Local project engineers merge with Chinese group
South African project engineering company ProMet Engineers Africa (ProMet Africa) has merged with a large Chinese enterprise, Dadi Engineering Development (Dadi), it was formally announced in Johannesburg on Thursday. The new company is ProMet Dadi Africa.
Dadi is a major player in the Chinese coal sector, and since it was established in late 2008 it has designed and supplied more than 70 coal processing plants, of which 30 were turnkey projects, as well as three water slurry treatment plants. Of the 30 turnkey processing plants, Dadi operates and maintains ten, under contract from the clients.
The company has also completed more than 30 openpit and underground mining projects. It is ISO 9001 certified.
âWe hope and we are confident that this [merger] gives Dadi a good opportunity to do good business in Africa,â said company GM Wang Dongping. âOur two parts, joined together, can do a good job, with any size of project.â
ProMet Africa has been active in South Africa, Botswana and West Africa. One of its shareholders is ProMet Engineers of Australia.
âWe were quite a successful company in our own right,â stated company MD Rob Bennett. âWe got a good reputation and a bankable name.â But the global economic crisis caused the local company to consider its position in the market. âWe recognised our market was becoming exceptionally competitive,â both with regard to winning business and concerning the rising cost of inputs, including skilled staff.
âWe decided we needed to find a partner, with a balance sheet that would allow us to undertake large [scale] work,â he explained. That partner proved to be Dadi, and Bennett is now MD of ProMet Dadi Africa. Whereas ProMet Africa and ProMet Engineers could call on some 80 employees, Dadi has more than 2 000 engineers and project managers, and ProMet Dadi Africa can also call upon their services.
âWeâre focused on all commodities,â highlighted Bennett. âWe do have a good pedigree in iron-ore, coal and precious metals.â
