Modern Mining May 2015

CRUSHING, SCREENING AND MILLING

Aury Africa takes aim at the capital equipment market

Aury Africa, which specialises in providing screens and other vibrating equipment, as well as associated consumables, to the African mining industry, believes it has now established its name in the local market and is ready to take its business to the next level. Says MD Mark Houchin: “So far we’ve been sustained by sales of our consumables, which account for the bulk of our turnover. With this side of the business looking very healthy and our reputation as a reliable supplier firmly established, we’re now embarking on a concerted drive to carve out market share for our capital equipment.”

is also a subsidiary of Dadi Engineering, which he says is China’s biggest EPC contractor serv- ing the mining industry. “Dadi’s strategy when building projects is to use its own equipment, as it believes that this is the best way to deliver quality and service to its clients,” he explains. “It used to source its screens from Schenck but about 10 years ago decided to make its own range – hence the formation of Aury (Tianjin). Apart from manufacturing screens, the company also makes vibrating feeders and centrifuges plus all the related consumables – not only for its own products but also those from other suppliers.” He notes that the Aury screens have built up a reputation for durability and reliability, with not a single instance of a failure since Aury (Tianjin) first started selling them nearly a decade ago. While Aury Africa has the support of Aury in China (and also enjoys close ties with Aury’s Australian operation), the local company is fully independent, with Houchin being the majority shareholder. He has extensive expe- rience of the African mining industry and was, at one point, GM for Africa of Alfred H Knight (AHK), which provides analytical and

F ounded in 2010 (although it only started trading in 2011), Aury Af- rica has the backing of Aury (Tian- jin) in China, which has emerged in just 10 years as one of the biggest suppliers of vibrating screens in the world. According to Houchin, Aury (Tianjin) – which is ISO 9001-accredited – supplied about 700 screens worldwide in 2014 and has about 50 % of the huge Chinese market. Most of Aury Africa’s product line comes from Aury (Tianjin) but the local company is also sup- plying crushers which are sourced from other Chinese manufacturers. Houchin points out that Aury (Tianjin) is not only a substantial company in its own right but

Above: Aury Africa MD Mark Houchin with one of the company’s new looms in the background. Centre: Extensive stocks of polyurethane panels at the Jet Park premises (photo: Arthur Tassell).

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46  MODERN MINING  May 2015