Firm that helped in rescue of miners buys Canada operation

The Yorkshire firm which helped to save their lives has secured a multi-million dollar acquisition.

MDL, which designs and develops robotic laser surveying and mapping technology, has bought Thomas Engineering (TEC), which is based in Ottawa, Canada, as part of its strategy to create a global laser measurement firm.

York-based MDL creates robotic surveying equipment which can help to rescue miners trapped underground.

MDL’s robots were used in 2010, to help rescuers who were trying to reach miners who were stuck inside the crumbling San Jose gold and copper mine in northern Chile.

All of the miners were lifted to the surface safely, after spending two months underground.

Steve Ball, the chairman of MDL, said yesterday: “We played a role in helping to save the Chilean miners. We used robotic equipment to survey the area and find safe places where the drilling operation could take place.

“We survey areas that are too dangerous to put people. These robots go where people don’t want to.”

The acquisition enables MDL and TEC to launch a new business, MDL Canada, which will focus on sales and service to the fast-growing Canadian mining, quarrying and surveying industry.

MDL mining and quarrying industry products are already widely used in Canada.

TEC, which was established in 1993 by its founder and president, Cameron Thomas, has built up a multi-million dollar business with 12 staff, by providing services using MDL laser systems to customers in aggregates, cement and industrial businesses.

These customers include heavyweights such as Lafarge, Holcim, Miller Group, US Steel and many others. The company has also provided MDL equipment and after-sales services to many uranium, gold, nickel, and zinc mining operations throughout Canada including Goldcorp, Vale, Xstrata and Cameco.

MDL founder and chairman Mr Ball said: “The global laser surveying industry is set to grow by 50 per cent in the next two years. This will certainly be reflected in Canada where there are vast resource developments and very few people to do this specialist work.

“Our developments in robotic surveying are having a profound effect on how surveying operations are conducted, especially in the dangerous and environmentally-complex field of mining. MDL is growing because our equipment saves lives as well as valuable time and money and substantially reduces the risks in conducting essential underground measurement operations.

“MDL is doubling in size every two years in spite of the tough economic climate and we now aim to double turnover at MDL Canada in the next year and create many new jobs as we grow the business across western Canada and into other industrial sectors as part of our global expansion and consolidation.”

MDL will see its staff numbers grow from 65 to around 100 after completing this deal.

Full year turnover is also expected to rise from £12m to £20m.

Mr Ball added: “In a boom time, people won’t think about trying to do things in a different way. In a recession, our business has taken off.”

MDL growing its global presence

MDL, which last year acquired a 100 per cent holding in Melbourne-based MDL (Australia) Pty from mining and construction services business Jeminex Pty, has also developed a presence in Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Russia and China. The company has two divisions: sensors, which designs and manufactures generic time-of-flight laser distance meters and systems, which designs and manufactures robotic laser-based positioning and 3D scanning products.