DRA's tried and trusted ways keep projects on track

With 30 years' metallurgical consulting experience, DRA knows the value of a commitment. The company operates with dedicated teams taking a project from concept to commissioning.

"We call it the DRA way, which is about enthusiasm for getting the job done," says Wray Carvelas, CEO of DRA Americas. "Our engineers have been given responsibility and accountability. They take our mission through to the end, and have the ability to fine-tune designs when working on site."

The result has been consistent. DRA enjoys 80 per cent repeat business because it finishes projects on time, within budget and safely. With such track record for more than 85 per cent of its projects, it is the leading player in South Africa. Expert in the full spectrum of engineering disciplines, DRA has passed all performance tests for its designs over the group's entire history.

A global group headquartered in Johannesburg, DRA operates in Britain, Canada, Australia, India and on the mainland. It specialises in pre-feasibility studies, underground mine and production plant design, process engineering, structural civil design of ground level and underground infrastructure, and electrical, control and instrumentation design. Its subsidiary Minopex operates mines on a contract basis.

"DRA is run and owned by engineers, delivering engineering excellence with the capacity to work across multiple commodities," Carvelas says. With 45 metallurgists on board, DRA is experienced in all minerals between andalusite and zinc. Its primary expertise is in diamonds, gold, coal and platinum.

Drawing upon the group's global expertise, DRA Americas is focused on delivering services for mineral processing plants. The company continues to leverage its network as it looks to establish engineering relationships on the mainland, in South Korea and the Philippines. Based in Canada, DRA Americas is eyeing posts in Brazil and Peru to realise the full potential of untapped mineral wealth in the Americas. DRA is confident an Asian collaboration would mutually advance globalisation goals.