The business was established in 1983. AARD, based near Johannesburg, South Africa, designs, manufactures, services and supports a wide range of mining equipment, specializing in low-profile underground machines for mines with low mining heights. The high-quality products include drill rigs, bolters, loaders, scalers, and more. The company’s customers are mainly in the Southern Africa region.
Our timeline
1983
Boart a subsidary of Anglo American Corporation started designing and manufacturing hydraulic rock drills in the UK for the underground mechanised mining market
1992
Boart Longyear enters the mining equipment market by purchasing a utility vehicle (UV) range from Southern Denver
1999
Boart Longyear purchases GHH Mining SA (Pty) Ltd and enters the load haul dumper (LHD) market
2002
Boart Longyear develops and launches low profile drill rigs and utility vehicles. Drifter manufacturing facility relocates to South Africa (from UK)
2005
Anglo American sells Boart Longyear to Advent Equity Company
2008
The capital equipment division of Boart Longyear is sold to a consortium consisting of: Nedbank Capital Private Equity, Matasis Mining Equipment (a BBBEE group) and management. This new entity is registered as AARD Mining Equipment Pty Ltd
2009
AARD purchases corporate offices and manufacturing facilities in Chamdor, Gauteng
2013
AARD establishes subsidiaries in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
2018
AARD becomes wholly owned by Matasis Mining Equipment Pty Ltd.
2023
Stockholm, Sweden: Epiroc, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, has completed the acquisition of AARD Mining Equipment, a South African mining equipment manufacturer.
