Profile

AECI is a specialty product and services Group of companies which provides value-adding solutions to customers through science, technology and industry knowledge. The focus is on serving the mining and manufacturing sectors. The Group has substantially completed a R2 billion strategic capital investment programme to enhance its future growth in these areas, with particular emphasis on mining chemicals.

AECI’s core businesses serve global and regional markets. The businesses are characterised by application know-how and service delivery, operate in niche markets, and are supported by leading international technology alliances.

The Company’s businesses include AEL Mining Services (AEL), a cluster of specialty chemicals business units, Heartland and SANS Technical Fibers.

AEL is a developer, producer and supplier of commercial explosives, initiating systems and blasting services for the mining, quarrying and construction sectors in Africa and further afield, particularly Indonesia. The business has a presence in 23 countries. It is well established across the African continent and, in line with its international strategy, it has moved successfully into South East Asia. AEL’s excellent technology and product positions in initiating systems and bulk explosives have enabled it to enter into mutually beneficial channel partnerships with leading regional explosives players in Europe and in Latin America. AEL’s largest site is at Modderfontein, Johannesburg, Gauteng.

In the specialty chemicals cluster, 18 business units supply specialty chemical raw materials and related services for industrial use across a broad spectrum of customers in the manufacturing and mining sectors in South Africa and Southern Africa.

Sales, distribution, production and laboratory facilities are extensive. The cluster has major sites in Johannesburg and Durban, with a number of smaller operations country-wide.

The Group’s mining chemicals thrust is anchored in Senmin, part of the specialty chemicals cluster. Senmin operates at Sasolburg in the Free State.

In addition to its core businesses, the Group has a valuable land asset, the release of which is managed carefully. The property activities are managed by Heartland and this company seeks to optimise the value of the property holdings surplus to AECI’s operational requirements by selling land and by selectively investing in revenue-producing buildings in order to grow an existing portfolio of rental properties.

The land holdings are significant and are located in prime locations near Johannesburg and Cape Town. More than 3 000 hectares of excess land are available for redevelopment over the next 25 years for residential, commercial and industrial end uses and for leasing purposes.

SANS Technical Fibers, in the USA, is the Group’s fourth business. It manufactures and markets a range of high performance, specialty nylon industrial fibres for niche market applications in the USA, Asia and Europe.

AECI has a total employee complement of 6 800, many of whom are engaged in the Group’s extensive sales, technical service and distribution networks.

The Company is domiciled in South Africa and is listed on the JSE Limited. At 31 December 2010, its market capitalisation was R9,8 billion.