Modern Quarrying October-November 2017

AROUND THE INDUSTRY

Hillhead to welcome special guest

Hillhead 2018 is gearing up for a special appearance from the largest mechanical puppet ever constructed in Britain. The Man Engine, powered by Volvo, was recently voted the UK’s Best Arts Project and presented with a National Lottery Awards trophy by comedian and broadcaster David Baddiel. The 10 m high ‘miner’ made an appearance on the National Lottery Awards show on BBC1 on 27 September, and the organisers of Hillhead are delighted to announce that the spec- tacular mechanical puppet, which is powered by a Volvo L220 wheel loader, will also be in residence for the duration of the 2018 event taking place at Hillhead Quarry, near Buxton, from 26-28 June next year. The Man Engine (www.themanengine.co.uk) will be located in the newly-redeveloped Registration Area, which has been expanded to meet strong demand for exhibition space at the show. The area around the demonstration area at the top of the showground has been redesigned to accom- modate additional stands showcasing working plant, including EvoQuip, a new brand launched in the UK from Terex Mineral Processing. The EvoQuip brand brings a simplified range of equipment to the crushing and screening sector, offering a comprehensive port- folio of products to address the needs of the compact crushing and screening markets. Other companies joining EvoQuip in the new- ly-expanded area include, among others: Weir Minerals Europe Ltd, MDS International, Red Rhino, Rees Machinery Group, MEKA Crushing and Batching Technology, Renault Trucks, Gap Hire Solutions and Indeco. According to event director Richard Bradbury, out- door space is already 90% sold with the newly extended area nearly full.“We are very excited by the changes we have made at the top end of the site to accommodate more exciting working demonstrations which are syn- onymous with Hillhead, and the Man Engine will pro- vide a spectacular focal point to the area.” www.hillhead.com

FLSmidth offices are located in the One Airport Square building, Accra.

FLSmidth goes local in Ghana

FLSmidth is further entrenching its African footprint with the opening of a new subsidiary company in Accra, the capital of Ghana. According to Deon de Kock, FLSmidth country head in South Africa and VP in Sub-Saharan Africa, the move has been made in response to the company’s critical mass of product in the region, and the strategic goal of being closer to customers. “We have done business for many decades in West Africa and have a wide network of distributors and agents,” De Kock says. “This exciting development is our next step in enhancing our capacity as productivity partners with this customer base; as a worldwide group we can leverage our global resources and assets, and with the Ghana office can also be more responsive at a local level.” The new presence in Accra will provide a hub for regional operations as there is already a large installed base not just in Ghana but in other neighbouring countries including Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso and Mali and possibly also Guinea. “We are positioning for growth, not only for FLSmidth but for our cus- tomers in that area,” De Kock says. “Being closer to users and their sites also means that we can gain more detailed insights into their applications and challenges. This, in turn, sharpens how we conduct our service and support activities, and helps us fine tune the ways that we add value to customers’ operations and contribute to their growth. “The office capacity will therefore comprise our own people who will be trained, focused and mentored to expertly represent FLSmidth to our existing and potential customer base,” says De Kock. “This is requir- ing substantial investment in people, infrastructure and systems, but is a crucial part of re-aligning our direct and indirect service channels to better serve our customers. We appreciate the contribution made by our distributor network up to this point, but we must now take the next step in terms of the natural progression of our growth trajectory.” With well-known local expert Joseph Appiah Kubi appointed as the GM, the Accra office will be staffed by Ghanaian nationals. This is in line with the view of FLSmidth that local skills, experience and expertise are vital to ensure a good understanding of customers and local conditions, and to provide optimal service levels. The office is expected to be fully operational shortly. The facility will also be a valuable venue for product and process training for staff and customers, and will provide a well-positioned stop- off point for customers passing through Accra. “It is clear that there are positive signs of recovery in the minerals sector in West Africa, especially in the gold mining segment,” Kubi says. “We look forward to building up our own brand and in-house resources in this region, and working more closely than ever with customers there.” www.flsmidth.com

Heavy equipment manufacturer MDS International is one of the companies exhibiting at next year’s Hillhead show.

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MODERN QUARRYING

October - November 2017