Sinclair Knight Merz Expands into Brazil
17 June 2009
Global engineering, project delivery and sciences firm, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), is expanding into Brazil, providing engineering services to the world’s largest iron ore producer, Vale.
SKM personnel based in Perth, Brisbane and Santiago are providing services for the study and planning stages of Vale’s proposed expansion of iron ore operations in Brazil, working with Vale’s project team in Belo Horizonte.
The team has recently completed two feasibility studies, which follows the completion of a Value Engineering Study undertaken last year.
Ferrous Project Development General Manager for Vale, Jamil Sebe, said that SKM’s experience in Iron Ore Beneficiation Plants in the Pilbara, Western Australia, had provided exactly what Vale was seeking.
SKM’s General Manager, Mining and Metals, Santo Rizzuto, said that Vale had provided the impetus for SKM to expand into Brazil, following almost a decade of working in South America.
“In 1998 we started exploring opportunities in South America, working as sub-consultants on projects in Chile, Bolivia and Argentina,” Rizzuto said. “We realised the potential for mining work in the region, as part of our strategy to expand globally, across commodities and in areas where our clients were undertaking projects.”
The following year, SKM acquired the Chilean operations of International Mining Consultants (IMC Consultores), and in 2005, purchased Chilean engineering company Minmetal to become SKM Minmetal.
At that time, there were 400 staff in South America, with AUD $25 million in revenue.
“Over the past four years, we have established our Santiago office as our Global Centre of Capability in base metals and underground mining, providing skills to a range of clients and projects, not only in South America, but elsewhere around the world,” Rizzuto said.
“Today, we have more than doubled our revenue, we have registered an office in Lima, Peru, and are in the process of registering our business in Brazil.
“We have also expanded our service delivery to power, water and environment, as well as mining, and are providing the full suite of project delivery services, from studies and engineering, through to procurement, construction management and commissioning.”
Overall, SKM employs over 6,000 staff globally in more than 40 offices, providing services in Mining and Metals, Buildings and Infrastructure, Power and Industry and Water and Environment, with revenue of AUD$1 billion. The mining business accounts for a third of all staff and revenue.
“Our goal is to continue to expand our global business, to meet the needs of our major clients,” Rizzuto said.
“We aim to develop strategic partnerships with our clients, such as Vale, so that we can understand their business and deliver successful project outcomes, in the regions where they operate. Brazil is therefore a strategically important area for us, being the world’s largest exporter of iron ore, and the home of Vale.”
Company Background
Formed in 1964, SKM is an employee-owned company, with over 500 shareholders. In 2008, SKM was ranked 31st amongst the top 500 Private Companies in Australia, up from 48 on the previous year.
The SKM Mining and Metals offices are situated in Perth, Brisbane, Newcastle, Adelaide, Santiago (Chile), Yangzhou (China) and London, providing local application of global skills for client projects in those regions.
Clients include major mining houses such as Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Xstrata, Vale and Codelco, in commodities such as iron ore, coal, base metals, mineral sands and the aluminium chain.
http://www.skmconsulting.com/
For further information, contact:
Santo Rizzuto - General Manager - Mining and Metals
E-mail: srizzuto@skm.com.au
By Maria Whaley - Capability Marketing Manager (email: mwhaley@skm.com.au)
17 June 2009
Global engineering, project delivery and sciences firm, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), is expanding into Brazil, providing engineering services to the world’s largest iron ore producer, Vale.
SKM personnel based in Perth, Brisbane and Santiago are providing services for the study and planning stages of Vale’s proposed expansion of iron ore operations in Brazil, working with Vale’s project team in Belo Horizonte.
The team has recently completed two feasibility studies, which follows the completion of a Value Engineering Study undertaken last year.
Ferrous Project Development General Manager for Vale, Jamil Sebe, said that SKM’s experience in Iron Ore Beneficiation Plants in the Pilbara, Western Australia, had provided exactly what Vale was seeking.
SKM’s General Manager, Mining and Metals, Santo Rizzuto, said that Vale had provided the impetus for SKM to expand into Brazil, following almost a decade of working in South America.
“In 1998 we started exploring opportunities in South America, working as sub-consultants on projects in Chile, Bolivia and Argentina,” Rizzuto said. “We realised the potential for mining work in the region, as part of our strategy to expand globally, across commodities and in areas where our clients were undertaking projects.”
The following year, SKM acquired the Chilean operations of International Mining Consultants (IMC Consultores), and in 2005, purchased Chilean engineering company Minmetal to become SKM Minmetal.
At that time, there were 400 staff in South America, with AUD $25 million in revenue.
“Over the past four years, we have established our Santiago office as our Global Centre of Capability in base metals and underground mining, providing skills to a range of clients and projects, not only in South America, but elsewhere around the world,” Rizzuto said.
“Today, we have more than doubled our revenue, we have registered an office in Lima, Peru, and are in the process of registering our business in Brazil.
“We have also expanded our service delivery to power, water and environment, as well as mining, and are providing the full suite of project delivery services, from studies and engineering, through to procurement, construction management and commissioning.”
Overall, SKM employs over 6,000 staff globally in more than 40 offices, providing services in Mining and Metals, Buildings and Infrastructure, Power and Industry and Water and Environment, with revenue of AUD$1 billion. The mining business accounts for a third of all staff and revenue.
“Our goal is to continue to expand our global business, to meet the needs of our major clients,” Rizzuto said.
“We aim to develop strategic partnerships with our clients, such as Vale, so that we can understand their business and deliver successful project outcomes, in the regions where they operate. Brazil is therefore a strategically important area for us, being the world’s largest exporter of iron ore, and the home of Vale.”
Company Background
Formed in 1964, SKM is an employee-owned company, with over 500 shareholders. In 2008, SKM was ranked 31st amongst the top 500 Private Companies in Australia, up from 48 on the previous year.
The SKM Mining and Metals offices are situated in Perth, Brisbane, Newcastle, Adelaide, Santiago (Chile), Yangzhou (China) and London, providing local application of global skills for client projects in those regions.
Clients include major mining houses such as Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Xstrata, Vale and Codelco, in commodities such as iron ore, coal, base metals, mineral sands and the aluminium chain.
http://www.skmconsulting.com/
For further information, contact:
Santo Rizzuto - General Manager - Mining and Metals
E-mail: srizzuto@skm.com.au
By Maria Whaley - Capability Marketing Manager (email: mwhaley@skm.com.au)
