Experse has announced that it will be opening a new Scandinavian office in Örebro, Sweden. Providing a range of polymeric emulsifiers for mining explosives, the office will be headed by Bengt Folkesson, who has joined the company from EPC Nordic where he was Production and Safety Director. With 36 years’ experience in the mining explosives industry, Bengt’s knowledge of emulsion explosives is well-recognised, encompassing both production and field applications.

“It is an exciting time for our business,” says Clive Dawkins, Experse’s Business Manager. “We are delighted to welcome Bengt to the team, as Scandinavia represents the largest emulsion explosives market in Europe.” A subsidiary of mining explosives giant AECI, which also owns AEL Mining Services, Experse was until recently known as Lake International Technologies, but has now adopted the name of its key product range. Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, it has offices in Europe, South America, Australia and China.

The company is known for innovative solutions for the emulsion explosives industry, and places great emphasis on its customised approach and patented emulsifier technologies. Experse’s unique technology allows customers to use waste oil in their emulsion explosives, cutting costs and logistics demands; it has developed super concentrated, thickening and ultra-low temperature products to solve specific explosives problems around the world. Experse also manufactures coating agents for fertilisers and chemicals used in industrial processes.

AECI’s revenue in 2013 totalled ZAR15.9 billion Rand (£916 million or $1.4 billion), a 15% increase on the previous year. Foreign revenues grew 20%, to one-third of total revenues.