Aug 4, 2014 2 min read

DRA Group Holdings of South Africa is acquiring the Forge Group North America companies formerly known as Taggart Global.

DRA, a multi-disciplinary engineering group that works on mining, minerals processing and infrastructure services projects, said in a press release that the transaction is expected to close shortly, but provided no details on the purchase price.

DRA has offices and operations in nine African countries, Australia, Canada, China and India.

In addition to Pittsburgh and Beckley, W.Va., Taggart also has offices in Beijing, China and Johannesburg, South Africa.

DRA said that its operations in the Americas, including its existing Canadian business, will be consolidated with Southpointe-based Taggart, with the new entity doing business as DRA Taggart. It said the existing Taggart management group will remain with the company, and will share an equity stake in the newly formed business.

“Taggart has an excellent reputation in the global coal preparation and clean coal technology markets, and has expanded its skill set into the power sector, ports and terminals, bio fuels, mineral sands, as well as the mining and aggregate industries,” said Paul Thomson, chief executive officer of DRA Group. “We are particularly attracted to Taggart’s ability to build and operate pollution control systems, coal preparation plants, mineral load-out facilities and material handling facilities.”

Richard L. McCormick Jr., CEO of DRA Taggart said his company’s integration into the DRA Group “provides us with a global platform from which we will both continue to serve our existing client base and also actively pursue opportunities to build and operate coal, metals and mineral processing and materials handling facilities for mining companies and utilities worldwide.”