Privately held Queensland-based mining services innovator Valenhold is scaling globally while staying locally anchored, investing in jobs, skills, and sustainability.
On 17 October, the Brisbane-based company celebrated its 10-year anniversary – a decade that has seen it transform from a local start-up into a $120 million global firm servicing the resources sector across 14 countries.
Valenhold was founded in 2015 by Garth Chester and Wayne Trench, and has to date delivered nearly 100,000 drivetrain components to mining majors worldwide; built a 3,200m2 rebuild facility in Tingalpa with a $50 million local inventory; and achieved sustained double-digit growth while embedding ESG practices that extend the lifecycle of multi-million-dollar mining assets.
Speaking to Mining.com.au, Trench says Valenhold sees strategic partnerships with high quality dealers in international markets as a key driver of the firm’s ambitious expansion plans.
“Within this strategic objective, there is the potential for bolt-on acquisitions to accelerate our growth plans even faster, but we will ensure we take a measured approach with a focus on quality over speed,” he tells this news service.
Valenhold remains privately owned with no immediate plans for a change in ownership structure, although it is always open to strategic partnerships that can help it scale globally.
Trench says the focus is on building a highly scalable business model that blends local knowledge with world-class engineering systems, like its proprietary Repair and Maintenance (RAM) System, which he says delivers consistency, efficiency, and repeatability in the rebuild process of drive train components.
Outside of its home market in Australia, Valenhold is focused on North America, South America, and Africa in terms of geographical expansion.
“These regions have significant fleets of large mining haul trucks and are actively seeking alternatives to incumbent supply channels. We already have partners in some of these markets, and our product reputation and awareness is growing quickly,” Trench explains to Mining.com.au.
It’s too early to determine whether Valenhold will retain corporate or financial advisors to assist with its expansion plans, although Trench notes the team has strong internal commercial capabilities “and a clear view of what makes a good fit”.
“That said, as we do in other parts of our business, we’re happy to bring in advisors to assist with diligence or execution if and when needed,” the cofounder adds.
Valenhold’s preference is to build long-term strategic partnerships, but as noted, remains open to acquisitions if they align with its strategy and are a right cultural and commercial fit.
Humble beginnings, bold vision
Headquartered in Brisbane, Valenhold specialises in mobile fleet support, offering end-to-end solutions including a range of OEM compatible components, a service exchange fleet, as well as a full repair and return capability.
It was born out of a clear market gap. A decade ago, founders Garth Chester and Wayne Trench saw a lack of high-quality, cost-effective alternatives to incumbent OEM drive train components for large mining trucks.
“We started with little more than a laptop and a bold vision to build a Brisbane-headquartered business that could compete head on with global OEMs, delivering better service, better pricing, and smarter engineering solutions,” says Trench.
“From our humble beginnings, we’ve evolved into a global player having sold more than 130,000 components to 14 countries all around the world and having built a reputation for innovation, technical capability and quality.”
“We started with little more than a laptop and a bold vision …”
In terms of competition, Valenhold operates in a global market historically dominated by OEM giants, as well as a few large scale alternatives.
“Where we stand out is in our ability to combine high quality manufacturing muscle together with agility, engineering innovation, and lower total cost of ownership,” Trench tells this news service.
The company supplies components to a broad spectrum of mining companies, mining contractors, and to its dealer network partners around the world. Customers include most of the top-tier miners and contractors, as well as those that are slightly smaller in size/footprint.
Its VALC range of products are in use across most major Australian sites, and the firm is engaged with customers across North and South America, Africa, and Asia.
Valenhold employs about 50 people across its global locations. It is actively hiring and expects to increase its workforce over the next 12–24 months, especially across engineering, production, customer success, and international partner support.
The company is a triple finalist in the 2025 Lord Mayor’s Business Awards (International Business Award, ISPT Investment in Brisbane Award, and The Courier-Mail Businessperson of the Year Award).
The awards honour the people and businesses shaping Brisbane’s (and Australia’s) future across every industry, at every stage of the journey. They provide a platform to gain visibility, build connections with other leaders and attract new partners, helping to drive economic growth and transformation.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Valenhold
