Ausdrill Ltd has advised that it will exit its DT HiLoad Australia Pty Ltd truck tray manufacturing business with effect from March 31 2016. Ausdrill Managing Director Ron Sayers said the decision aligns with the Company’s strategy to divest non-core and underperforming assets. “DT HiLoad is a volume-driven business which relies heavily on mining equipment utilisation and sales. It has been a very strong performing business when activity levels have been high,” Sayers said. The company’s flagship product is the Hercules tray for surface trucks but has also recently entered the underground market with the Bullant truck body which has been tested at a mine in the Northern Territory on an Atlas Copco MT6020.

He added: “However, as the mining sector slows, there are potential strategic benefits and cost efficiencies in effecting a rationalisation of assets between industry participants. Consequently, we have made the decision to exit this non-core business. DT HiLoad was acquired as part of the Brandrill acquisition and is not material to the Ausdrill Group as a whole.” Ausdrill is currently in negotiations with a number of parties who have expressed an interest in purchasing the assets of the DT HiLoad business. The sale does not affect Desarrollos Tecnológicos SA (DT HiLoad SA), based in Chile, which also produces similar but distinct designs for the South American market.