Ron Bonomo, managing director of DSI-Arnall and Asia Pacific regional chief executive of DSI, said the investment would be aimed at increasing the company’s productivity and product quality. It would send a clear message to the Australian mining industry, in particular, of the company’s commitment, reliability and quality. No further details of the investment program were provided.

“We are here for the long term,” Bonomo said. “We are thoroughly committed to Arnall and its customers. Existing customers can be assured of the company’s continuing reliability as a supplier, strengthened technical support and problem solving capabilities — all provided competitively and with DSI-Arnall quality.”

DSI parent Dyckerhoff & Widmann AG is one of Germany’s largest construction companies, with DSI formed in 1979 to co-ordinate the group’s international licensee businesses. There are now more than 50 of these. DSI’s main activities encompass geotechnical, post-tensioning and reinforcement systems, and construction methods and systems.

Bonomo said DSI bought Arnall from Smorgon Group last year because its product range was a “good fit” and provided synergies to extend DSI’s geotechnical systems business.

“Put simply, Arnall is very good at developing and producing high volume, relatively low-capacity anchors, where DSI is very good at low volume, high-capacity anchors which are very robust anchors for specialised tasks,” he said.

“This provides us both with an extended range and opens up opportunities for Arnall to extend its technical support and problem-solving capabilities. Arnall is a respected and reliable supplier to the Australian mining industry (and) DSI has a worldwide reputation for custom engineered products and solutions for unique problems, which can range from storage tanks and stabilisation of haul roads to more complex projects.

“When a unique problem occurs a mine operator will know that Arnall Mining Products can call up the total capability of DSI worldwide to provide a cost-effective solution.”

DSI has shifted its Asia Pacific headquarters from Hong Kong to Arnall’s head office at Benetts Green, near Newcastle, in New South Wales. Other DSI businesses Bonomo is responsible for are located in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. He is a member of DSI’s five-person managing board, which includes the company’s chief executive officer/chairman, chief financial officer, and CEOs for the group’s activities in Europe and the Americas.