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The ASX-listed welding technology developer, which recently partnered with Hanwha Defense Australia, is set to introduce its offering to the European marketplace.
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K-TIG has appointed corporate strategist Benjamin Hall to lead its expansion into the UK and Europe, following the successful rollout of its revised distribution model in the US over the past nine months.
Hall will be charged with helping the firm’s UK subsidiary, Keyhole TIG (UK), employ a direct sales force and establish a technology demonstration centre.
Keyhole TIG is also expected to enter into integrator partnerships and establish the logistics for inventory warehousing in Europe.
Drawing on the firm’s experiences in the US, K-TIG managing director Adrian Smith noted the importance of establishing a local in-country network to enhance service availability.
“The time has come to expand this model into our second most important market,” Smith said.
“As the UK comes out of COVID hibernation we are seeing a resumption of activity in the fabrication of nuclear waste containment vessels.”
Smith also welcomed Hall to the management team, describing his appointment as a “real game changer”.
“An accomplished senior executive with multinational business experience, Ben has a deep understanding of the importance of UK and European government policies on industry transformation,” he added.
Hall joins K-TIG from the London office of KPMG’s Global Strategy Group where he served as engagement manager, responsible for the development of industrial strategy for the UK government and providing public policy compliance advice to stakeholders.
Hall has also served as a political adviser and an Australian Army officer.
“I’m excited to be taking on a role with such an innovative business which will change the global landscape of industry fabrication,” Hall said.
“K-TIG’s cutting-edge technology is ready to meet the emerging demand in the UK and EU markets.”
Hall’s first task will be to establish a formal agreement in the nuclear waste storage market.
“We will then look to expand our collaboration efforts in hydrogen storage and transport, as well as continuing our R&D to stay one step ahead of industry needs to provide industry leading solutions,” he added.
K-TIG has also sought to expand its presence in the local market, signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hanwha Defense Australia, which aims to explore whether K-TIG’s welding processes can be applied to the construction of armoured vehicles in Australia and potentially overseas.
K-TIG’s welding process is designed to support at least seven millimetres of welding in a single run, reducing passes and preparation time by leveraging a high-energy density arc, which results in modest heat transfer into the metal plates being joined.
This is expected to result in fewer distortions of the steel plates, while also reducing the chance of affecting the hardness of the armour.
[Related: Hanwha partners with K-TIG for armoured vehicle welding support]
Charbel Kadib
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.
