South African industrial services company John Thompson, part of the local ACTOM group, has announced that it is returning to the Australian market. It is doing so via a partnership between its Industrial Watertube Division and Australian company EDMS, which will reintroduce the South African concern’s specialist boiler support services, particularly for the sugar industry, but with new opportunities in the industrial and energy sectors, into a market that it exited in the early 2000s.

Despite the 20-odd year hiatus, many of the boilers installed by the company during its previous time in Australia are still operational. However, the specialist support they needed has now become limited.

“John Thompson is proud to be back in Australia,” affirmed John Thompson Industrial Watertube Boiler Business Unit business development manager Quintus Engelbrecht. “By working with EDMS, we are providing long-overdue access to the level of service and technical expertise our equipment requires.”

The business highlighted that the partnership had already produced results. In Queensland, engineers from John Thompson had undertaken an on-site investigation of a facility and had manufactured replacement furnace panels. Installation and final inspection would be handled by EDMS.

“There are very few boiler specialists left in Australia,” he explained. “With this partnership, we combine our engineering knowledge and equipment supply with EDMS’s strong local footprint. It’s a practical and scalable model for long-term client support.”

In addition to engineering expertise, specialised services and spares, the partnership has the potential to also provide remote monitoring and virtual diagnostics. These capabilities will increase plant efficiency and reliability.

Currently, the focus of the partnership is on the Australian sugar sector. But there is strong potential for boiler systems in other industries, including the power industry.

“Many Australian industries still rely on thermal energy, and their infrastructure needs expert support,” he noted. “We are ready to meet that need with proven solutions, through a trusted local partner.”

EDMS is an engineering, fabrication and site construction services group operating across a wide spectrum of industries – agriculture, defence, industrial, marine, renewable energy, resources, sugar and tourism.

“We’re excited to align with a partner that opens doors to smarter, more efficient energy solutions for the Australian industry,” said EDMS Australia MD Michael Hagen. “With John Thompson’s proven technology and our local delivery footprint, clients can expect real performance improvements.”