WORLD NEWS
BME takes next step into Australia with AIS acquisition
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Explosives leader BME has completed The world’s largest electronic detonator
the acquisition of Australia-based blast record is now held by BME in
Advanced Initiating Systems (AIS), a Zambia. Bulow said that BME — a
company that it was instrumental in member of the JSE-listed Omnia Group
establishing five years ago. The move — would be looking for opportunities
signals a rebranding and expansion of to offer its range of other technical
BME’s technical services and products services, equipment, and emulsions as
in Australia. the market required.
According to Brad Bulow, BME’s
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in the explosives business and as the
director of AIS, the rebranding process leading supplier of emulsion explosives
will begin in the second quarter of 2018, to South African opencast mines, BME
and will take forward the considerable has innovated a broad range of solutions
progress that AIS has made in the that are being applied across Africa and
Australian market. “As AIS, we have in a growing number of markets abroad,”
become well known as the distributor he said. “Our position as part of the
of BME’s pioneering AXXIS digital Omnia Group — which has facilitated
detonation system, as well as forging our considerable manufacturing capacity
close relationships with clients through — places us well to meet customer
our proactive support, professional demands in Australia.”
approach, and strong service ethic,” said ME has steadily expanded its
Bulow. “Our technical capability has also emulsion production facilities, as
been well proven with a record blast at a well as automated its manufacture of
large central Queensland coal mine.” initiating systems. Alongside its AXXIS
The AXXIS system was used at the
detonation system, it has also developed
mine to initiate the largest electronic the BlastMap blast planning and design
detonator blast ever at that time — firing software, as well as mobile applications
5 665 detonators in 2 683 blastholes. This to promote quality blasting.
also broke a previous record achieved at
“With over three decades of growth
general manager Australia Asia and a
As a mining engineer with explosives
the mine when an AXXIS-controlled blast specialisation and 25 years of experience
successfully initiated 4 303 detonators in in the resources sector, Bulow will head
a single blast to break 2.8 million cubic up the Brisbane-based business following
metres of overburden. the latest acquisition.
1. From left: Dillon Grant (blast technician); Tom Dermody (technical services manager);
Paul Lightbody (product manager); Krysten Odendaal (logistics officer); Brad Bulow (AIS
director and BME’s general manager Australia Asia).
2. Brad Bulow, AIS director and BME’s general manager Australia Asia.
MARCH 2018
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