After being in the Rio-Tinto (SA) stable for 13 years, there was a management buy-out by the then existing (and still current) share-holders.
The company was initially motivated by Martin Maine who had extensive experience in the welding and manufacturing industries.
In 1982 he saw the opportunity for local manufacture, when Rio-Tinto had ambitions to establish manufacturing companies
allied to mining, and therefore, financed and capitalised the new "Rio-Carb" for local manufacture.
The company has grown nearly three-fold since 2002. The customer base has since, increased dramatically.