Hunter-based International Conveyor Products (ICON) has formed a significant partnership with leading Chinese conveyor belt manufacturer Zhejiang Double Arrow Rubber Co. (Double Arrow).

It is a noteworthy achievement for the Newcastle company established by Mark Wilson in 2003, and good news for Australian customers, particularly in the mining industry.

On 30 June 2016 ICON merged with, and operates, as part of the Double Arrow group while continuing to work from its Carrington offices.

With warehouse facilities nationwide, ICON is a leading supplier of an extensive range of high-end quality conveyor belting and conveyor products to customers operating across Australasia and Internationally. ICON has an enviable reputation for its range, supply lead times, and after-sales service to support companies including and not limited to; Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.

Managing Director, Mark Wilson, said that the partnership provides direct to market solutions for domestic and international requirements.

“We have been providing our customers with quality Double Arrow manufactured conveyor products since 2006 supplied under the ICON brand. The partnership means that customers will now experience a more direct and efficient way to purchase products,” Mark said.

The globally recognised Chinese conveyor belt manufacturer will derive significant benefits from ICON’s established reputation for the quality of its products, supply-chain efficiency and local back-up support.

This is a Hunter start-up created 13 years ago as a sole trader, which now employs 12 people. To attract the attention of an acclaimed Chinese company is a notable achievement and testament to the reputation ICON has created.

Zhejiang Double Arrow Rubber Co., Ltd is a publically listed (China) company that has an annual production capacity across 39 production lines of 50 million square metres of conveyor belting, and has been awarded the coveted ‘China’s famous product’ status. Based about 160km from Shanghai in the major industrial town of Tongxiang in the north of Zhejiang Province, Double Arrow is considered one of the best ISO accredited manufacturers of conveyor belts internationally. Its products are accepted and have been performing across major tier one mining company assets globally for many years.

ICON already takes orders to specification for non-stocked items or will engineer a product solution to meet specific customer conveying demands. Some of its more recent work has been to supply 34 kilometres of conveyor belting into Queensland’s Grosvenor Coal Mine.

ICON will adopt the Double Arrow name and will continue to operate from its offices in Forbes Street Carrington.