SRK Consulting, a firm of con- sulting engineers and scientists, is positioning itself for an aggressive expansion into the African market.
Newly appointed SRK chairperson Roger Dixon reports that, given positive signs that the market is ready to move out of the recession of 2009, SRK wants to position itself as Africa’s consultancy of choice in the natural resources sector.
This encompasses all SRK’s existing business units, including mining, water, engineering geology, tailings and waste, geotechnical, civil, environmental and social.
“The company has identified key expansion projects that it will use to grow into Afrtypical crushing aggregate plant descriptionica. One of the main areas that SRK is keeping an eye on is Zimbabwe. The company is not as pessimistic as others in the industry about the country and feels that it holds a lot of immediate value that can be unlocked,” says Dixon.
He adds that, after three years of planning, the company is on track to open its fourth jaw crusher power consumptionregional office outside South Africa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
SRK has identified premises in Lubumbashi and is in consultation with lawyers to register the company by the start of its 2010 financial year, on April 1.
“SRK has appointed Susa Maleba, who will head up the DRC office. Having the office run by a lprimary iron ore crusher supplierocal with a wide network of contacts in the DRC is key. Ivann Milenkovic, a French speaker with experience in the DRC, who already works in SRK’s water business unit, will assist Maleba,” says Dixon.
He adds that, initially, the office will be a satellite office that will serve projects in the DRC and neighbouring Zambia, which,oil filter crusher machine Dixon remarks, is another area that offers many opportunities. Dixon describes the office as low risk as SRK will be renting the offices and will be outsourcing most of its business functions, such as logistics and accounting services.
Maleba is currently based in South Africa familiarising himself with SRK’s business processes. He has recently returned from alatrobe wash plants ligniten extended stay in the DRC in order to establish a network of clients. Maleba reports that government and industry are showing interest in SRK’s presence in the country.
Once the DRC office has been fully established, the company will shift its focus onto Ghana as the location for its next regional office.
Commenting on its South African business, Dixon says that there will be a strong focus on the energy sector, adding that this goes further than just coal-mining, and includes aspects such as sustainable development, renewable energy, coal-bed methane, coal gassification and nuclear energy.
“A lot of planning and technical input are required in nuclear projects. Significant challenges include site selection, waste disposal, effects on near-mine communities, and the effects of nuclear projects on the environment. SRK’s global expertise enables it to address most of these challenges,” says Dixon.