world news
US-based farm and construction company Deere & Co. has signed an
agreement to purchase privately held German road construction company Wirtgen
Group for USD5.2-billion. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval in
several jurisdictions, and the companies expect to close on the transaction in the
fourth quarter of 2017. The Wirtgen Group is an internationally operating group of
companies in the construction machinery sector, including road construction and
rehabilitation, mining and mineral processing plants, recycling material plants,
and asphalt production. According to the terms of the agreement, Deere plans to
maintain the Wirtgen Group’s existing brands, management, manufacturing footprint,
employees, and distribution network. The combined business is expected to benefit
from sharing best practices in distribution, manufacturing, and technology, as well as
in scale and efficiency of operations.
Turkish pipeline contractor FERNAS Construction is employing PL4809D rotating
pipelayers from Volvo Construction Equipment on the Trans Anatolian
Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), to bring Caspian gas from Azerbaijan through Turkey and
onwards to Europe. TANAP will connect with the expanded South Caucasus Pipeline
and transport gas over a distance of 1 850km to Turkey’s western border with the
EU. From there, gas will enter the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), crossing Greece and
Albania before linking to the Italian natural gas network. The three pipelines form the
main arteries of the Southern Gas Corridor. The PL4809D’s massive 102-tonne tipping
capacity with its additional counterweight ensures that pipe size and weight is not an
issue. The development of the world’s longest ongoing pipeline will improve security
of both Turkish and south-east European energy supply and will enable Azerbaijan to
diversify its gas export market.
Atlas Copco to acquire Swedish mining intelligence business
Atlas Copco will acquire 34% of
Swedish Mobilaris MCE, whose
software solutions are used for
underground mining, tunnelling,
and other civil engineering areas
to offer situational awareness,
real-time positioning, and
detailed status information
on vehicles, equipment, and
Mobilaris software used in mine.
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AUGUST 2017
personnel via sophisticated 3-D
user interface. The business has
about 20 employees and had
revenues in 2016 of roughly
USD3.5-million.
“The innovative team at
Mobilaris will play a key role as
Atlas Copco further advances
its digital and automation
solutions, providing mining
and civil engineering customers
with increased safety, enhanced
operational excellence, and
improved productivity,” said
Helena Hedblom, president of
Atlas Copco’s Mining and Rock
Excavation Technique business
area. “This is the future in mining.”
The acquisition is expected to
be completed in the beginning
of the third quarter 2017. The
purchase price is not material
relative to Atlas Copco’s market
capitalisation and is not disclosed.
Mobilaris MCE will operate as a
separate company partly owned
by Atlas Copco.