In a first for the pan-African mining sector, Stefanutti Stocks Mechanical (SSM) – part of the Stefanutti Stocks Mechanical and Electrical division of Stefanutti Stocks (Pty) Ltd - has formed a joint venture  with the Dawsons Group of Companies. This ground-breaking JV offers minerals processing plant maintenance throughout Africa, drawing on the two companies’ extensive combined industry experience.

The Stefanutti Stocks Mechanical and Electrical division has a decade of experience in petrochemical plant maintenance; while Dawsons has worked extensively in the Australian mining sector, with an excellent track record for maintaining minerals processing plants for blue chip and junior mine owners.

Stefanutti Stocks Mechanical (SSM) is furthermore a pan-African expert in the construction of structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, platework and piping (SMEIPP); while Australian-based operation, the Dawsons Group of Companies, is an acknowledged international expert in the field of tailored plant maintenance, shut-down support and non-productive infrastructure maintenance.

“With a highly experienced management team featuring an extensive local and pan-African projects track record, SSM is currently executing several exciting projects in East, West and Southern Africa, where we sustain our relationships with clients after the initial project has been completed. We also offer our maintenance service to existing mines in Africa,” says Marius Botes, Managing Director of Stefanutti Stocks Mechanical. “While we have a solid construction and pan-African project execution track record, having top-class maintenance will not only extract the best life-cycle costs from the plant, but will also protect the reputation for quality that we have built up over the years,” Botes points out.

For this reason, it was recommended that SSM approach Dawsons. “The meeting was very fruitful, as we could see that Dawsons is a very experienced and innovative maintenance expert, with a similarly strong emphasis on safety and quality. And very importantly - in common with SSM - they recognise the value of seamless teamwork and are keen to be involved in pan-African minerals processing plant maintenance,” Botes comments.

In addition, SSM is keen to create a sustainable presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, something which having a reliable maintenance partner will promote. The company has already signalled its long-term intentions to invest in Africa by shipping a number of large capital equipment items to West Africa, where these will remain permanently for use on local projects.
Dawsons currently work extensively in the Australian mining sector. “It is evident from their excellent track record that they have been providing tailored maintenance services for as long as 30 years,” adds Botes.

“Forming this minerals processing plant maintenance joint venture therefore makes great synergistic sense for both parties: as SSM have the relationships, resources, in-country knowledge, infrastructure and pan-African projects experience; while we have the minerals processing plant maintenance expertise,” adds Sharon Dawson, Managing Director of Dawsons.
“Ultimately, this dynamic joint venture – drawing on our extensive combined industry experience - will be a game-changer for the future of mining in Africa,” Botes concludes.