:: Bateman Engineering signs strategic agreement with Chinese manufacturer

Bateman Engineered Technologies, a division of Bateman Engineering N.V., and CITIC Heavy Machinery ("CITIC") have entered into a formal agreement through which Bateman Engineered Technologies will have the exclusive licence to market CITIC's leading range of mills and tube mills in Southern Africa.

Established in 1956, CITIC is one of the largest heavy machinery manufacturers in the People's Republic of China, with its major business being to supply complete mechanical and automatic control equipment to a range of industries such as the mining, construction materials, metallurgy, non-ferrous metal, power generating, chemical and environmental protection industries. Capable of producing steel castings as heavy as 200t in one single piece, its products are marketed globally.

The agreement was facilitated by The Beijing Axis (TBA), with which Bateman Engineered Technologies has an agreement in terms of which TBA will provide specialised services.

TBA operates as a business bridge between China and Africa, providing strategic business advice, operational support and trade solutions to organisations with an Africa-China agenda. It maintains offices and a business infrastructure in Beijing, and will assist Bateman Engineered Technologies by facilitating the importing of comminution and materials handling equipment, water pumps, grinding mills and other applicable equipment and technology for distribution in Africa and Bateman Engineering projects globally. Besides CITIC, a number of potential partnering companies have already been identified for these purposes.

TBA will also facilitate the exporting, by Bateman Engineered Technologies, of system engineering services related to bulk materials handling and other applicable equipment and technology to China. Furthermore, it has agreed to develop opportunities for Bateman Engineered Technologies to meet suitable potential partners to build, and / or own and operate process plants in China and to assist it with general marketing activities in China.

Commenting on the agreements with CITIC and TBA, Arnold Matthee, Managing Director of Bateman Engineered Technologies, said: "These agreements are an important step forward in further cementing our relationship with the Chinese market, which we see as a strategically important element of our globalisation initiative."