The company has just opened a new facility to manufacture, repair and engineer its cap lamp and underground digital systems locally, thus providing better support to end users.

NLT has enjoyed a 20% growth rate per annum since 2000, fuelled by strong sales to the US and European mining markets, and the addition of the Australian operation has further enhanced this growth.

“Due to the rapid growth of our new digital product line and the ever-evolving revolutionary GII Caplamp, there was a real need to have better direct contact with our customers,” said NLT Australia managing director Tim Haight.

Haight said recent events in the US had highlighted the need for better underground coverage for communications and tracking of personnel. US federal body Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is investigating the use of wireless communication systems in the wake of the Sago disaster in January.

The NLT digital products utilise the company workhorse GII Caplamp (Exia approved) as a linchpin to its communications platform.

Haight said new or existing fibre optics and Wireless Ethernet provided the backbone for all of NLT’s digital products, including two-way messaging, tracking of personnel and equipment, environmental, roof and gas monitoring, VoIP and more.

“Recently NLT Australia has added a strong partner, Minetec, to our distribution network to support the west side of Australia while NLTA will handle the rest direct out of our Brisbane facility,” Haight added.

Perth-based Minetec will stock and support NLT products from the head and regional offices while partnering with NLT Australia on communications solutions.