A subsidiary of Statcroft Transport & Civil Engineering Ltd, Morris Plant Hire Ghana Ltd commenced operations in Ghana in January 2012 supplying a well maintained hire fleet and carrying out activities such as bush clearance, road maintenance, drainage, earthworks and civil works. Project manager Declan Sylver explains more.

Since arriving in Ghana, the company has built a strong reputation and plans to extend its operations in West Africa to Togo and Liberia in the near future. Morris Plant Hire Ghana is constantly reinvesting in machinery and has the expertise to undertake a diverse range of civil and earthwork projects. It is heavily involved in the mining and energy sectors, and always aims to provide a top-quality end product within budget while delivering high levels of customer service on time in a safe and efficient manner.

From its parent company in Galway, Morris Plant Hire Ghana brings over 30 years’ experience in road building, crushing and turnkey projects such as shopping centres and university extensions.  The firm employs and trains local people to the highest international standards, giving them a livelihood and educational opportunities for them and their families in the process.

“There is a wealth of natural resources in Ghana, but the country has many challenges,” Declan says.

Gold production is a major industry in Ghana (it is Africa’s second largest gold producer after South Africa) and Morris Plant Hire Ghana has forged strong working relationships with leading producers such as Newmont Mining and Asanko Gold.

“We supply machinery to Newmont and Asanko as well as to Lycopodium Minerals and DRA Global. Newmont’s headquarters are in Denver, Asanko operate out of Vancouver, Lycopodium are based in Australia, while DRA Global are South African,” explains the Ardrahan native, who worked in mine construction in Canada for a year and now divides his time between Morris Plant Hire’s Ghana and Ireland operations.

“The price of gold determines how busy or quiet we are. At the moment, it’s $1,275 an ounce. If it drops below $1,200 an ounce, production inevitably slows down.”

Morris Plant Hire Ghana is also involved in the construction of tailings and water dams along with 11Kva and 48Kva power distribution networks for the mining sector.

Among the projects the company has undertaken in the recent past include: earthworks, civil and crushing contract at the Newmont Golden Ridge Mine Akyem; supplying of heavy plant to WBHO to help with the completion of the Tailings Dam at the Newmont Golden Ridge Mine Akyem; supplying of access platforms to Murray & Roberts Ghana Ltd for the construction phase of the processing plant at Newmont Golden Ridge Akyem along with all terrain access vehicles and Hiabs; supplying machinery and sub-contractor for Lycopodium Minerals’ road maintenance contract; plant hire contract for Shannon Mining Services Ltd at Gold Fields, Tarkwa.

Morris Plant Hire Ghana Ltd has a wide range of Caterpillar and Kobelco excavators, dozers, loading shovels, site dumpers, vibrating rollers, dump trucks, graders and specialised civil equipment to carry out any civil / earthworks project. The company has its own yard and workshop in Takoradi.

“It was a huge shock to the system when I first moved to Ghana, but the lifestyle is good and you get to meet people from all over the world. There are many Canadians, South Africans and Australians working in the mining sector who I’ve got the know over the past few years,” Declan adds.

Statcroft Transport & Civil Engineering Ltd is the parent company of Morris Plant Hire Ghana Ltd along with Morris Plant Hire Ireland and Coshla Quarries. Established in Turloughmore, Co. Galway in 1991 by John Morris, Statcroft specialises in civil engineering and construction, road construction and drainage, crushing and aggregates, and plant hire and earthworks.

Originally a haulage company, Statcroft expanded into the plant hire sector in 1995, the civil engineering sector in 2001 and the quarrying business in 2003. A member of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), Statcroft Transport holds an all-region waste collection permit licence and uses state-of-the-art tracking devices for all its vehicles to improve efficiency.

The company has continually strived to develop its business and market share through the use of exceptional and modern plant, combined with an experienced and professional staff with a focus on client satisfaction and a willingness to provide the client with the required outcome. Its dedication to quality, efficiency and client satisfaction has benefited in close long-term working relationships and repeat business.

Morris Plant Hire Ireland has been involved in numerous site and road development, excavation, haulage and plant hire projects over the past decade in the private and public sectors. It currently has several machines on hire to the public private partnership company Direct Route (Tuam) Ltd who are working on the construction of the new M17/M18 Motorway between Gort and Tuam in Co. Galway. When it opens in 2018, the 53km motorway and the 4km Tuam Bypass dual carriageway – part of the Atlantic Corridor on the West Coast – will take thousands of vehicles out of Clarinbridge, Claregalway and Tuam each day.

Morris Plant Hire Ghana Ltd
Ghansah Family Estate,
Plot 27/32,
Apowa,
Takoradi,
Ghana,
PO Box ax 1485.
Telephone: +233 508 042 024 /
+233 503 433 926
Email:
[email protected]
Web: www.mphghana.com

Statcroft Transport & Civil Engineering Ltd
Lackaghmore,
Turloughmore,
Athenry,
Co. Galway.
Telephone: +353 91 797 750
Mobile: +353 87 267 7842
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.statcroft.ie

Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, July 2016, Vol 2 No 3

Ghana, Hire, Morris, Plant, Statcroft