Yorkshire firm expands into South America with $2.5bn Chilean mining project

A firm in Yorkshire has secured an order to supply its product as part of a multi-billion dollar copper mine expansion in South America.

Ellis Patents has landed a contract to supply cable cleats as part of the $2.5bn expansion of BHP’s Spence copper mine in Chile’s Atacama desert.

The Rillington-based firm’s Vulcan+ cable cleats will be used to secure 69kV electrical cables throughout a new $800m plant being built as part of the mine’s expansion.

In order to boost its presence in the continent, Ellis has taken on a business manager based in nearby Uruguay to grow its reach.

Kelly Brown, Ellis’ export sales manager, commented: “Latin America is noted for being one of the hardest export markets to break into, but the success we’re enjoying there pays testament to our tried and tested method of fully researching a new market before entering it.”

“Unlike other regions we took the decision early on to appoint a locally based business development manager; Gabriela Castro-Fontoura; who has built up a strong network of distributors from her base in Uruguay, and is now enjoying a string of significant specifications.”

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