Modern Mining October 2023

MINERALS PROCESSING

Axis House scores in all markets Does a downturn in the global economy mean all businesses suffer? Not in the case of re agent specialist Axis House, which is experiencing a business boom. By Nelendhre Moodley .

T he downturn in local and global economies has seen more mining houses calling for solu tions driven results that target lower costs and improved production rates, Axis House CEO Justine Stubbs tells Modern Mining . “Owing to the pressure on metal prices, an increasing number of our clients are looking at ways to improve their processes and thereby save money. In turn, this demand – and especially demand for further technical support – has led to growth in Axis House business, locally and in the territories in which we operate.” The reagent specialist, with branches strategi cally placed across the globe, has expanded its technical expertise team which is integral in meeting the growing demand for improved plant efficiencies. Axis House operates as a lean business and recently lifted its skills base by 20%, with its South African operations employing some 65 people and the territories in which it operates employing 120 people in total. The company has also employed several senior managers including a number of extremely talented operational staff. “It has been exciting getting to know our recently acquired operational staff who are passionate about their territories and keen to share their knowledge with us, which we in turn bring back to the sub-Saha ran African segment of our business.” According to Stubbs, a benefit of keeping “a lean staff complement” is that it allows the company to maintain its key values. “Regardless of who the client is, the territory in which we operate, what problems or metals or min erals the client is processing, as a team, we benefit from our values as they talk to being highly service

centred and having a collaborative approach embed ded in our company DNA.” Axis House beds down on its five-year plan Having set out a five-year business plan last year, Axis House is focused on ensuring that it meets its stated objectives of guaranteeing that it offers best service in all its areas of operation, driving product enhancements and expanding its product offering beyond its traditional business lines. According to Stubbs, as experts in reagent solu tions in sub–Saharan Africa, the objective is to provide its offering to the territories in which it oper ates and the rest of the world. “To date, we have been successful in achieving our stated ambition of geographical expansion and have a fully operational team in the Middle East, which currently services North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Europe and, on the back of robust appetite for our product lines, our team in the Middle East continues grow. Moreover, our operations in Australia are also on a steep growth curve which has seen us employ more in-house staff and more infrastructure to meet the expanding needs.” A second component of its five-year plan has been a focus on expanding its product offering to dif ferent metals and minerals, including lithium, nickel, platinum, zinc, rare earths, phosphates, tin and gold. “Our strategy to expand our offering to new min erals and metals sets has been exciting for everyone in our group, especially the technical department. With each new product line that we bring to the mar ket, we have an opportunity for further cost savings, greener solutions and improved plant efficiencies;

Axis House CEO Justine Stubbs.

Axis House Group continues to grow steadily, branching out into new markets and reaching greater heights.

18  MODERN MINING  October 2023