The acquisition of the Newcastle-headquartered SRO will create a business with combined estimated annual revenues of $75 million and more than 230 employees in strategic locations across Australia and in China.

SRO, which provides specialist electrical and mechanical services to the mining, power generation, energy, utilities, transport and oil and gas sectors, has been operating since 2005 with operations in Australia’s major mining centres and a manufacturing facility in China.

Recent major contracts the company has worked on include AGL Energy’s new gas storage facility at Newcastle and the Muswellbrook solar farm in NSW, the Cape Lambert rail and port expansion, Glencore’s Ravensworth coal handling plant, Anglo Coal’s Grosvenor/Moranbah CHPP upgrade, Whitehaven Coal’s controversial Maules Creek coal project, and work at the Port Waratah and Hay Point coal terminals.

Murray managing director Craig Lindsay-Rae said the acquisition of SRO was “a union of two like-minded companies that will deliver significant strategic benefits for its employees and its combined customer base”

“SRO is renowned leader for the design and manufacture of a full range of electrical products from electrical enclosures, motor control centres to fully integrated transportable switch rooms,” Lindsay-Rae said.

“SRO's expertise and professionalism provides Murray Engineering with electrical and mechanical opportunities on the eastern seaboard and enables a national support capability for the combined range of products and services from SRO and Murray Engineering,” he said.

SRO boss Troy Culley said the merged company would provide specialist electrical and mechanical manufacturing solutions across multiple locations.

“The consolidation will allow the group to provide strategic and sometimes unique services, manufacturing and execution options around core products and will position the group as the leading manufacturer of electrical products and services across Australia and provide significant value to our clients,” Culley said.

Murray has a state-of-art, purpose-built 5.5 hectare complex, including a 14,000sq.m undercover manufacturing facility, at its Pinjarra headquarters along with service centres at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, and Mt Isa in Queensland.

The company’s service and support offering to Australia’s eastern states will be further boosted by the addition of SRO Group’s 7500sq.m operations base in Newcastle which includes workshop and hardstand areas and a manufacturing facility in China.

“Our new business creates an expanded national mechanical and electrical engineering offering to the Australian resource sector at a time when the industry demands efficiency and is driven by cost-effectiveness,” Lindsay-Rae said.

Under the terms of the agreement the management of SRO remains unchanged.