Queensland Exporter of the Year wins at Australian Export Awards

Queensland Exporter of the Year, Xstrata Technology, has also taken out the 2008 Australian Export Award in the Large Services category at an awards ceremony held in Melbourne last night.

Minister for Trade John Mickel today congratulated Xstrata Technology and said the company, along with other Queensland winners at the State and National Awards, was providing an excellent example for Queensland businesses, contributing valuable overseas capital to the local economy.

Mr Mickel said that Xstrata Technology had performed extremely well, standing out above all other 2008 State and Territory award recipients from around the country to win the national Large Services award.

“With the world in the grip of an economic downturn, exporting becomes even more important for Queensland as a means of contributing to the State’s economy, creating jobs and enabling businesses to bring in the income required to ride out the storm,” Mr Mickel said.

“I congratulate Xstrata Technology on the company’s win at the Australian Export Awards to back its previous top level successes at the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards in October, and I wish the enterprise a strong exporting future,” he said.

Xstrata Technology provides comprehensive, tailored solutions including integrated process and equipment design, detailed engineering, equipment supply, operator training, commissioning assistance, spare parts supply and ongoing process and maintenance support to markets around the world.

“Our company is responsible for the technology supporting more than a third of the world’s refined copper and more than eight million tonnes of copper concentrate smelting capacity,” said Xstrata Technology CEO, Joe Pease.

“We export our technology around the world, to minesites, copper and lead smelters, as well as copper refineries, with major export markets including China, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Chile and Peru to name a few.

“Our continued exporting success has seen a 40 per cent increase in full time employment over the past year, and much of the credit for our export and business success must go to our team of multidisciplinary employees who support the technologies and who have worked with the technology in real plants internationally," Mr Pease said.

Xstrata Technology’s current projects including copper refineries in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Bulgaria, copper smelters in Peru and Kazakhstan, and milling projects in South Africa, Mexico and Alaska (USA). More than ninety per cent of the company’s revenue is derived from exporting its technology and services.

Media contact: 3237 1944

6 December 2008