DDH1 Holdings says it has acquired Ranger Drilling as it looks to grow the Australia iron ore RC drilling specialist’s business.
DDH1 Holdings now consists of three drilling businesses, namely DDH1 Drilling, Strike Drilling and Ranger Drilling.
Ranger was established in 2005 by Matt and Julie Izett and specialises in providing reverse Circulation (RC) drilling services to customers operating in the Western Australian iron ore market.
DDH1 Chief Executive Officer, Sy van Dyk, said: “Ranger will continue operating as a separate company, under the same management from the same premises. DDH1’s intention is to continue to grow the Ranger brand, while preserving their culture of leadership, productivity, innovation and safety. These are the qualities that attracted our investment in Ranger and we want to ensure it is protected and fostered going forward.”
Ranger’s Managing Director, Matt Izett, said: “DDH1 is a natural partner for Ranger to further our growth ambitions by providing additional capital to the business in a cost-effective and disciplined manner. I look forward to continue leading and growing the business Julie and I founded in 2005 and to deliver superior drilling solutions to our loyal customer base, whilst contributing at a senior level to the wider group’s operations”.
DDH1 Drilling, Strike Drilling and Ranger’s capabilities are highly complementary, DDH1 said, and the combination of the businesses provides the opportunity to offer clients the full suite of drilling services required across the resource life cycle, from discovering new deposits to extending existing mine lives. “The group’s drill rig fleet is modern, standardised and highly productive,” the company said.
DDH1 Managing Director, Murray Pollock, said: “DDH1 and Ranger have worked together on a shared contract basis, during which time we have observed Ranger’s premium customer service offering, the productivity gains delivered by their modern fleet and quality management team led by Matt Izett. Together, we are committed to being the drilling contractor and employer of choice in the Australian drilling industry.
“The group now has 84 Tier One drill rigs and employs over 700 staff to provide our customers with end-to-end drilling solutions. I am also pleased that as part of the transaction Matt and Julie Izett will become significant shareholders in DDH1 Holdings and we look forward to working with them.”