JSE-listed construction company Stefanutti Stocks started work last month on two projects awarded to it earlier in the year by ferrous-metals miner Assmang. The contracts have a combined value of about R330-million and are being carried out at the Nchwaning mine, near Hotazel in the Black Rock area of the Northern Cape.

Stefanutti Stocks CEO Willie Meyburgh believes these projects were awarded to the company as a result of the good reputation that it has for executing construction projects on the Blackrock mine and other mines in the Northern Cape.

“The projects will also enable Stefanutti Stocks to further invest in the local economy and create much-needed construction jobs and opportunities for developing enterprises,” he says.

The construction scope awarded by Assmang, which is jointly owned by JSE-listed mining holding company Assore and black-controlled diversified mining company African Rainbow Minerals, includes the construction of a new winder house, a circular four quadrant concrete silo, foundations for a load-out station, a product stockpile reclaimer and associated conveyors, as well as the related civil works.

Meyburgh says the building, civils and structures contracts, as well as the winder house contracts were awarded to Stefanutti Stocks in March, while the bulk earthworks, civils and piling contracts were awarded in April.

A number of Stefanutti Stocks divisions will be collaborating on the projects delivering a turnkey solution to Assmang.

Stefanutti Stocks Geotechnical will be responsible for the construction and installation of piled foundations and any lateral support that may be required, while Stefanutti Stocks Civils will undertake the construction of all reinforced concrete construction, including the construction of a slip-formed 25-m-high silo.

Additionally, Stefanutti Stocks Roads and Earthworks will undertake all of the earthworks, which include the construction of platforms, access roads and rail loop bulk earthworks.

The projects, which started last month, will be completed in the last quarter of 2014 (winder house) and the first quarter of 2015 (bulk earthworks, civils and piling) respectively.