Mining and industrial machinery developer Komatsu announced in December that it has entered into an agreement to acquire underground mining, tunnelling and special civil engineering equipment manufacturer GHH Group, which is headquartered in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. 

Founded in the 1960s and currently part of the German-owned industrial solutions provider Schmidt Kranz Group, GHH offers a range of equipment focused on load, haul, dump (LHD) machines as well as articulated dump trucks in the mid-seam mass mining, narrow vein and low-profile market segments.

The company also assists customers with aftermarket parts and service support through the entire life of each machine.

With this acquisition, Komatsu will add GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets, in addition to its robust product offerings and talented staff. 

“We are very excited about this acquisition as it represents a great opportunity for Komatsu to expand its offerings for underground mining equipment and accelerate new product development through synergies with Komatsu’s existing team and product offerings,” says Komatsu Mining Corp president and CEO Peter Salditt.

“By adding GHH’s factories and rebuild facilities in key markets in Europe, South Africa, India and Chile, we will also aim to strengthen production and service capabilities for our customers,” he adds. 

Komatsu intends to continue the superior service GHH provides and plans to support business as usual post-acquisition.

The combined team will then work together to expand Komatsu’s offering for underground mining equipment and increase customer access to products in new territories. 

“GHH is excited to be able to start a new journey with a strong player in the mining world. This opens huge doors for our people and our products to develop further and grow beyond what we could have hoped for,” says GHH Group CEO Dr Jan Petzold.

“This is the next logical step in becoming a true global player and we look forward to becoming part of the Komatsu family,” he adds.  

The official close of the acquisition is projected for the first half of 2023.  

According to the company’s ongoing mid-term management plan “DANTOTSU Value - Together, to ‘The Next’ for sustainable growth”, Komatsu is working to expand offerings for underground hard-rock mining.

This will, therefore, create new value for clients with the development of new equipment, processes and technologies that will help operations step forward to the next stage for the workplace of the future and provide a more sustainable environment for the next generation.