A new division, Bateman Enterprises, has been established in Bateman Project Holdings Limited (BATEMAN) to augment its Minerals & Metals, Oil, Gas & Water and Engineered Technologies activities.

The Enterprises Division is a response to the realisation that an increasing proportion of BATEMAN’s business is being derived from its unique blend of financial-facilitation and commercial skills developed in the past decade. These, when added to its more traditional suite of niche technologies and engineering and project-management competencies, offer the global natural-resource industries comprehensive and innovative solutions for the conversion of natural resources into marketable products.

This business strategy also relies strongly upon the recognition amongst the appropriate financial institutions worldwide that BATEMAN has a sound track record of bringing all the components of a project, from the raising of finance to commissioning, to a successful conclusion.

In combining these skills, and drawing upon its growing geo-cultural and geo-political experience, the Enterprises Division will be a major factor in achieving BATEMAN’s vision of being the world’s most successful solutions provider to the natural resource industries, by enabling its clients to convert wealth in the ground to wealth in the hand. This collective competence will further ensure BATEMAN’s ability to secure exciting new work and execute major projects professionally and safely, preferably on a lump-sum turnkey basis.

Facilitation of finance

Helping clients to finance projects has become a BATEMAN speciality which has helped win several large contracts, particularly in the developing world. Money may be sourced from export credit agencies, stock markets, international banks or development agencies and institutions. BATEMAN may also help secure off-take agreements for the product, which in turn may make funding the project easier.

In order to facilitate new projects, BATEMAN may also be prepared to take an equity position in certain prospects which may be held for a limited period based on specific circumstances.

Developing regions of the world

Growing environmental pressures and the depletion of more readily available and amenable resources have increasingly shifted attention to the developing regions of the world. Here business ventures face a daunting web of technical, financial, commercial, political, logistical and cultural difficulties. These regions do however contain huge reserves of untapped wealth, making it very rewarding to provide solutions to overcome such difficulties. Experience shows that BATEMAN’s success is directly proportional to the added value contained in the assistance that it is able to contribute to its clients’ efforts to unlock this wealth.

BATEMAN’s clients range from individual entrepreneurs and project developers to large sophisticated corporations and even governments. The services offered include studies to assess the feasibility of a proposal, assistance in sourcing project funding, ensuring the off- take agreements for the product are in place, providing or sourcing the appropriate technology and designing, engineering, procuring, manufacturing, supplying, installing, commissioning and even running the plant. While all these services are available, clients need only select those necessary to augment their own capabilities.

Evolutionary business strategy

The development of this new business approach has been essentially an evolutionary process, since BATEMAN has throughout its history actively expanded its services as its markets grew, first locally and then globally.

BATEMAN’s origin as a supplier to the natural resource industry may be traced back to the growing gold-mining industry in South Africa at the start of the 20th century. The company’s parent, Edward L. Bateman Limited, was registered in 1930 and supplied equipment to the South African gold mines. Over the years the services it provided evolved in scope and nature. The technical backup for equipment grew into undertaking projects for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of major process facilities and the company split into two subsidiaries, one which handled the equipment business and the other (BATEMAN) which essentially attended to the project work.

Geographically BATEMAN’s presence spread from South Africa northwards into Africa and, some 20 years ago, into the Americas, Middle East, Australasia and lately into the CIS. The range of natural resources grew too, from gold to diamonds, coal, uranium, platinum group and base metals and mineral sands. Following the involvement in the Mossgas project in RSA, projects on gas processing and compression, chemicals and fertilisers were undertaken. A suite of niche technologies has been established which covers not only processing, but materials handling and environmental control.

The range of services too has expanded, from technical support to technology, engineering and project management services and most recently also to commercial and financial skills, resulting in a comprehensive capability aimed at solving any problem which may be encountered in bringing a project to a successful realisation.

Geo-cultural awareness

F oreign work experience has also developed a geo-cultural awareness, not only enabling BATEMAN to work effectively and efficiently abroad, but paving the way for continued business arising from the confidence it generates globally amongst potential clients.

To date, BATEMAN has worked in at least 50 countries in the world. This has provided a wealth of experience to cope with conditions in remote and difficult places where the environment may be hazardous to man and machine, be it where day-time temperatures rise to -50 °C only, poor infrastructure requires helicopters for reliable transport, civil strife may erupt or where tropical diseases are prevalent.

Offices are established globally to provide the best service to clients in the region. Currently, BATEMAN operates on all five continents in the world, out of 12 offices staffed by citizens of the country in which the office is based. Although the company grows or shrinks its work force and operating establishments in various parts of the world in line with the ebb and flow of the demand for its skills and the quality of the business which can be generated, it nevertheless always ensures the protection and growth of its core competence.

More information may be obtained from Dr Stephen Meijers, Chief Executive, Bateman Minerals & Metals, on +27-11-899-2468 or email smeijers@batepro.co.za.

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