Contact HOME ABOUT US OUR SERVICES OUR TEAM CAREERS MEDIA TRACK RECORD ABOUT US About Us UMS Group (United Mining Services), has its origins in the South African mining sector but serves global mining and minerals processing clientele with turnkey solutions that stretch across the entire mining and associated infrastructure value chain from concept studies through to mine and process plant design, construction, commissioning, ramp-up and operation. Through its acquisition of METS (Mining Engineering Technical Services). and Shaft Sinkers, UMS Group gained industry expertise that spans more than six decades and incorporates the assets, resources and intellectual property of both companies.Our expert personnel include professional engineers (mining, mechanical, electrical, C&I, civil and structural), design engineers, project engineers and project managers, sinking specialists, project planners and schedulers, natural scientists (geology and rock mechanics) as well as experts in project control and procurement. The UMS Group differentiator lies in our ability to deliver a full turnkey service to our clients under a single roof for both new and existing projects. Through services of the Shaft Sinkers and METS brands, we are able to provide a seamless and integrated ability to execute projects cost effectively and without compromising quality. Although the Group has built its reputation through the mining sector, we can undertake any project requiring tunnelling expertise and construction of underground facilities. Due to our expertise in this field, our client base extends beyond the mining fraternity and includes the hydro, roads and tunnelling sectors. The addition of METS Projects to our stable enables us to broaden our turn-key service offerings to the minerals processing sector. OUR STRUCTURE UMS Group comprises the following: – UMS Limited (UK) – UMS NA (USA) – UMS Botswana Pty Ltd – METS International Limited (UK) – SHAFT SINKERS Mining Services Limited (Zambia) – UMS METS SA – UMS SHAFT SINKERS SA WHAT WE OFFER Through our companies, we are able to provide the full turnkey package of mining value chain solutions. – Studies (Concept to feasibility) (UMS METS) – Engineering and engineering management (UMS METS) – Capital infrastructure projects for new and existing mine projects (UMS SHAFT SINKERS) – Inspections, including shaft auditing, optimisation studies, refurbishment and rehabilitation, optimisation design and execution (UMS METS and UMS SHAFT SINKERS) – Contract mining (UMS SHAFT SINKERS) – New mine designs and developments, including shaft sinking systems, material handling & hoisting systems, structural and civil engineering (UMS METS) – Minerals processing and infrastructure design and execution packages (UMS METS) – Mine closures (UMS METS and UMS SHAFT SINKERS) – Consulting services, including 3rd party reviews and owner engineering team assistance (UMS METS) WHAT SETS US APART We understand our clients’ needs to gain rapid access to their resources as cost effectively as possible – due to high capital costs and shareholders’ expectation for the quickest return on investment. We focus on delivering scalable solutions that fit within our clients’ budgets. Although we are historically recognised for our service delivery on large-scale projects, our project appetite ranges from Tier 1 to Tier 4 customers in both the major and junior space. Throughout the UMS METS and UMS Shaft Sinkers histories, we have showcased our ability to apply innovative techniques to overcome challenges and deliver excellence across our full scope of services. Through everything and anything we do, safety lies at the core of our decision-making and execution processes. Our aim is to deliver safe mines from mine construction through to mining operations. Innovation lies at the heart of all UMS METS’ designs and this has seen it find cost effective, easy-to-implement solutions that resolve unexpected challenges for its clients. We have the capability to supply any client with production improvments improvement at an affordable cost. Through our shaft and mine audits we are capable of determining areas that will deliver the highest production improvement at the lowest cost to the clients. Using our library of knowledge we can identify bottlenecks and use inventive design to deliver real results. An example of our design innovation was around the design of a functional shaft steel repair system after a clients’ shaft was so badly damaged by a skips’ malfunction that production was potentially impacted for an indefinite period. Through design innovation the shaft could be restored to full production capacity within 3 weeks. Other key UMS METS design innovations included pioneering the deep pre-sink methodology, the mid-shaft loading system used during primary sinking, the rakerless headgear and the masterarch spilling system. This are just one of our many innovations for which the company has gained renown. UMS Shaft Sinkers for example co-pioneered mid-shaft development with UMS METS – a system which facilitates horizontal access to the ore body from the vertical shaft while primary shaft sinking is still in progress. We believe we boast multiple shaft sinking records and have through our project execution gained valuable experience and knowledge that enables us to perform all underground mine development using the best and most efficient techniques available. Over the years the company has been dedicated to improving mining safety performance and whilst improving productivity. Our most recent addition to UMS is the establishment of metallurgical process capabilities in our UMS METS division. We offer the full range of process plant design and engineering capabilities to the mining industry, and predominantly the junior sector. We have devised an innovative approach to new plant delivery which incorporates modular functionality. Through innovation we have taken the concept of modularity one step further than what is traditionally accepted in the modular space. Our concept incorporates pre-designed, flexible, manufactured off-site, containerised process plants which are easily assembled and disassembled. This allows for the plants to be easily removed and re-used, allowing our clients to retain their value. Innovation lies at the heart of all UMS METS’ designs and this has seen it find cost effective, easy-to-implement solutions that resolve unexpected challenges for its clients. We have the capability to supply any client with immediate results of improvement at an affordable cost. Through the completion of shaft and mine audits we are capable of determining areas that will deliver the highest production improvement at the lowest cost to the clients. Using our vast knowledge we can find bottlenecks and use inventive design to deliver real results easy and fast. UMS METS for examples designed and implemented new shaft infrastructure using a novel approach that saw it awarded a contract to regain access to an underground resource that was suffering massive production losses – in just a few weeks. UMS Shaft Sinkers for example pioneered mid-shaft development – a system which facilitates horizontal access to the ore body from the vertical shaft while primary shaft sinking is still in progress. This is just one of our many innovations for which the company has gained renown. We believe we boast multiple shaft sinking records and have through our project execution gained valuable experience and knowledge that enables us to perform all underground mine development using the best and most efficient techniques available. OUR BUSINESS PRINCIPLES Our business principles are the ethical base from which all employees of the Group and its subsidiaries conduct business relationships with all our stakeholders. As the UMS Group we understand the inter-dependency between us, the broader society and communities in which we operate and the impact our operations can have on the environment. We therefore undertake to always conduct ourselves with integrity, accountability and responsibility in all our business and project undertakings. The UMS Group subscribes to the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act. View our declaration here. The principles by which we conduct our business are: Integrity Social Responsibility We recognise that mining and associated projects often take place around marginalised communities and that these projects, if correctly executed, can have a significant positive impact on communities during and after the project is completed. Through our projects we try to achieve optimum economic involvement by local communities in a way that has real social and economic impact. We further will always take measures that minimise any detrimental environmental impact through our project execution. Duty of Care Partnering Forward Thinking CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The UMS Group recognizes the inter-dependency between our business needs and the needs of the communities and the environments in which we operate. To operate effectively as a business, we undertake to be a responsible corporate company in all our commercial and business dealings. In this regard we undertake to drive ethical business behaviors in all our undertakings. From our local South African projects to all our international projects we ensure that we fully understand and comply with the expectations of the clients’ project. This includes not only engineering compliance but compliance to all other socio-economic expectations that ensure project success. We recognise that mining and associated infrastructure projects often take place around communities who are economically marginalised and that the project itself, including the run of mine thereafter, must provide opportunities to local communities. Mining and infrastructure projects can have a significant impact on the communities where the project is undertaken. We understand that communities around a project have expectations in terms of direct job creation on the project as well as along the supply chain participation to the project. Through our Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the UMS Group and its subsidiaries undertake to improve the social and economic well-being of the people with whom we engage in our business, particularly in helping to alleviate some of the social and economic imbalances. However, focus will first and foremost be on uplifting the social and economic well-being of the communities in the areas where we undertake projects. As part of our corporate social responsibilities we further strive to provide a safe, healthy work environment for our people in our operations and will take reasonable care that operations do not unduly or negatively impact the environment. The Group approaches corporate responsibility without expecting any business and financial gain. Vertical shafts to date Incline & decline shafts Deepest single drop shaft sunk Widest diameter shaft sunk OUR KEY CLIENTS OUR FOCUS We service the mining and minerals industries through turnkey solutions that stretch across the entire mining and minerals processing value chain from concept studies through to mine and process plant design, construction, commissioning, ramp-up and operation. CONTACT US If you would like more information about the company, have any questions about the services we offer or require a quote on a project or service, please feel free to contact us. OUR CERTIFICATION © 2019 UMS Group. Website designed and maintained by seven56