For the first time in 130 years, FLSmidth, the Denmark based supplier of equipment and services to the global minerals and cement industries, has promoted a non-Dane to its executive leadership team. Peter Flanagan has been selected to serve as a member of Group Executive Management, and as executive vice president of FLSmidth’s newly formed Non-Ferrous Division, which provides advanced minerals processing technologies, systems and solutions to the global mining industry. Flanagan, who is originally from Greenwich, Connecticut, has worked in the mining and minerals processing industry for more than 25 years. Formerly, he led FLSmidth’s mining activities in the Americas.

The move reflects the increasing relative importance of the global mining industry within the overall FLSmidth group – the Minerals group has grown to the extent that is has now been divided into Bulk Materials (notably coal, iron ore and fertilisers) and Non-Ferrous (non-ferrous metals such as copper and gold). In 2011, Minerals accounted for 52% of revenue versus the traditional market, Cement (including fibre cement), which accounted for 25%, the remainder being accounted for by Customer Services. FLSmidth itself in the 2011 annual report comments: “The market conditions for minerals equipment and services were favourable in 2011 despite great global macroeconomic uncertainty during the year. This reflects the fact that the minerals market continues to grow due to societal changes in the developing countries where the growing middle class is boosting demand for infrastructure and consumer goods based on minerals and metals. Meanwhile, the supply of minerals is limited by the lack of investments by the mining industry in previous years…demand for equipment and services in the cement industry was relatively weak in 2011 due to the hard-pressed economies in the Western world, unrest in North Africa and a temporary growth pause in India. On the other hand, a positive trend was seen in demand from particularly Russia, Central Africa and South America.

Peter Flanagan takes the reins of FLSmidth Non-Ferrous, the largest of the four new divisions (along with Bulk Materials, Cement and Customer Services) with an order intake of more than $1.8 billion booked in 2011. “Promoting Peter to this executive management position is part of our new global strategy and will significantly strengthen our group structure,” said Jorgen Huno Rasmussen, Group CEO. “We look forward to his contributions leading the new division and working with us on the executive level.” As the division head, he will work out of the FLSmidth minerals technology centre headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. He will oversee the work of 2,800 employees in more than 20 countries on six continents. Flanagan is a mechanical engineering “FLSmidth has great people and great technologies. We’re experiencing tremendous growth as we deploy these key assets into industry leading production systems and full life cycle support for miners and minerals processers,” said Flanagan. “I’m excited to be a part of this talented team, and look forward to the ongoing opportunity to be our customers’ one source to unlock their mineral resources sustainably.”