DBT and its forebears (including Hemscheidt, Halbach & Braun, Westfalia and others) have operated near Sydney for over 30 years.

 

Following the acquisition of Long-Airdox in 2001, the German-owned group ended up with four NSW facilities: Rooty Hill head office, Argenton, Mount Thorley and Rathmines. Each of these operations have been sold in preparation for consolidation of all the company’s NSW operations at a new purpose-built facility at Beresfield.

 

“Beresfield provides significant improvements in overhead costs and efficiencies,” said DBT managing director Andrew Richmond.

 

The site, incorporating a 12,000 square metre workshop, will accommodate DBT’s customer service, longwall, diesel and development divisions.

 

Richmond said the site was chosen for ease of access to the growing Hunter Valley coal region and to allow DBT to be closer to its customer base, adding there were ten longwall projects either currently at the tender stage or undergoing feasibility studies in the Hunter Valley.

 

“We will leverage off and grow our relationships with local communities, with emphasis on training and development in the region,” he said.

 

The company plans to offer two university scholarships at Newcastle University in engineering disciplines.

 

DBT’s apprentice intake in 2004 in the Newcastle region was ten.