Aramine cements underground mining equipment ambitions with launch of ARAMAC
After more than 50 years serving the mining industry, Aramine says it is taking a major new step in its development with the launch of ARAMAC, a company entirely dedicated to the design, manufacture and distribution of underground mining equipment and complementary mining solutions.
This evolution reflects Aramine’s commitment to giving a distinct identity to an activity that has been developed over more than 20 years and has grown into a globally recognised underground mining equipment manufacturer, the company says.
Since its inception, Aramine has supported mining operations around the world through its expertise in equipment, spare parts and services. Over the years, this relationship with customers has enabled the company to develop an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced in underground mining operations. This expertise naturally led Aramine to design its own machines and progressively build a comprehensive range of underground mining equipment.
Today, this activity becomes a company in its own right: ARAMAC, while Aramine continues to develop its spare parts and components business notably through its SmartParts® program.
This new organisation reflects a structural evolution while maintaining continuity in ownership and leadership. Both ARAMAC and Aramine remain owned by the Melkonian family. Marc Melkonian leads ARAMAC, while Christophe Melkonian heads Aramine. Geneviève Melkonian serves as Co-President of both companies, ensuring continuity across the two organisations as they pursue their respective development strategies.
ARAMAC aims to become a leading manufacturer for underground mining operations with cross-sections of up to 16 sq.m. Its story began in 2008 with the launch of the L130E loader, the company’s first machine, designed for narrow-vein operations and built around pioneering cable-electric technology. Since then, ARAMAC has delivered more than 500 machines in 34 countries, steadily expanding into a complete range of loaders and trucks recognised worldwide for their reliability, robustness and innovation.
This pioneering spirit carried through to 2016, when ARAMAC became one of the industry’s first movers in battery-powered mining equipment with the launch of the L140B loader, its first battery-electric loader. Today, the battery-electric range spans three loaders from 1.3 to 6.2 t, with a battery-electric truck soon to be added, and ARAMAC also offers autonomous equipment already operating in production mines.
Complementing its own product range, ARAMAC also distributes specialised underground mining equipment from leading manufacturers. These include Lorenzana, whose portfolio covers explosive charging systems and concrete spraying equipment, as well as, in West Africa, Atlas Copco air compressors and Astec crushing solutions.
The creation of ARAMAC is accompanied by a dedicated organisation bringing together engineering, manufacturing, sales, aftersales service, training and support functions under one unified identity. This new structure will accelerate the development of new products, strengthen customer proximity and support the company’s international growth.
To support this expansion, ARAMAC is also preparing to open a new headquarters in 2027, located close to its current production facility in Gardanne, south of France, on a former mining site. The new premises will bring together all ARAMAC teams and significantly increase the company’s production capacity to meet growing global demand, the company says.
The launch of ARAMAC also introduces a new visual identity that will be progressively rolled out across all communication materials, technical documentation, commercial tools and soon a dedicated website.
Marc Melkonian, Co-President of ARAMAC, said: “ARAMAC combines the agility and ambition of a start-up with more than five decades of industrial expertise. We are building the future of underground mining on solid foundations, driven by innovation, customer proximity and a clear vision for the years ahead.”
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