SLR bolsters APAC mining and minerals business with NRC buy

Posted by Daniel Gleeson on 7th December 2018

Environmental and advisory solutions firm SLR has acquired Northern Resource Consultants (NRC), a 25-person team of environmental specialists based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

NRC will bring considerable additional capability and geographic coverage to SLR’s existing Asia-Pacific (APAC) business, particularly in relation to its focus on the mining and minerals sector, SLR said.

NRC’s services include environmental approvals, compliance, hydrogeology, hydrology, hydro-geochemistry, soils, environmental monitoring, ecology and mine closure and rehabilitation.

SLR’s APAC business, led by Paul Gardiner, will now be 260 strong with 12 offices across Australia and New Zealand. Marty Costello, NRC’s Director and Principal Environmental Scientist, will join the SLR APAC management team and take on the role of APAC Regional Sector Leader for Mining & Minerals.

Neil Penhall, SLR’s Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to bring NRC’s capabilities into SLR. I am sure Marty and the team will strengthen SLR’s position in the mining sector and bring significant additional value to our business.

“Our business in APAC has grown strongly in 2018 and NRC will only add further to that. This is also the first acquisition we have made since Charterhouse Capital Partners came on board as our external investment partner earlier in the year, so is an important first step in progressing our growth plans in the coming few years.”

Marty Costello, NRC’s Director, added: “We are looking forward to joining the SLR team and adding NRC’s talents to the business. We all recognised very quickly how well the two businesses fit together in terms of culture, clients and capabilities, so I am confident our combined future is bright.

“The extensive range of services SLR already provide in APAC will benefit our clients and I am equally excited by what we can bring to SLR’s existing clients.”

SLR provides professional services to the mining, minerals and extractive industries, with its team having been involved in projects covering a diverse range of minerals. Some of its clients include Glencore, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP Billiton, Newmont Gold, Wolf Minerals, Sibanye-Stillwater, Resolute (Carpenteria Gold), Whitehaven and New Hope Group.