Equipment supplier Bishop Brothers is positioning itself to be a major supplier to the forthcoming Papua LNG project, according to General Manager Len Pianta. He tells Business Advantage PNG the company is also looking at opportunities to expand into Fiji and New Caledonia.

Bishops was founded in 1972. Credit: Bishops

Despite a ‘tough economic climate’, the equipment and tool supplier Bishop Brothers (or, simply, Bishops) is maintaining its sales and staffing levels as it awaits the start of the Papua LNG project, says its General Manager Len Pianta.

‘Definitively, the Papua LNG project will be a boost for the PNG economy in general,’ he tells Business Advantage PNG.

‘We are already working with, and building a close relationship, with [project operator] Total, supplying safety, power and pneumatic products at present. We are looking to the future in providing potential site stores in Gulf Province to better service the project.’

Pianta says Bishops, the largest industrial tool supplier in PNG and the Solomon Islands, is bidding for other mining equipment supply contracts in Papua New Guinea in an effort to prove that a local company can offer the same support and supply chain capabilities as competitors from Australia or Asia.

‘With all the potential projects listed for development at present, I see Bishops in an even stronger position in the coming years.’

‘The other major projects on the drawing board, Wafi-Golpu [in Morobe Province] and Frieda River [in West Sepik], will be a huge bonus to the local economies—if and when approvals are made.’

Product ranges

Bishops’ Len Pianta

In the last two years, says Pianta, Bishops has invested in the US Enerpac range of high-pressure hydraulics products and supporting services, including calibration and repairs.

‘All major industrial and mining/oil and gas use these products and this line is proving very successful for us.

‘We are also about to delve into a range of transport spares in the LED lighting area.

‘Our Stihl power products are proving to be a popular, although there is a high level of counterfeit product still entering the country. We work with PNG Customs in an attempt to stop this and have counterfeit products destroyed.’

Bishops’ operation in the Solomon Islands is travelling ‘reasonably’ under the current economic climate, he says. The company has been looking at Fiji and New Caledonia for potential acquisitions ‘to strengthen the brand across the region’.

‘We have managed to maintain our in-country stock levels around K50 million in order to be able to service all levels of industry.’

‘The continuing improvement in forex [foreign exchange] availability is allowing continued purchasing and payment for products quicker now,’ he says.

‘We have managed to maintain our in-country stock levels around K50 million in order to be able to service all levels of industry.’

Pedigree

Bishops was founded in 1972 and it’ll celebrate its 50th year of operation in 2022. Pianta, who’s been with the firm for 23 years, says he expects the company to continue to grow.

‘With all the potential projects listed for development at present, I see Bishops in an even stronger position in the coming years.

‘Our directors continue to allow us to invest in people, technology, and products to ensure we are at the forefront of the industrial supply business in PNG and Solomon Islands.’