Under the deal, Becker Wholesale Mine Supply will have the ability to private label the entire NLT Digital product line including wireless, fiber and portable access points, remote process control, cap-lamp based tracking, and text and voice communication devices and tracking tags.

“This fills a big gap in our product line,” BWMS president Bill Hensler said.

“We can now offer add-on ‘hot spots’ to customers that have our leaky feeder solution as well as complete portal-to-face network IP solutions to the rest of the market. It's a perfect product for new mines that are just being developed.”

NLT said one major benefit to the deal is that it will gain a sales, marketing and support team across the US for the entire NLT Digital line.

“This gives us the focused access to the US market that we have lacked,” NLT president Heidi Levitt said.

“The rest of the world is embracing NL Digital, and now US mines will have the same opportunity.”

Another advantage, she added, is that BWMS has a focus strictly on mine communications.

“These products will prove themselves, and with the BWMS support network, mining customers can assure themselves of a quality network solution with local support and service,” she said.

Last month, NL Technologies announced that its Polaris cordless cap lamp, which received MSHA approval in June, had received the green light for use in Pennsylvania coal operations from the state’s Department of Environmental Protection and Bureau of Mine Safety.

Under the Pennsylvania Bituminous Mine Act, the Polaris can be used in any of the state’s bituminous underground coal operations.