THREE RIVERS, SOUTH AFRICA - In line with NTP Radioisotope's business portfolio-orientated growth strategy, the company has announced its successful acquisition of a 55% interest in the Gammatec NDT Supplies (Pty) Ltd. group, an NDT equipment company headquartered in South Africa.

NTP's Director of Operations, Piet Louw, who succeeded Butch Davies as Gammatec's chairperson, said this is a double celebration as NTP Radioisotopes (Pty) Ltd has operated as a limited liability company since October 2003. He added that now NTP not only supplies the domestic market, but is recognized as a global supplier of radioisotopes.

Rob Adam, Necsa's chief executive officer and chairman of the NTP board, concurred that NTP has shown consistent growth in revenue, profitability, product portfolio, personnel strength and markets since its inception as a commercial division of Necsa. He added that after 12 years as NTP's distributor of sealed Ir-192 sources in international markets and growing the business substantially in this time, Gammatec is now part of the NTP subsidiary family, which comprises of AEC Amersham (Pty) Ltd (100%), NTP Logistics (Pty) Ltd (51%) and Cyclotope (Pty) Ltd (100%).

Gammatec, a previously family-owned business, employs about 60 people and focuses on the provision of a wide range of NDT equipment, including Ir-192 sources supplied by NTP, Kodak film for X-ray and gamma radiography and ultrasonic equipment and accessories manufactured by Sonatest NDE (for which it holds exclusive distributorship rights). As with NTP, Gammatec lays great emphasis on customer service and Davies attributes the success to the fact that the organization strives to provide excellent and committed service to its customers.

Davies, who served as chairperson of the Gammatec board until the end of September 2009, and his wife, Jean, started the company in the early 1980s. The company owns and operates from premises in Vereeniging, South Africa, with offices in the UAE, Malaysia and Nigeria. Ralph Davies is the managing director of Gammatec and will continue in that position. Other Gammatec directors will be Paul Rainier-Pope and Marco Gonzalez.

The joint operation will continue to trade under the name of Gammatec NDT Supplies (Pty) Ltd. Adam said this is a change in shareholding, and not a change in process or operations. Strategically, the partnership will enhance the NTP-Gammatec position in the global NDT environment. It will undoubtedly allow for expansion of operations into certain areas and to further develop the product exposure in existing territories.

Adam welcomed Gammatec and its highly experienced, skilled and motivated team to the NTP fold and, on behalf of NTP, said that the organization looks forward to an exciting time developing the business.