Churston

What Churston does

Churston (Pty) Ltd is a South African manufacturer founded in 2020 that designs, builds and services underground coal mining equipment from its 12,000 m2 facility in Boksburg. The company's portfolio covers complete machines — including the B12 Lowseam DCD, U15 High Volume and U12 DCD feeder breakers, P12/P15 plant feeders, and double-roll and timed twin-roll mineral sizers — together with a substantial replacement-component catalogue (OX shuttle car chain, ABM and 12HM forged track chains, 14 BU loader chains, mining shafts, sprockets, and bearing carriers) and refurbishment services for feeder breakers, tail end crushers and complete drive trains. Technical differentiation rests on proprietary chain and feeder geometries developed with major South African mining house engineers, including a flightless four-chain feeder that carries load on the centre string, OX chain rated for approximately 400,000 tons between rebuilds, and a sealed-for-life bearing carrier option. The manufacturing footprint includes an 18-crane assembly workshop, a 2,200 m2 CNC-equipped machine shop with 12 CNC machines, 6 gear cutters, 13 lathes and 3 radial arm drills, and a dedicated shotblasting facility, supporting both OEM build and aftermarket throughput.

The business operates three revenue streams: one-time capital equipment sales (feeder breakers, sizers, plant feeders), ongoing hardware and parts sales (chains, sprockets, shafts, bearing carriers), and refurbishment and repair services. Go-to-market is exclusively direct-to-enterprise via phone (+27 11 873 6666) and email ([email protected]); there is no online store, distributor network or reseller channel. Churston is incorporated as a South African proprietary limited company and operates as a member of the Baughan Group; it holds BBBEE Level 1 certification, providing preferential procurement positioning with state utilities and large local mining operators. Customers are concentrated in the South African underground coal segment and span Sasol Mining, Thungela, Seriti Mining, Glencore Coal and Eskom, with operations restricted to a single country. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and the company carries no external disclosed funding rounds, capital raises, or revenue figures.

Name

Churston

Legal name

CHURSTON (PTY) LTD

Website

https://churston.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Churston is a South African manufacturer founded in 2020 that produces underground coal mining equipment — feeder breakers, mineral sizers, replacement chains and tracks — plus refurbishment services, serving enterprise coal miners and Eskom via direct sales from its Boksburg facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boksburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Mining Equipment Manufacturing: Manufacture and supply of complete machines including Feeder Breakers (Low/High seam), Reclaim Feeders, Plant Feeders, and Sizers for the underground coal mining industry. Revenue derived from one-time capital equipment sales.
2. Spare Parts & Components: Supply of spare parts for underground Coal Mining Industry equipment including Feeder Breakers, Plant Feeders, Reclaim Feeders, Mineral Sizers and Shuttle Cars. Chains, sprockets, shafts, bearing carriers, and other replacement components.
3. Refurbishment & Repair Services: Refurbishment and repair services for Feeder Breakers, Tail End Crushers, and complete drive trains. Includes component replacement and machine modification services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Churston manufactures and supplies underground coal mining equipment and components, including feeder breakers (low-seam and high-volume), plant feeders, reclaim feeders, double-roll primary and secondary sizers, timed twin roll sizers, shuttle car chains (OX Chain), forged track chains (ABM and 12HM series), loader crawler chains, mining shafts, sprockets, and bearing carriers. The company also provides refurbishment and repair services for feeder breakers, tail end crushers, and drive trains. Products are designed and manufactured in-house at the Boksburg facility for South African coal mining and power generation customers.

Product overview

Churston is a South African manufacturer of underground coal mining equipment founded in 2020. The company offers a portfolio of flightless and flight-chain feeder breakers (B12 Lowseam, U15 High Volume, U12 DCD), plant feeders (P12/P15), and mineral sizers (Primary Double Roll, Secondary Double Roll, Timed Twin Roll). Additionally, Churston produces replacement components including shuttle car chains (OX Chain), track chains (ABM Series, 12 HM Series, 14 BU Series), shafts, sprockets, and bearing carriers. The product line is complemented by refurbishment and repair services for feeders, sizers, and tail end crushers. All products are manufactured at the company's facilities in Boksburg, South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• B12 Lowseam DCD Feeder Breaker Compact flightless four-chain feeder breaker designed for low-seam underground coal mining with limited vertical space, featuring a hydraulic tensioning system and 600 tph nominal capacity. Targeted at South African coal mining operations requiring reliable material handling in constrained underground environments.
• U15 High Volume Feeder & Feeder Breaker High-capacity flightless four-chain feeder breaker for coal reclamation and material feeding into sizers, with 800 to 1400 tph nominal capacity and hydraulic tensioning system. Designed for high-productivity underground and surface coal operations.
• U12 DCD Feeder & Feeder Breaker Flightless four-chain feeder breaker for coal reclamation on belts or feeding into sizing systems, with 800 to 1000 tph nominal capacity. Suited to medium-to-high capacity coal handling applications in South African mining.
• P12/P15 Plant Feeder/Feeder Breaker Industrial plant feeder for grizzly-controlled material handling and first-stage breaking, with up to 1500 tph nominal capacity and variable speed drive (VSD) options. Used at plant level in coal processing and sizing operations.
• Double Roll Primary Sizer (B800/1500) Twin roll primary sizer for centre crushing of materials such as coal, limestone, and gypsum, with 1000 tph nominal capacity and 600mm maximum input size. Performs primary reduction in coal preparation and minerals processing plants.
• Double Roll Secondary Sizer (B625) Twin roll secondary sizer for refining material sizing after primary reduction, with 650 to 800 tph nominal capacity and 350mm maximum input size. Used downstream of primary sizing in coal preparation circuits.
• Timed Twin Roll Sizer (S7/2000) Synchronized timed twin roll sizer for accurate material sizing with consistent particle size distribution, featuring 800 tph nominal capacity and 650mm maximum input size. Suited to applications requiring precise, repeatable sizing.
• OX Chain Shuttle Car Chain European Standard mining chain derivative adapted for the South African coal mining industry discharge conveyors on all types of shuttle cars, with approximately 400,000 tons or rebuild-to-rebuild expected lifespan. Cost-effective replacement chain for shuttle car operations.
• ABM Series Track Chains Forged crawler chains for Sandvik (Voest Alpine) MB300/400/600/700 range of continuous miners, manufactured using a forging process that outlasts cast chains. Designed as a heavy-duty replacement track chain for continuous miners.
• 12 HM Series Track Chains Forged crawler chains suitable for Joy HM9, HM21, HM31, and Matla Miner continuous miners, manufactured using a forging process with adaptable grouser configuration. Replacement track chain for major continuous miner brands.
• 14 BU Series Loader Crawler Chain High-quality cast loader crawler chain with non-pressed hinge pin design for safer and easier maintenance. Replacement chain for loaders operating in underground coal mining.
• Mining Shafts Take-up and drive shafts for shuttle cars manufactured with improved materials and strengthening for maximum life, available in various widths for Joy, Cincinnati, and Ox Type applications. Replacement drive components for shuttle cars.
• Mining Sprockets Heat-treated sprockets for mining chains made from carefully selected materials for maximum wear life. Replacement drive sprockets used with mining conveyor and track chains.
• Bearing Carrier Specially designed bearing carrier developed with major mining house engineers, available as direct fixture or removable plate mount with optional sealed-for-life bearing for maximum trouble-free life. Replacement component for conveyor and feeder systems.
• Feeder Breaker Refurbishment Services Comprehensive refurbishment services for feeder breakers including deck replacement, shaft renewal, chain assembly, drive train refurbishment, and electrical component upgrades. Service offering for existing feeder breaker owners in the South African coal mining sector.
• Tail End Crusher Refurbishment Refurbishment services for tail end crushers including sizer rotor repair, segment and spacer replacement, wheel assemblies, and drive train restoration. Service offering for tail end crusher operators in the coal mining sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment expected to last approximately 400,000 tons or rebuild to rebuild
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Baughan GroupcoreOthersChurston is a member of the Baughan Group, a South African industrial manufacturing group. The Baughan Group affiliation provides manufacturing excellence and engineering capabilities. Churston operates as part of this corporate group, leveraging shared resources and expertise in industrial equipment manufacturing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Becker Mining Systems: Supplier of mining chain systems, conveyor components, and underground mining equipment. Direct peer to Churston in the chain, sprocket, and shaft components segment.
• Fenner Dunlop (Michelin): Manufacturer of heavyweight conveyor belts, chains, and material handling components for mining. Overlaps with Churston in the conveyor chain / component supply space for South African coal operations.
• Eickhoff: German manufacturer of underground coal mining equipment and chain systems. Direct technical analogue to Churston's feeder-breaker and chain offerings and a historical European Standard mining chain reference.
• MMD Group of Companies: UK-headquartered manufacturer of mineral sizers (including double-roll sizers) and heavy-duty mining equipment. Direct competitor in the primary/secondary sizer category that Churston supplies into South African coal applications.

Regional players

• B&E International: South African manufacturer of mining and mineral processing equipment. Regional peer operating in the same domestic market and customer base as Churston.
• Weba Chute Systems: South African engineering company serving the local mining industry with material handling equipment and engineered solutions. Comparable domestic peer benefiting from local procurement dynamics similar to Churston.
• Multotec: South African supplier of mineral processing and materials handling equipment serving the local coal and base-mine operators. Adjacent competitor for mining-house spend in South Africa.

Broad incumbents

• TAKRAF (Tenova): Global supplier of conveying, feeding, and material handling systems, including feeders and sizers used in coal and minerals. Comparable to Churston's P12/P15 plant feeders and sizer portfolio at a larger, more diversified scale.
• Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions: Global OEM of underground mining equipment including continuous miners (MB series) and feeder-breaker components for which Churston makes replacement chain and parts. Overlaps with Churston on Sandvik-compatible aftermarket spares.
• Komatsu Mining (Joy): Global OEM and underground coal mining incumbent (Joy brand) whose shuttle cars and continuous miners (HM series, Matla Miner) Churston supplies with aftermarket chain and components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/churston-pty-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Churston