Industry Focus

CUSTOMER CONVERSATION Chat with Transmin's Bhavesh Kotecha As Financial Controller at mining services company Transmin, Bhavesh Kotecha needs a bank that understands how the natural resources sector works WORDS: AMAL AWAD Mining in Australia is a growing sector, and for Westpac's commercial business banking team, it's a crucial one. Natural resources, of which mining services form a part, plays a vital role in business, says Westpac Senior Relationship Manager Joshua Ong. "The bank provided me, as a Relationship Manager, with the opportunity for training— in areas specific to the industry—and also promoted industry networking activities to both the clients and bankers," he says. Ong works closely with Transmin, a privately owned business that provides equipment and services to the mining industry. "It has a strong market reputation and this was time and again confirmed by other industry players," he says. Bhavesh, tell us about Transmin? Transmin is a leader in engineered solutions for bulk materials handling and processing for the mining and minerals industries. We are a leading worldwide supplier of feeders, lime systems, rock breakers, heavy duty bin isolation gates, flocculants and ball mills for specialised applications. Our policy of innovation has resulted in the development of new technology including the Transmin Low Profile Feeder (LPFTM), which is recognised in industry as a revolution in belt feeder technology. In addition to providing new equipment, Transmin is recognised for its specialist service capabilities (both on site and off site) as well as supply of an extensive range of spare parts for the mining industry. Do you work directly with your bank when developing projects? Most of the sales we do are capital-related, so it's brand-new equipment, which is designed, manufactured and then sold. We have a long lead time between quoting and delivering the product. There is already a requirement to provide bank guarantees 16 Industry Focus LEFT: Bhavesh Kotecha (left) and Joshua Ong on site at Transmin. and securities when the project is ongoing. Because we have a good facility in place with Westpac, it allows us to issue bank guarantees to our clients to act as performance guarantees. Sounds like it's an ongoing relationship? Absolutely. Because our client base is very diverse there's always a requirement for the bank to liaise with banks worldwide in issuing guarantees and on provision of advice for the wording of guarantees. The bank also provides good market feedback. When did you switch to Westpac and why did you make the move? We moved to Westpac about a year and a half ago. The key reason was our previous bank was not proactive. We'd been with them for more than 15 years and we found they were not reactive to our needs and, comparatively, they were quite expensive. How has Westpac helped you achieve your goals? I think the key thing they have done is put in very flexible facilities for us, which work better for our business because our needs are mainly in securities and international trade. We also have occasional requirements for working capital and asset financing. The way they've structured the whole deal for us makes it quite flexible and adaptive. How has Joshua assisted you? He has been fantastic. We started dealing with him right from the day we set up the facility. He's in touch at least once or twice a month and whenever we have a requirement he's there to guide us through the process. What's next for your business? We've done a lot of work with the Western Australian mining sector and now we're expanding internationally and looking to South America and Africa. Speak with Senior Relationship Manager Joshua Ong on 0419 251 023 to find out how he can support your business.

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