DRILLING Boart Longyear is a worldwide provider of drilling services, drilling equipment and performance tooling for mining and drilling companies
This year marks an import-ant milestone for global mineral exploration company Boart Longyear, as it is celebrating its 125th anniversary. The company plans to use the Investing in African Mining Indaba, to be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 9 to 12, as a platform to celebrate this milestone by demonstrating its legacy in product innovation, says Boart Longyear product management and marketing director Monika Portman.
“We have operations across Africa through our drilling services division and we also remain a major provider of products for the region. The Mining Indaba attracts global representatives from our customer base and is a critical market event to attend,” she says.
The indaba also provides Boart Longyear with good insight into what is happening in the African mining industry at the beginning of the year, says Portman, adding that “Africa is a mineral-rich region that has a strong future in minerals exploration and Boart Longyear will continue to remain a part of it”.
The company looks forward to connecting with existing and future customers at the event and would like to leave a good impression with all attendees that demonstrates its long history and leadership in product innovation, she says.
Portman says the issues of training and safety need to be part of the overall agenda at the Mining Indaba. “The African mining industry needs a skilled local labour force,” she says, adding that, in addition to achieving the required produc-tivity, a skilled workforce will also result in fewer on-the-job accidents, as workers will adhere to correct safety procedures.
Portman tells Mining Weekly that the indaba will continue to be on Boart Longyear’s list of big industry shows to attend as long as the company has operations in Africa. “We always make sure that we invest in shows that our customers, current and future, attend.”