Coal mining groups Joy Mining Machinery and JH Fletcher & Co are have announced the signing of an exclusive distribution and authorised service provider agreement. The agreement gives Joy the right to market, sell and service all Fletcher products to coal mines, as well as hard rock and industrial mineral mines that use Joy cutting products. The agreement is effective immediately and covers all locations worldwide with the exception of North America, Australia and Norway where Fletcher will continue to market, sell and service its products as it has in the past, and coal mines in Poland where Joy’s rights will not be exclusive.

Fletcher offers a full range of high, medium and low seam mobile bolters and mobile roof supports with other underground coal mining equipment that includes pan line mounted bolters, degasification and exploratory long hole drills, diesel prime movers, face drill jumbos, and beam setters. Joy will continue to manufacture, market, sell and service its existing line of mobile bolting products such as the Ramtrak, Quadbolter and Multibolter to customers in Australia and to Joy’s existing mobile roof bolting customers in other countries.

Joy believes that this distribution agreement will allow it to provide “a broader mining system solution for the mine of the future.” In addition to cutting, haulage, crushing and conveying solutions, Joy can now offer a complete line of bolting solutions for all applications from low to high seams. Also Joy will now be able to offer full maintenance contracts for complete sets of equipment including both Joy underground mining machinery and Fletcher bolters in mechanised room and pillar sections. Jez Leeming, Joy’s Global Product Director for Bolter Miners and Bolters said, “Fletcher’s mobile roof bolters are a welcome and complementary addition to Joy’s existing product line allowing Joy to offer customers a broad line of bolting solutions including mobile roof bolters for low seam applications under 1.8 m.” Greg Hinshaw, Fletcher President and COO said, “Fletcher is excited about the distribution agreement with Joy Mining Machinery. Joy’s industry leading global network of company direct-to-customer sales and service locations will be beneficial to our existing customers and expand Fletcher’s international presence.”