Skip to main content

Salt deal ready for winter

PEACOCK SALT has secured a long-term agreement with Rio Tinto's Australian subsidiary Dampier Salt (DSL) to supply solar salt for the UK market.The agreement with the world’s largest salt exporter will see Ayr, Scotland-based Peacock importing in the region of 500,000tonnes of salt/year. Peacock says it currently controls 15% of the UK’s road salt market, supplying to a range of public and private sector clients. Director Angus Craig said the deal with Australia and UK-based Rio Tinto will secure the compan
May 30, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Angus Craig: deal with Rio Tinto will secure his company’s international supply chain
5798 Peacock Salt has secured a long-term agreement with Rio Tinto's Australian subsidiary 5799 Dampier Salt (DSL) to supply solar salt for the UK market.

The agreement with the world’s largest salt exporter will see Ayr, Scotland-based Peacock importing in the region of 500,000tonnes of salt/year.

Peacock says it currently controls 15% of the UK’s road salt market, supplying to a range of public and private sector clients.

Director Angus Craig said the deal with Australia and UK-based 5800 Rio Tinto Group will secure the company’s international supply chain and give it the base to further grow its market share throughout the UK.

“The business has experienced significant growth throughout the past few years,” he said. “Key to this growth has been the development of a strong international supply network which has given us the ability to meet the growing demand for salt products across the UK market place.” 

Earlier this year local authorities in the UK battled to keep major highway routes clear as continued freezing temperatures    led to a shortage in gritting salt. Authorities had to close minor routes and cut salt use in an attempt to preserve dwindling supplies.

Craig believes that proper planning will help to prevent the UK being caught out by the freak winter conditions.

“The sustained winter period led to an unprecedented level of demand for salt. Our transport networks were under significant pressure and local and central government received severe criticism for failing to plan properly for the freezing conditions.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • US machine manufacturers hit hard by global downturn in construction
    November 30, 2015
    The latest report from the US-based Association of Equipment Manufacturers, AEM, makes for sobering reading. For the first six months of 2015, US exports of construction equipment dropped by 17% compared with the same period in 2014. The US manufacturers have been hit doubly, first by a tough international market and secondly by the high value of the US Dollar.
  • Aximum gains strength in route safety systems
    March 1, 2012
    Aximum is a comparatively new organisation, but it incorporates many old-established companies in the route safety business. As Alan Peterson discovered, it is 'ready to pick up speed'. A few weeks ago the French-based Aximum Group added a fourth international subsidiary to its portfolio of businesses at the end of what has been a busy period for the fledgling company.
  • Upgrading a busy A road link in the UK
    July 4, 2018
    The upgrade to the UK’s busy A14 route will address a significant traffic bottleneck - Mike Woof writes The UK is suffering badly from traffic congestion, a problem that is particularly severe in and around its major cities. Lack of investment in road construction over many years has resulted in a major backlog of work, while the country has seen growing vehicle numbers. To make matters worse, there have been few additions to the major road network since the late 1980s and early 1990s. And the combinatio
  • VSS developing business and sales
    May 24, 2019
    VSS Macropaver has been benefiting from strong demand for machines, both in the US home market and for exports – Mike Woof writes VSS Macropaver is seeing healthy demand for its machines both in its US home market and also for its export business. The factory has strong order levels for its Macropaver 12D and 12E models at present, reflecting a thriving market for road repair equipment. Doug Hogue is vice president at VSS Macropaver and said, “The D version is more of an export model. The E is more of a