Lowes Petroleum has acquired Tamworth-based Engineering Mining and Petroleum (EMP), growing its footprint in fuel infrastructure and maintenance services across Australia’s east coast.
The deal brings EMP into Lowes Petroleum’s engineering arm, Lennon Engineering and Construction, expanding their reach through regional New South Wales and Queensland at a time of steady demand for fuel system construction, maintenance and compliance work.
EMP has been operating since 2007, providing fuel infrastructure and petroleum services in regional and remote markets, supporting customers in transport, mining, agriculture and bulk fuel supply.
Lowes Petroleum Chief Executive Officer Cameron White said the acquisition reflected the company’s long-term confidence in regional Australia, positioning the business to capture growing demand for fuel infrastructure and engineering services while continuing to invest in local capability.
“Regional Australia is critical to a strong economy, particularly across freight, agriculture, mining and transport,” Mr White said. “We’ve been investing in capabilities that allow us to offer end-to-end services, from fuel supply through to construction and ongoing maintenance. EMP fits naturally into that.
“As infrastructure demand continues to grow, particularly across agriculture, transport and energy networks, customers are increasingly looking for providers with scale, reliability and deep regional capability.”
Mr White said the acquisition positioned the business strongly for future growth as investment accelerated across fuel infrastructure.
“At a time when global supply chains and offshore manufacturing markets remain volatile, Lowes Petroleum sees long-term value in investing in Australian capability and regional expertise,” he said.
“Businesses like EMP play an important role in keeping critical infrastructure skills, technical services and specialised maintenance capability in Australia, particularly across regional communities supporting numerous industries.
“This acquisition is about strengthening local delivery capability, supporting regional employment and ensuring customers continue to have access to experienced Australian-based teams that understand the operational demands of regional industries.
“As demand for fuel infrastructure and maintenance services continues to grow, there is a real need to invest in the next generation of skilled regional workers.
“Building Australian capability is not just about infrastructure, it’s about creating employment, supporting apprenticeships, technical training and long-term career opportunities in regional communities.
“We see strong value in retaining practical engineering and field service expertise locally, particularly in industries that are critical to Australia’s freight, mining, agriculture and energy supply chains.”
Lennon Engineering and Construction’s Chris Pope said EMP’s regional base and technical capability would strengthen the group’s delivery model.
“EMP has a strong regional footprint and a very practical, hands-on team,” Mr Pope said.
“We’re not looking to overcomplicate it. The focus is to keep delivering for their customers while giving the team access to a larger pipeline of work and resources.
“Customers will benefit from faster project delivery, reduced downtime and access to a single, trusted partner across the full lifecycle of their fuel infrastructure.
“We see strong ongoing demand across commercial fuel systems, transport infrastructure, mining support services and broader energy transition projects. Over time, it means we can take on more complex projects and support customers across a wider geographic area without losing that regional responsiveness.”
Recent collaborative projects between Lennons and EMP have included underground fuel system replacements, site re-tanking programs, fuel management system installations, tanker maintenance works and compliance upgrades for commercial and regional fuel infrastructure operators across New South Wales and Queensland.
