handling systems in its product range. These are supplied to the subsea telecoms, renewables, and oil and gas industries.

FHP operates from a recently custom-built 28,000 sq ft unit at the Neptune Energy Park in Walker, Newcastle, which is perfectly located to support its customer base of offshore marine contractors. This new, sophisticated facility also offers an ideal opportunity for IHC to strengthen its position in these markets, centralise and further expand the offering of rental equipment, and provide a broader service offering to these customers.

FHP has developed comprehensive supply and service capabilities, including the rental and refurbishment of equipment, combined with the ability to support its products on a global basis from its base in the UK. The provision of operators, technicians and engineering staff has also become a key element of its business proposition.

RTG is a multi-disciplined technology company specialising in providing services to the mineral sands industry. It focuses on the design and construction of mining and mineral processing plants, and the manufacture of specialist equipment, as well as assaying, metallurgical test work and circuit development.

With this merger, IHC brings innovative engineering solutions to the industry with the opportunity to provide fully integrated mining and processing solutions to customers. In addition, it strengthens IHC’s position in the downstream minerals processing market for heavy mineral sands, as well as other commodity activities in which IHC has vast knowledge and experience.

The collaboration between the two companies gives customers the best equipment solutions available at competitive prices. It also utilises the two companies’ mutual understanding of the full life cycle of mineral deposits.

Bram Roelse, IHC’s CEO, said, “These acquisitions, both effective from 31 October 2015, fit perfectly within IHC 2020. The overall aim of this strategy is to reduce IHC’s dependence on the volatile shipbuilding industry by developing OPEX activities.”