HIGH PROFILE recognised and valued by customers not only in Poland, having also had a great many references in many international markets. Thus, within the integration we are building one strong entity in FAMUR Group, but keeping selected key brands so that our partners have full knowledge of our portfolio completeness.
Consolidate and conquer
Paul Moore spoke to Mirosław Bendzera, CEO of FAMUR SA, about the integration of Kopex Group following its 2017 acquisition by FAMUR parent TDJ
Q Can you comment on the recent takeover of Kopex by FAMUR owner TDJ? How would you summarise the aims and potential of the acquisition?
Our aim is to build a strong group with a wide range of products and services enabling the implementation of comprehensive mining, energy and material handling projects. As a result of the takeover of Kopex, FAMUR’ s position will strengthen and it will enable us to even more effectively compete with the largest global players in the mentioned industry areas. We are well underway with the integration of the assets of FAMUR and Kopex’ s machinery units and are currently concentrating on the operational aspects of this process. We intend to complete the formal integration of these areas in the first half of 2018.
Q As the two companies are market leaders in Poland and major players in the mining equipment industry elsewhere, there was some overlap of product ranges such as with roadheaders, roof supports, AFCs etc. How have you decided which product lines to keep and which to discontinue for the sake of greater efficiency?
As part of the consolidation process, we have completed a comprehensive analysis of the product and service portfolio of the Kopex Group. On this basis we are deciding which of machines, equipment and services should remain included as part of FAMUR’ s offering, considering both technical and market issues. In accordance with our development strategy, we want to create a FAMUR Group portfolio that will enable the comprehensive completion of our mining customers’ investments. The main aim of the integration is to make the best use of the over 100 years of experience, know-how, knowledge of the market and knowledge of client needs that has been accumulated in the two groups. We obviously also want this process to bring us the greatest possible revenue and cost synergies, and that’ s why the analysis of each of Kopex ' s solutions is being related to its effectiveness.
Q Is the intention to keep Kopex as a brand or to rebrand everything as FAMUR? Can you outline the branding strategy in more detail?
We appreciate and respect the history, quality and references of the companies acquired over the years and that currently make up the FAMUR Group. Therefore, as in case of other acquisitions, we want to keep not only the Kopex brand, but also the brands of other important entities such as Elgór + Hansen, Ryfama, and ZZM( Zabrzańskie Zakłady Mechaniczne). They have been present in the mining industry for many years, being
Mirosław Bendzera
Q What synergies have you found between the two companies, such as automation elements or innovations like the Mikrus low profile shearer from Kopex that will enhance the FAMUR offering?
The first effects of the integration process are beginning to show. They are visible in the field of cooperation between the sales, sales support and finance departments of the two entities. This collaboration allows us to use the experience the two companies gained over the last several decades and the synergies achieved – enabling us to accelerate the implementation of the FAMUR Group’ s development strategy in foreign markets. As I mentioned before, we are carrying out intensive work to integrate the Kopex machinery unit with the FAMUR Group. Kopex’ s portfolio includes many interesting, innovative solutions, such as the Mikrus longwall system for thin seams you have mentioned. As a result of our analysis, we have decided to keep this product to be one of the key elements in our commercial offering to global markets. Another example would be the electrical solutions or automatic control systems that we intend to develop with Elgór + Hansen, relying on its years of experience.
Q Are you able to make savings in terms of component suppliers, supply chain logistics and manufacturing rationalisation?
In our business we focus on long-term relations with strategic suppliers, as it constitutes the key factor affecting the productivity and efficiency of the entire supply chain. Considering our experience in cooperation with our partners worldwide, I can see three major operational advantages from the integration resulting from good relations built and developed with suppliers and customers. The first one is cost reduction. Within the Go Global strategy that has been implemented in FAMUR, we deliver our products to customers worldwide. In the initial stage of negotiating the contract we try to select the appropriate portfolio of component and service suppliers, both local and those operating globally. Such an approach enables us to save time and cost, which would otherwise would be spent on searching for new business partners. The second effect is efficiency improvement. We observe that the longer our cooperation with an individual supplier, the better our common understanding of the markets and the related activities. This thread
44 International Mining | FEBRUARY 2018