The Netherlands: ROHR, an Ellicott Dredge Enterprises LLC Unit, Acquires IDRECO

Ellicott Dredge Enterprises (EDE) has announced that its subsidiary Rohr International Dredge Holdings, Inc. acquired the principle business assets of IDRECO GmbH , including its current backlog, inventory and all associated intellectual property (IPR), on June 29, 2012.

IDRECO, which is based in Heerenberg, the Netherlands, approximately 100 km from Amsterdam, will continue to remain there and operate as a newly formed subsidiary of Rohr International Dredge Holdings, Inc. named IDRECO B.V. ROHR has operations in Mannheim, Germany and Wisconsin, USA.

IDRECO is a leader in deep digging electrical suction and cutter suction dredges serving primarily the sand and gravel and mining sectors, especially in Europe. In addition, IDRECO has all the patterns and IPR related to the well-known Bageema dredge and pump line, associated with almost 100 delivered units. ROHR/IDRECO will continue to support those installations with parts, service, and inventory.

Wim Snippe will remain as IDRECO’s Managing Director together with Joachim Seitner as Vice President of Sales and their entire management team.

“IDRECO will complement ROHR’S bucketladder and clamshell dredge mechanical/hydraulic excavating technology, cementing our position as the lowest cost per ton producer for deep digging dredging for the sand and gravel and mining industries” said ROHR’S Managing Director Heiko Osterchrist. Osterchrist added that ROHR/IDRECO intends to offer this additional technical option for executing mining dredging requirements to its customers not only in Europe, but globally as well.

EDE’s President Peter Bowe said, “Having IDRECO as part of the EDE group will increase our footprint in the European market place, as well as fulfill our continuing corporate pursuit of new dredging technology solutions for all our customers worldwide.”

Wim Snippe of IDRECO said, “We are very excited about being part of ROHR Dredge and the Ellicott family. The combination will allow us the opportunity to introduce our dredges through the Ellicott/ROHR network.” IDRECO’s latest energy-efficient sand dredgers use IDRECO ‘s highly efficient pumps and dredger control systems such as the IDRECO-designed ‘Dredgercontrol’ intelligent system for automatic guidance and illustrate IDRECO’s forward-thinking approach.

With Snippe’s many years of experience as a sand and gravel plant operator and owner, IDRECO will continue to approach dredge design from an operator’s perspective. For example, IDRECO now uses air shocks to minimize vibration and noise in the operator’s cab. IDRECO dredges can be delivered in standard container size to minimize freight and reduce site assembly costs.

The major trends in sand and gravel mining are accommodating deeper digging, lowering operating costs per ton, especially via electric power, and achieving more environmentally-friendly excavation methods. IDRECO and ROHR dredges are all electric-driven, and assist sand and gravel miners in realizing their objectives consistent with these major trends.

NEW IDRECO and ROHR DREDGE ORDERS ANNOUNCED

Wissel Sand and Gravel has just placed an order with IDRECO for a dredge with 24 m (80 ft) digging depth, 350 mm (14 in) pipe size, and rated at 600 TPH. IDRECO has recently delivered several new orders including two suction dredges for sand and gravel operation in Europe: a 32 m (100+ ft) digging depth dredger, with 250 mm (10 in) pipe size for Philipp & Co. Sand and Gravel company KG, and a 32 m (100+ ft) digging depth dredger with pipe size of 300 mm (12 in) for Wolfgang Rohr GmbH.

ROHR has just last week closed on an order for a Floating Bucket Ladder Model KS 225 dredger for a new sand and gravel customer in France.

MORE ABOUT ELLICOTT DREDGE ENTERPRISES, LLC

Ellicott is the world leader in the portable dredge design and manufacturing industry, having built over 2,000 dredges over the last century and a quarter for clients in over 100 countries.

Ellicott, which built all of the dredges used in the original construction of the Panama Canal, is now owned by Markel Corporation , a multibillion dollar financial holding company (NYSE: MKL) focused on building businesses over the long term. Ellicott has taken the necessary steps to preserve and continue this legacy. IDRECO has now become another integral part in Ellicott’s strategy to provide its customers a solution for any and all dredging needs.

Together with its other brands and dredge models, Ellicott serves every important niche in the sand and gravel and mining markets. For example, Ellicott Dragon® dredges are the global leader in hull pump dredges, and diesel dredges, and IMS self-propelled auger dredges are effective in easy-to-mine lower output, shallow mining situations.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, July 3, 2012; Image: dredge