“Our mission is to help our members grow and be successful,” she says. “That can be through opportunities to connect with mine contractors, with mines specifically, or helping members access resources they may not know about, helping them with whatever resources and contacts they need as a business.”

Described as Ontario’s Mining Supply & Services Association, MineConnect was initially known as SAMSSA, the Sudbury Area Mining Supply & Service Association. It was rebranded to be more inclusive, reflecting all of Northern Ontario, and reintroduced to the world as MineConnect, fittingly announced at the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Conference in Toronto in March 2020.

For the newly christened Association, the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic just days later could have been catastrophic; instead, it proved to be an opportunity to build strong, successful relationships with mining suppliers.

Mines, governments, suppliers, and services—brought together
Before taking on her role as MineConnect’s Executive Director, Tremblay served on the Association’s board and was familiar with its structure and direction. Today, she is proud of her successes and those of MineConnect. In just a few years, MineConnect’s membership has tripled, and the organization has gone from 600 followers on LinkedIn to 8,000.

“To have an industry following of people seeking us out is a pretty big achievement,” she says. “I feel like we announce a new member almost every day. We’re not knocking down doors anymore, because we’ve proven what we do is worth being a part of, so people are finding us, which is fantastic.”

A stronger presence now than ever, MineConnect is experiencing a surge of members referring others and sharing the benefits of joining the Association. “That is huge,” says Tremblay. “That means we are doing what they need us to be doing. If a member refers somebody and says, ‘Hey, you need to be part of this,’ that’s gold.”

Along with members, MineConnect has a seat at government tables, including with the Ministry of Energy and Mines. These ministries actively reach out to MineConnect for input on bills and to ensure they themselves are meeting the needs of mine suppliers. It’s a message Tremblay and her team have been pushing for years, and it’s paying off.

“They want to know what suppliers need, and it’s a crucial part of the equation: you can’t have mines without suppliers. SMEs built the economy. They finally understand that and call us to check with them on their input. And that’s a huge success.”

Strong governance
MineConnect is a not-for-profit, completely self-sustainable organization. It operates with a diverse Board, including members with backgrounds in mining engineering, business development, technology, geoscience, Indigenous representation, and more. All are from the private sector, owners, directors, and other high-level people within their organizations who serve as advisors.

Working with a three-year strategic plan, the Board will soon meet to create a new plan and map out the direction of the organization. “It’s very much a governance board, not an ‘in the weeds’ or working board,” comments Tremblay. “They are there to provide advice, oversee our strategy, and ensure we are meeting strategic objectives.”

As Executive Director, Tremblay reports to the board and develops an annual work plan and yearly budget with the team. The work plan naturally reflects MineConnect’s current strategy and objectives. The Board also reflects the geography of Ontario, since strategies differ from one area to another, and what may work well in one market may not be as successful in another.

Diverse membership
Much like the Board, MineConnect’s membership is diverse, including suppliers who provide goods and services that mines need to operate such as automation and software; electric vehicles; communications infrastructure and services; environmental, health, and safety services; transportation; ventilation; and other areas.

MineConnect members come in all sizes, from multinationals to mom-and-pop operations. “We have some firms that are just two people,” Tremblay shares. “Those are the ones that really need the support.”

Some members get their start working for larger mines and decide to branch out on their own, creating a product or service; they understand the industry but don’t have enough people. As MineConnect members, they can share information about their companies which is then communicated to a broader base, helping build their brand.

By improving MineConnect’s recognition as an organization, Tremblay and her team also establish credibility, which is valuable to up-and-coming SMEs building their own brands and presence in the mining market. “If we work with them, you know they are vetted. If they are a member, they are a credible company,” she says. “That also gives comfort to procurement people at mines, especially if they are looking for something new, different, or local, because of geopolitics. Now they know if they can find it on our site, it’s a credible company.”

With current tensions around tariffs and other global issues, some mines are now considering regional Canadian suppliers.

MineConnect has also been working on building relationships domestically with British Columbia, Quebec, and other provinces. “I’m glad we did that, because this has demonstrated how important it is to work domestically,” says Tremblay. “And having the government looking to change some laws concerning inter-provincial work will be helpful. We’ve gone from being a Sudbury organization to being a complete provincial organization. It’s just under a year since we announced we would go province-wide.”

While welcoming new members across Ontario, Tremblay emphasizes the importance of partnering with others but not duplicating efforts. “We are here to work with people and benefit our members and partners,” she says. “If there are organizations across the country that have something of value for our members, we want to work with them. To us, that’s the whole point.”

One of the organization’s greatest successes has been MineConnect USA in Elko, Nevada. Launched in 2021, this was a three-year partnership between the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA), and MineConnect. Conceived as a business incubator for Nevada’s legendary mining industry, the project helped form many new, fruitful business relationships.

“The best thing that came out of that is our partnership is very strong, and we have a brand in Nevada,” says Tremblay. “When people show up, they’ve heard of us, and that adds to our credibility.” There is still a presence in Elko, including resources, contacts, and access to meeting space. “It’s still benefiting our members, and that’s the whole objective.”

Membership advantages
In MineConnect’s experience, the benefits of building relationships cannot be overstated. From generating opportunities to market intel, trade programs, e-news and social media promotion, networking events, and more, the benefits of membership are many.

Recently, MineConnect hosted its first golf tournament in Thunder Bay, Ontario, which was a huge success. When the day’s play was through, Tremblay was surprised at how many participants she saw enthusiastically introducing themselves to one another, when she had believed that everybody there already knew everybody else. This underscores the value of creating partnerships. On occasion, when she is in a meeting or talking to a supplier, someone mentions another company. “The next moment, they have a partnership going gangbusters,” she says. “It’s that introduction piece [that is our point of difference]—being involved in many things, talking to other people and seeing the big picture, where those connections are,” she explains. “It is extremely valuable, and sometimes it’s the person right next door. They don’t know they could be getting one of their parts from someone just down the street.”

As Tremblay approaches her fifth anniversary with MineConnect Canada, she sees the organization continuing to support its growing membership base and build valuable relationships.

A wider membership
“I would like more people from outside of the North to be part of the organization and become members, because it gives us more strength on a global level,” she says. Some of the groups she works with educate young people, parents, and schools about well-paying industry careers, helping to shift the perception of mining in the public’s mind. “Our job is to help our members, and we’re looking everywhere in the world for them,” she says.

Indeed, MineConnect regularly works with provincial and federal trade commissioners, investigating markets and gleaning information on current opportunities to share with members.

“We need to provide that information to them so they can make intelligent decisions that are valuable to their companies,” says Tremblay. “That’s why we’re so keen to provide ongoing discussion with our partners. We have those relationships and work with the provinces, the feds, and all our partners across the country. By talking to them all the time, we bring that intelligence back to our membership, because they look to us for that market intel. And that’s really important to us.”

The post In the Contact Sport That Is Mining, MineConnect Has the Contacts<p class="company">MineConnect</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Few people appreciate this in quite the same way that Murray does. His business has grown to become a significant manufacturing partner for the mining industry and oil fields in Canada and beyond.

And it all started with an unfortunate accident back in 1980.

“My dad fell off a ladder, smashed his heels, and was in a wheelchair for a year and a bit,” says Murray, who had trained as a sheet metal worker. His dad was a coppersmith by trade. “Once he had the accident, our life, everything changed.”

As part of this rollercoaster, Murray joined the family business, which specialized in welding for auto industry players like American Motors and Chrysler. It was based on the family farm near Thornton, Ontario, where his parents still live. He and his dad decided to reinvent the company, and Murray went on to become CEO as they grew and pivoted, now leading in industrial parts and heavy equipment. He’s proud that it’s still a family business.

Part of this new venture included projects with a company called Ramsey Engineering, which makes high-precision weighing equipment for industrial automation. “They would build belt scales that would weigh material, like iron ore going into the mill at the mine or sawdust, aggregate, or cement,” Murray explains. So JEBCO began working on projects for bridges, underground conveyances, cages, hoppers, and bins.

Things can change on a dime in business when a main client is sold. Ramsey was bought by Thermo Fisher Scientific, an American biotechnology company and global medical supplier—which no longer had need of JEBCO’s services. This was a crucial moment and an important change for the company, and the team began to focus more of its resources on third-party or OEM manufacturing.

“We went through the ’90s being a custom manufacturer. We did not get into the construction industry at all,” Murray says of the company’s decision to pursue opportunities in water treatment systems and then pulp and paper. “We stuck with mining or heavy industry, and that took us into pulp and paper because they’re all related, with common threads.”

Processing equipment for the oil sands was a particular growth area, and the company won its bid for weld overlay work for projects with Canadian Natural, one of the largest independent crude oil and natural gas producers. “Basically, it was a hydro cyclone with a feed launderer for the processing of the bitumen product,” Murray explains. “This particular project had a vessel that was lined with what we call a chrome carbide weld overlay. But they hadn’t actually executed it yet.”

The trouble was that the company that JEBCO contracted the work to was unable to provide that service. “We were in a very tricky position of needing to deliver on this, so we developed the process ourselves by being entrepreneurial and just finding a way while being under pressure.”

The feat made JEBCO one of the very first companies in Canada to have a weld overlay over a pressure boundary weld without needing to test twice. Named Ultraclad, this innovation was the world’s first and only fully robotic cladding technology, operating in the continuous 1F welding position, capable of cladding any shape or size of pipe.

Impressed, Canadian Natural came back to JEBCO again a year later, looking for work on the pipe and fittings in Alberta’s massive oil sands. “They awarded us a $10 million contract to line their pipe and fittings. We do this chrome carbide overlay on the inside of an elbow in the 1F position, which, to this day, is not being repeated. And we became a major supplier.”

Company expansion followed, and JEBCO bought a large complex in Barrie, Ontario in 2000, employing about 140 employees, including a full engineering staff. This marked a bright streak in the company’s history until the pandemic struck in 2020 when, like many businesses, JEBCO was upended.

“They announced the official state of emergency and then the six-foot distancing,” Murray recalls. “In the oil industry, they have large coaches to pick you up, holding anywhere from 45 to 65 people. There are thousands of people who they move by coaches, whether it be to the ExxonMobil or the Syncrude site, or the Canadian Natural sites—nobody drives to work.”

One can picture trying to get people six feet apart on a coach; a coach that can hold 60 people now only has 10 people. These logistical challenges coupled with reduced demand meant a slowdown for the whole sector. JEBCO came to a complete halt and had to rethink its business outlook. Part of the redirect included a return to its mining roots and applying its cladding technology.

On the upside, the past five years have seen a pattern of regrowth. “It’s a different landscape. We shifted from 80 percent mining and 20 percent oil sands supply to 80 percent oil sands and then back again to mining and water treatment,” Murray tells us.

While this was a painful shift, JEBCO is seeing the benefits of its agility. More emerging technologies are looking for minerals that the company helps to extract, like silver, gold, and copper. This pivot has also brought JEBCO back to its roots again. The company was reengaged by Ramsey to manufacture the belt scales and tramp metal detection for metal detectors.

Now Murray has signed a licensing agreement with an Australian company to provide clean air solutions for mining and construction support. This is a major win for the company and industry workers in the field, he says of the technology.

“They are basically gigantic dust collectors used to prevent silicosis issues that are prevalent everywhere as soon as you start digging in the ground, whether tunnelling, underground mining, or demolition work. We can collect that dust from the source and remove it from the workers.” By partnering with the founder of the product in Australia and Britain, JEBCO is bringing that technology to the U.S. and Canada and will be its only manufacturer.

Murray sees this as a critical turning point where the industries the company supports are making environmental impact a priority. It comes at a time when businesses with green initiatives have better brand recognition, investor support, and long-term sustainability. Take a ship loading cement: the loader moving the cement onto the ship needs a belt scale on it. The belt scale weighs exactly how many tons are going aboard. JEBCO helps make that happen. Then the ship with that belt scale also needs dust control while being loaded. That’s where JEBCO manages dust control to protect the environment and workers.

“So, whether it’s cement, iron ore, or other products, we feel that we’re setting ourselves up to be complementary to the environment and complementary to our industry,” says Murray. “We’re making good, honest, billable support through our belt scale, so that our clients understand that what they’re paying for or what they’re selling is accurate, and we’re controlling environmental dust issues.”

Looking ahead, JEBCO will be moving to a larger facility in Barrie next year, primed and prepared for what is to come. “We have a great general manager and a great financial manager handling our day-to-day operations as we scale for the future,” emphasizes Murray. “We’re pumped to be going through this next phase of our journey, and we have a great team.”

The post With an Eye for Opportunity, This Manufacturer Welds Its Way to the Top<p class="company">JEBCO</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Founded in 2015 by Managing Director Adrián Garcia, the company has grown from a small operation serving a handful of clients to a multinational group with offices in Canada, the United States, and across South America. This year marks STG Mining’s 10^th anniversary, a milestone that Garcia sees not as an endpoint, but as an important turning point. “It’s been a beautiful time in terms of growth and what we’ve done, but there’s still more to come,” he reflects.

STG Mining’s origins are rooted in relationships. Garcia didn’t set out to disrupt the industry with a grand plan; he was invited into it. Friends and colleagues in the laboratory sector were looking for guidance as new technologies and equipment reshaped the industry, and Garcia recognized an opportunity to provide value. What started as a helping hand quickly evolved into a thriving business.

“In the beginning, we worked with just one vendor and a couple of clients,” he tells us. “That picture has completely changed in 10 years. Today, we have a wide network of vendors and clients who trust us to provide the right solutions.” The company’s model is simple yet effective: pairing vendors with end users. Rather than manufacturing equipment themselves, STG Mining curates technologies from leading suppliers and delivers them to mining laboratories. By positioning itself as a trusted partner rather than just a supplier, STG has carved out a unique niche, and it is this role as a connector, problem solver, and long-term ally that has underpinned its growth.

The past 10 years have brought tremendous change to mining laboratories, and STG Mining has grown alongside its partners. The most significant transformation has come from technological advancements that are revolutionizing how labs operate. “In the past, you might wait hours for a process to be completed,” says Garcia. “Now, thanks to new technologies, results are ready in minutes. It’s a game-changer.”

But technological evolution is only part of the story. Garcia is quick to emphasize the importance of relationships, with both vendors and clients. “Our relationships have changed completely over the decade. Vendors have trusted us with their products, and clients have trusted us to bring them the right solutions. That mutual trust has given us the standing we have today.”

These partnerships are mutually reinforcing. Vendors rely on STG to position their products in front of the right clients and to provide critical feedback from the field. Clients, in turn, know they can depend on STG to deliver solutions that are practical, reliable, and tailored to their needs. This role as an intermediary has become more vital as mining laboratories face increasing complexity, tighter timelines, and greater expectations for compliance.

Indeed, excellence is more than a catchphrase at STG Mining; it is embedded into every part of the company’s ethos, and the team operates closely in line with quality management principles. The goal is not just to sell equipment but to ensure clients can operate safer, cleaner, and more efficient laboratories.

“We don’t just sit at our desks,” Garcia explains. “We’re out there with clients, visiting remote sites, installing and commissioning equipment, and providing preventative maintenance. That full-service approach is what sets us apart.”

Excellence also comes from listening, and STG Mining actively collaborates with vendors to refine products and tailor solutions to client needs. This ongoing feedback loop ensures the company is always delivering value and staying ahead of industry demands.

For Garcia, the success of STG Mining is not only about technology or markets but about people. With 15 employees across two main Canadian locations—Vancouver and Sudbury—plus operations in Nevada, Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru, the company remains lean but highly effective. “The team is the core of our success,” Garcia says. “We wouldn’t be here without their dedication. Everyone has the opportunity to share ideas, grow, and make an impact. That openness keeps us moving forward.”

While technical expertise is important, Garcia looks for something more when hiring. “I’m interested in people who are open to change, enthusiastic, and willing to see beyond the obvious. That mindset is what drives innovation and growth.” This emphasis on culture is especially important in a multinational environment, where consistency and collaboration are vital. STG Mining has built a culture that values initiative, adaptability, and a shared commitment to excellence.

One of the most exciting recent developments for STG Mining has been the introduction of onsite mobile laboratories. Traditionally, samples are shipped off to central facilities, causing delays in decision-making and adding costs. With mobile labs, testing can be conducted directly at the mine site, giving clients real-time results. “This is critical for the industry,” Garcia says enthusiastically. “Mobile labs allow for faster, more reliable data and can even move from site to site as exploration advances. It’s the future, and we’re proud to be part of it.”

The adoption of mobile labs is still in its early stages, but STG is already deploying solutions in locations like Elko, Nevada and Quebec. The speed and flexibility such labs provide could redefine how exploration and production decisions are made.

Mining is under increasing pressure to align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and STG Mining plays a key role in supporting clients on this journey. “Our role is to supply efficient, fit-for-purpose equipment,” Garcia explains. “By helping clients reduce waste, improve reliability, and maintain compliance, we enable cleaner and safer lab operations.” But sustainability is not just about compliance; it’s also about trust. Mining companies know their reputations and licenses to operate often depend on responsible practices. STG Mining’s ability to deliver equipment that supports these goals gives clients confidence in meeting both operational and ethical expectations.

As STG Mining’s footprint continues to expand, opportunities are also multiplying. “Our aim is simple,” says Garcia. “We want to be where mining is happening. That’s why we’re expanding into new markets and staying close to the industry’s heartbeat.” And growth isn’t just about geography. It’s also about deepening partnerships with vendors and continually introducing new technologies to clients. By staying agile and responsive, STG Mining ensures it remains at the forefront of industry change.

If there is one defining feature of STG Mining, it is the team’s willingness to go wherever clients need them. Garcia recalls taking small planes into remote regions just to ensure clients received the service they required. “This is part of our DNA,” he says. “We visit clients wherever they are, no matter how remote. It’s not just about supplying equipment; it’s about being there with them, installing, servicing, and maintaining what we deliver.”

This hands-on approach has built a reputation that extends far beyond equipment supply. Clients see STG as a partner invested in their success, and vendors view the team as trusted representatives who will go above and beyond to deliver value.

As STG Mining reflects on its first decade, the future looks even more dynamic. Garcia foresees an acceleration of technological change, with innovations that once took years to gain traction now being adopted in a matter of months. “In the next couple of years, we’ll see more changes than we’ve seen in the last five,” he predicts. “It’s an exciting time for the industry.”

Mobile laboratories, digitalization, and further advances in safety and efficiency will all play a role. STG Mining plans to continue its growth, deepen its vendor relationships, and strengthen its presence in key markets.

Another priority will be continuing to attract and develop talent. As Garcia notes, the company thrives on people who are open-minded and adaptable. Fostering that culture will be key as STG navigates an industry that is constantly evolving. But above all, he emphasizes the company’s enduring mission: to be there for clients. “We’re here for them. Our goal is to provide the solutions they need, wherever they are. That’s how we’ve grown for 10 years, and that’s how we’ll continue into the future.”

10 years on, STG Mining is more than just a supplier of mining laboratory equipment; it is a trusted partner in an industry that demands precision, reliability, and innovation. From humble beginnings with a single vendor to a multinational presence, the company’s journey reflects a consistent commitment to excellence, people, and progress. As the mining sector faces new challenges and opportunities, STG Mining stands ready to meet them head-on, guided by the values that have carried it through its first decade: strong relationships, dedication to service, and a vision for what’s possible.

“The last 10 years have been an incredible journey, but it’s only the beginning. We’re excited about the future, and we’ll continue to be right there with our clients every step of the way.”

The post Precision that Powers Progress<p class="company">STG Mining</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Originally known as the Sudbury Area Mining Supply & Service Association (SAMSSA), MineConnect Canada has expanded to become Northern Ontario’s Mining Supply and Services Association. Serving as the voice of the province’s growing mining sector, MineConnect actively works for its members. These include manufacturers and service providers in traditional industries such as fixed mining equipment, mine contractors, and blasting, along with emerging industries like automation, software, and battery electric vehicle companies and suppliers.

Helping to introduce Canadian companies to mine-rich Nevada, MineConnect USA was launched in Elko, the county seat of Elko County, Nevada, three years ago.

Increasing opportunities
Recognizing the important contribution the mining sector makes to the ongoing economic success of Canada and the United States, the Province of Ontario announced a further strengthening of economic ties with its Nevada colleagues last fall.

A new Economic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will see a deepening of the relationship between Ontario and Nevada, which will “support joint promotion of electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, critical minerals, and other priority sectors,” according to a new release from the office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford (www.ontario.ca/page/economic-cooperation-memorandum-understanding-ontario-and-nevada).

Last September, Premier Ford and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo signed the agreement during a ceremony at Queen’s Park, site of the Ontario Legislative Building. They were joined by Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli and a Nevada-led delegation including other government leaders.

“This new agreement will help Ontario and Nevada attract new investments and provide businesses and entrepreneurs opportunities for new markets for their products and services,” said Premier Ford. “Our government is hard at work, developing new economic partnerships with jurisdictions across North America and around the world to create new jobs and a stronger, more resilient economy.”

Added Governor Lombardo: “This agreement is based on our region’s strong mining sectors. It is in the mutual best interests of Nevada and Ontario to cooperate and work together to expand our economic partnership. Working together we can maximize emerging export opportunities.”

In 2022 alone, more than CAD 2 billion in trade moved between Ontario and Nevada. This new Ontario-Nevada MOU will continue to strengthen the relationship between the two jurisdictions as they work in tandem, identifying strategic partnerships and joint trade promotion and investment opportunities benefitting Canada and the United States.

Leading the 260-plus-member-strong MineConnect is Marla Tremblay, named Executive Director of the not-for-profit supply and service association in March 2021. “We’re taking the existing Nevada initiative we have in place and expanding it, changing up to formalize the partnership with them even further,” she says of the MOU.

MineConnect and the Nevada Governor’s Office are working in concert to ensure that the MOU results in tangible outcomes. An example of this is the recent launch of Master Links, a key component of the NNRDA Nevada Silver Links program. Developed based on the Nevada Water Smart Landscapes model, Master Links was created as a means of addressing supply chain gaps in Nevada by enabling participants to take advantage of various benefits including insider access to RFIs, prior to publishing.

“We are working with the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA) to help Nevada-based mining companies address their supply chain issues via direct assistance with RFI development and subsequent communication of said needs to MineConnect members in Northern Ontario,” says Tremblay. “Our suppliers can bid, and if they’re successful, we’ll help offset some of the costs, including legal fees, to get them set up in Nevada. The objective is the same, but the delivery is different.”

Best of all, participants will work with the shared facilities at the NNRDA in Elko, Nevada. “We’re going to use the dollars directly to help companies, versus providing more indirect support.”

Facing challenges
Like many other industries, the mining sector continues to face challenges in recruiting new workers to replace older staff heading toward retirement. Tremblay has recently begun to make presentations to high schools and panels of postsecondary students. These include inviting young professionals to talk about their career paths and the benefits of mining and encouraging students to envisage themselves in the field.

“Our members are telling us their main challenge is finding trained, qualified people,” she says, “so we’re doing what we can to help that. It starts when they’re young, and with getting teachers and guidance counsellors to understand the breadth of career opportunities that exist within the industry.”

Through its partnership with the Sudbury-based Goodman School of Mines at Laurentian University, MineConnect is striving to encourage future leaders in the industry. About 20 years ago, a game to foster awareness of mining careers among high school students was created and is being expanded beyond Sudbury to other parts of Ontario’s North. Recently, the first non-Sudbury editions of the MineOpportunity Challenge game were held in North Bay, Timmins, and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Since MineConnect has ties throughout Northern Ontario, the pairing is a natural fit with Laurentian University’s Goodman School of Mines.

“There’s a major labour crunch, a need for engaging youth to consider mining as a career and teaching them it’s not about just being a miner,” says Tremblay. “All kinds of roles exist in the industry. A mining camp is like a little city, with everything from chefs to bus drivers. People can be nurses in mining. We need people to understand that there are so many opportunities, and it’s not what they might imagine.”

A cross between Monopoly and The Amazing Race, MineOpportunity Challenge features mining companies, suppliers, and others in mining operating booths. In this highly interactive game, participants are asked questions which require them to go to a website, ask companies for information, or check QR codes to find the answers.

“We use minerals as their pawns and core samples as the head frames, so it’s a whole integrated way for them to learn about the industry and learn about the companies in their area and all of the innovative things they do,” comments Tremblay.

If they get the answer right, contestants win “money” and the opportunity to buy a mine, conduct exploration, and more. Along with the game, students learn about diversity, women in the industry, drone technology, virtual reality, and more to foster awareness about modern mining.

Valuing diversity
Recently, MineConnect’s board and staff underwent an Indigenous relations training course to better understand Canada’s colonial history so that they can help foster understanding and learn wise practices in creating strong partnerships that will help to move the sector forward together—in a mutually beneficial way.

In terms of women and diversity/inclusion in the industry, the organization recently partnered with Women in Mining Sudbury for a Halloween-themed business networking event and is looking forward to developing partnerships with other branches of this national group in future.

At the upcoming Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention in Toronto this March, MineConnect will work in collaboration with Theresa Nyabeze, the Diversity and Inclusion Lead at Vale Base Metals to co-host a roundtable session with leaders—including female CEOs—from various mining operations and other large firms that influence the sector, to discuss what they’re doing from a diversity and inclusion perspective.

FAM Tour
Tapping into her extensive background in tourism, Tremblay was inspired to create a familiarization tour, better known as a FAM Tour. Instead of focusing on travel, however, she has developed a novel version for the mining industry.

Set to take place at the end of May, the tour will see invited media attending to take part in mine suppliers/services site tours and other events. It will coincide with the back-to-back BEV In-Depth: Mines to Mobility conference (presented by Greater Sudbury Economic Development), which focuses on mineral extraction and its applications for electric vehicles, and NORCAT’s Mining Transformed exhibition—the world’s first mining technology expo held in an operating underground mine—in the City of Greater Sudbury.

“In between those two events, we will host a reverse expo,” says Tremblay, “which is essentially a trade show where the media and mines are at the table.” Almost like a type of pre-matched speed dating, suppliers, journalists, and specialists will sit together for 15 minutes, discuss relevant topics, and move on to the next group. She anticipates high demand for this members-only event, but there will be a limited number of participants.

And in September, MineConnect will be at MINExpo in Las Vegas at the Mining Suppliers Trade Association (MSTA) booth in the Canadian Pavilion. Others, including representatives from the City of Greater Sudbury and Ontario’s Ministries of Northern Development, Mines, and Natural Resources and Forestry, will also be in attendance.

In just a few years, MineConnect has grown and earned significant brand recognition. Through conversations and surveys with its members, the organization has gained valuable insights, enabling it to accurately base its decisions around member needs.

More staff, more capacity
With more staff than ever, MineConnect can provide myriad programs and advantages to members.

“A big piece of what I want to do is enhance and strengthen my relationship directly with the mines because that’s what our members want: an opportunity to get in front of them,” explains Tremblay. “And that’s one reason we want to do the reverse expo, so they have a chance to meet with representatives of mines,” she says.

“We are really building that piece and growing our domestic presence. We’ve done a lot of work from an export standpoint outside of Canada, and now we’re working on strengthening the relationship with the other provinces, looking at ways to work with them, and figuring out ways to get our suppliers to all work together to strengthen the overall capacity and supply chain throughout Canada,” she shares.

“We’re also looking at ways to reduce issues around the supply chain—to be less dependent on parts from elsewhere. That’s a big focus, and I’d like to get that solidified.”

The post Suddenly, Nevada and Northern Ontario Are Very Good Neighbours<p class="company">MineConnect</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“Mining happens organically around here,” says Mudd. “What we are trying to do is create new business and industry clusters that can be leveraged in the off chance that mining experiences an unexpected downturn.”

Today, the NNRDA represents four counties. These are Elko (Carlin, Elko, Wells, and West Wendover), Eureka, Lander, and White Pine (Ely). Founded over a decade ago, the NNRDA helps companies with their location and expansion needs, from incentives to site selection.

Bordered by Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and California, Nevada’s available land, very low unemployment rate of just three percent, and no individual state income taxes make the state an attractive place to start or expand a business.

More than mining
Although mining has been integral to the state’s economy since gold was discovered in 1849, Mudd recognizes that Northeastern Nevada is ideal for other sectors—such as manufacturing, logistics, and distribution—to create a more diverse portfolio heading into the future.

Like many other rural communities, Elko, Eureka, Lander, and White Pine are faced with challenges related to location and a relatively low population. As a result, rural Nevada doesn’t have the workforce or variety of retail outlets found in larger centers. Even with its many advantages—from very low crime rates and near-zero traffic to striking mountains and scenery—businesses still need skilled workers.

“We have to be strategic when targeting companies,” comments Mudd. “We can’t recruit a Tesla or Panasonic here because they need thousands of people. We look for companies who require 50 to 200 people, tops, so that we can accommodate growth strategically.”

Even with area employers paying almost double the salary and other benefits found in states such as Idaho and Utah, the challenge of available housing remains. This has led to the NNRDA investigating ways for the area to have larger subdivisions allocated and built to accommodate needs. “It’s a nationwide problem and we understand that,” Mudd explains, “but we have provided potential solutions to our lawmakers that include detailed strategies and they appear to be gaining steam. I think we may be getting out ahead of this issue very soon.”

Attracting business
Despite these challenges, Mudd says, Northeastern Nevada is gaining considerable attention from businesses not just across America, but from Australia, Canada, and other countries.

One of the most recent is Battle Mountain Hydrogen LLC. Based in Northern Nevada, Battle Mountain is focused on the production of green methanol and hydrogen, both low-carbon fuel sources. “It’s one of the biggest things to happen here since mining,” says Mudd of the potential billion-dollar project, currently in the permitting process.

One of the reasons Lander County was selected by corporate representatives as an ideal location is its annual exposure to sunlight—which they indicated is more plentiful even than that of Miami, Florida. Battle Mountain Hydrogen will use the sunlight to power its electrolysis process, generating an authentically “green” fuel source and eliminating the need to rely on local utility companies.

In addition to these exciting new developments, mining continues to expand and grow in the region. Northeastern Nevada is seeing investment from major companies, including the Japanese multinational corporation Komatsu Ltd., one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of equipment used in mines, the military, forestry, and construction. Komatsu is currently wrapping up construction on a massive new warehouse expansion that will add almost 50,000 square feet to its service center campus in Elko.

Set to expand an existing warehouse, the new facility will generate new jobs and include high-capacity racking and high-density vertical lift modules in a climate-controlled environment. Owing to its location and easy access to Interstate 80 just west of Elko, it is particularly convenient for customers in the mining sector.

Other companies, such as Epiroc, have also made significant investments in the area. One of the world’s most innovative manufacturers of drill rigs, construction equipment, and rock excavators, the Stockholm, Sweden-based business recently unveiled a new 48,000-square-foot Competency Center in Elko. Epiroc already has an established presence at mines in Nevada, including a service center in Battle Mountain.

Also choosing Northeastern Nevada as a place to do business is Solmax International Inc. Based in Varennes, Québec, the company is a worldwide leader in sustainable construction solutions and geosynthetics, making high-performance geomembranes for mining, oil and gas, water management, and other sectors. Purchasing almost two dozen acres at the Northeastern Nevada Regional Railport, Solmax is set to soon begin construction of its plant.

In addition, a major non-mining manufacturer has expressed interest in about half of the available space of Wells Industrial Park. Situated at the crossroads of two intercontinental roadways, Interstate-80 and U.S. Highway 93, the prospective company hopes to serve its entire western customer base from this logistically superior location. Stakeholders are currently negotiating specific terms and Mudd and his staff are hoping to make an announcement sometime in the first quarter of 2024.

The NNRDA is also in talks with global drill manufacturing giant Sandvik. According to the company, it is investing over $50 million in its biggest facility to date in Elko. Replacing the company’s present office and separate warehouse, the new facility will cover 14 acres and is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2025. Once completed, the facility will include dedicated infrastructure to support battery electric vehicles (BEVs), a simulator area, training center, welding areas, and a painting booth.

“This facility will be our largest of several branches serving the U.S. mining market,” says Victor Tapia, Vice President, Sales Area USA, Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, in a media release. “We are creating a new, modern work environment for our people, and in turn, for our customers, who operate in rapidly changing market conditions with fast-evolving technology. The new building will facilitate increased collaboration opportunities and enable us to better serve our customers for years to come.”

MineConnect
Originally known as the Sudbury Area Mining Supply & Service Association (SAMSSA), MineConnect is a not-for-profit that serves as the voice of Ontario’s mining sector. Representing the interests of its members, MineConnect helps introduce Canadian mining products and services to companies in Nevada.

In the interest of refining a great concept, Mudd was recently tasked to explore what a revised version of MineConnect USA could look like. While working on a project known as Supply Chain Nevada, he came up with the SilverLink Program, inspired by ‘the Silver State’, Nevada’s official nickname.

The idea, he says, was to build a repository where mining operators could engage and provide data and information for the economic development group. That information will then be analyzed to determine supply chain gaps, with Mudd immediately seeking to recruit and market to companies able to fill those gaps or pivot operations to address a supply chain issue, whether a service or a need.

The idea was bolstered by a trade mission from the Nevada Governor’s office to Canada last fall. Once in place, SilverLink will assist businesses with grants which can be used to pay costs for business licenses, rent, or legal fees.

“This initiative has flipped the process by which we recruit supply chain companies, where mining operators drive the data and determine the need,” Mudd explains. “Once that need is defined, a request for proposal (RFP) will be created and prepared for publishing.” Mudd’s team then established a membership component known as “Master Links” that will have exclusive opportunities to review and respond to these RFPs prior to public distribution. MineConnect has agreed to partner with NNRDA and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) to be the program’s first Master Link partner.

“Members of the Nevada GOED international team have a genuine interest in what we are doing out here, and are trying to promote more FDI [foreign direct investment] into the rural parts of the state,” Mudd explains.

Although Northeastern Nevada remains an undiscovered gem, Mudd and the NNRDA are convinced it will attract many more mining and non-mining related businesses alike in the coming years. Other areas, such as Reno, have already undergone economic revolution through the presence of Tesla, Panasonic, and other large companies.

“Economic development happens organically there now,” Mudd says. “You don’t have to market a city like Reno or push some of these economic development initiatives there because they have established a dynamic business environment with a great quality of life. Las Vegas is the same way. Phoenix, Arizona, Boise, Idaho, and Twin Falls, Idaho, where I was born, are the same. Each one has been discovered; people know it’s there. They know what it has to offer, and those who want to are taking advantage of it. This, too, is our goal for Northeastern Nevada.”

The post New Growth as Diversified Industry Stakes Their Claim in the Mining State<p class="company">Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA)</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

The new world-class Centre in Nairn will comprise a detonator manufacturing facility for both non-electric and electronic detonators, with on-site plants producing BME’s leading brands: VIPERDET™ nonelectric detonators, AXXIS TITANIUM™ and AXXIS SILVER™ electronic detonators, and INNOVEX™ emulsion explosives. These facilities will also support AXXIS blast initiation equipment and offer upkeep, repair, and maintenance for the company’s trucks and subterranean equipment.

Not only are AXXIS products and BME’s array of digital technologies assisting miners in enhancing safety, reducing energy costs, and meeting ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance) targets, BME has also recently successfully deployed AXXIS SILVER™ detonators to blast in below-freezing temperatures, owed to the superior performance capabilities of BME’s electronic detonators.

With an official grand opening scheduled for May 2024, the facility in Nairn Centre, a small town located outside of Sudbury, Ontario, has helped position BME for its projected substantial growth in the North American market.

“With Sudbury being very prevalent for mining, along with mining communities in the north, Nairn Centre was the perfect fit for us,” says General Manager Neil Alberts.

BME’s detonator manufacturing facility, located outside of Nairn Centre, is one component of this manufacturing hub which is now completed, and the company has installed and commissioned its manufacturing equipment with leading technology to offer a quality product to market to its customer base across North America.

“The facility itself will be the first new non-electric production line in Canada to be commissioned in more than 35 years, and we have built in sufficient capacity to support the North American market and beyond.”

In addition to the manufacturing of detonators, the Nairn Centre facility will be equipped with state of the art laboratories for quality control and further product development, allowing BME Mining Canada to build market confidence and deliver solutions through high-quality product offerings.

“We’re also proud to be expanding our abilities to include manufacturing of bulk emulsion products,” says Alberts. “It’s really exciting for us to be able to have a manufacturing facility that allows us to have a centralized point of manufacture and distribution for our complete product range, and which allows us to tailor products for distinct market needs,” he says.

“Our manufacturing and assembly of BME’s flagship electronic detonators is an element that we are really proud of, since we are confident in our world-class AXXIS Titanium electronic detonator brand, which has provided significant benefits to customers across the world in attaining impressive production outcomes, improving safety, reducing energy costs, and in the long term, even achieving ESG targets as well as delivering on sustainable practices.”

In terms of supply security, BME Mining Canada manufactures locally and has created redundancy for further growth and capacity at its manufacturing facility, allowing the company to deliver premium product solutions to the market in Canada and North America.

“It places us in a very strategic position and allows us to be very competitive from not just a global perspective, but an in-country perspective, as well,” Alberts says. “We are confident in our competitive advantage in terms of our technology, quality, and supply security, and being strategically located closer to some of the larger mining operations in Canada really bodes well for our expansion.”

Facility growth also means expansion of the company’s capacities in building, maintenance, truck shop, and servicing of equipment both for underground and surface use, as well as housing an office block to cater for its team.

“The manufacturing facility is being positioned to become the centre of excellence for BME Mining Canada, with a future focus of further expansion opportunities,” Alberts shares.

The overall reception in the market has been “very positive” so far, he adds, with the company recently landing its first major contract with one of the larger mining companies outside of Sudbury. The team has also conducted numerous trials locally around Sudbury and toward the north in the Timmins region—with very good results and feedback from customers that continues to be promising.

“With such optimistic outcomes,” Alberts says, “the substantial investment in the detonator manufacturing technology allows us to demonstrate to the market our commitment and dedication to growing in the Canadian and North American market.”

BME Mining Canada is also serious about bringing its ESG commitments to market, both locally and globally. The recent announcement of the partnership with Hypex Bio Explosives Technologies, based in Sweden, and Omnia Holdings confirms its commitment to technologies that drive ESG benefits and outcomes, as well as leading the way in cutting-edge and environmentally friendly explosives solutions. Hypex Bio has created a revolutionary emulsion using hydrogen peroxide (HP) that offers far more environmental advantages than traditional nitrate-based products. This presents an opportunity for BME Mining Canada to provide a differentiated product offering in Canada and North America.

This partnership will significantly improve the company’s continuing research and commercialization of Hypex’s HP emulsion technology in strategic markets, and additionally provides Omnia, BME’s parent company, with access to state-of-the-art technology. By comparison with conventional emulsion products, the hydrogen peroxide emulsion delivers a 90 percent reduction in carbon emissions due to its non-nitrate chemistry solution.

“What we’re very excited about and very much looking forward to, is that one of those key markets of development for sustainable product initiatives is going to be Canada,” Alberts says. “And that will be driven by the BME Mining Canada team.”

In the near future, he adds, the company will have the ability to manufacture a non-nitrate explosive emulsion in Canada and for the Canadian market.

BME has overcome all the challenges imposed by the pandemic and is now delivering on its objectives and strategies, some of which—for example, the HP technology—is to be realised in the next 12 to 15 months.

“That’s a major focal point for us right now: to get that infrastructure set up, get the manufacturing capability ready for production, and put that to market and gradually build up a clientele with our range of new green explosive solutions and our differentiated value-adding products,” Alberts explains.

Other goals include embracing and maintaining robust safety standards, achieving stability and performance—both key factors in the manufacturing of emulsion products—and looking ahead to building the product range further.

“We’ve pushed the boundaries with AXXIS TITANIUM™,” Alberts says. “Our AXXIS TITANIUM™ detonators are world-class, and have elevated capabilities in terms of safety, reliability, and advanced technology. We also have a suite of software technologies that contribute to our ecosystem of products, including our detonators and emulsion products.”

BME’s software suite, namely BLAST Alliance, supports customers from design to outcome for standard and specialised applications that have proven to optimize drill and blast performance of customers globally.

“Many companies have that; it’s not unusual for a company to have a suite of offerings that are leveraged off each other,” Alberts says. “What sets us apart is that we have a specialized focus on the client’s needs. These technologies and applications are specific and dedicated to providing a complete ecosystem of solutions for our customers.”

Another aspect that truly helps set the company apart is its cold emulsion product technology, which was developed in South Africa close to 40 years ago, a dual-salt product which comprises an ammonium nitrate and a calcium nitrate product.

Why is that relevant? “It makes for better blasting, and it contributes to factors like safety, durability, and performance, which are vital for the mining sector,” Alberts says.

The post Safer, Greener, Better – The Practice of Progressive Mining<p class="company">BME Mining Canada</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

A&M Remediation is a waste management and commercial cleaning partner for industrial clients, and goes a step further to align its people and processes with its operating values of good environmental stewardship and trust-based relationships.

From Manager of Staff Development and Support, Jake Geale’s, perspective, “You can operate with values, and you can still be successful with values; it doesn’t have to be just the financials. And it’s not two sides of a coin: you can have both the values and the good business sense as well.”

No wasted opportunity
As an industrial waste management specialist, the team at A&M offers consultative services and support to optimize its clients’ operations in accordance with standards, regulations, and overall best practices. This is an offering that not only helps clients do the right thing; it is also good for their bottom lines.

With interest rates as high as they are, there is no question that budgets have tightened across industries and sectors, and this is especially true of the mining sector, where millions of dollars may be leveraged. There has never been a better time to take advantage of operational efficiencies.

“We’re constantly finding ways to explain the cost savings, because if we look at what our clients are looking at—which is dollars and cents because it’s a shareholder-driven business—markets are always asking for savings and more value for the dollar. So, how do we convey the message that our service does this while at the same time meeting their ESG guidelines?” President and Founder, Paul Thususka, explains.

Building trust
A&M Remediation is deeply committed to improving environmental, social, and economic outcomes for its clients through proven waste diversion and mitigation tactics, a values-based culture, and more meaningful engagement with First Nations in line with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.

Failure to consult with First Nations is a major issue that confronts the company’s clients and must be taken seriously. Mining and development companies have a unique opportunity before them to build trust and uphold the TRC’s Calls to Action, demonstrating good faith and good intentions through their actions, which A&M can facilitate.

“For our clients, this is the way: by demonstrating your intention for environmental stewardship and demonstrating your intention to leave [the environment] clean and not damaged—that’s going to build trust. It’s a massive piece of trust right off the top,” says Thususka.

Given the history of distrust, both sides need to come to the table to ensure that traditional lands are protected and First Nations’ interests are considered. A&M hopes that its approach to consultation will help to plant the seeds of change and empower positive progress and self-determination for the long term.

Acknowledging the reality of the situation, Thususka notes, “We’re planting a tree that we may never see the fruit from. I’m never going to see the long-term benefits of these decisions 10, 20 years from now. My kids will see them, and the industry will see them.” But he makes it clear that that’s enough to keep A&M motivated for change.

New path forward
By delivering services that directly align with its values, A&M promotes safe, profitable, and environmentally sound operations while saving its clients time and money. To date, A&M has saved thousands of hours per year in operational efficiencies for its clients, which amounts to more than a million dollars in savings annually while reducing landfill waste volume by 94 percent on average. For remote operations, this is invaluable.

According to Thususka, “What we do is, when inputs come in, we process those and create outputs that go to recycling, composting, landfill, reuse, or another purpose. If we can reduce the number of inputs coming in, we can reduce the outputs, so we’re consulting on some of that with our clients. Organic composting has become a big part of reducing costs and impact for some of the remote operations.”

He adds, “If you have road access two months of the year, how are you getting your waste out? You can’t store organics and you can’t bury it. Even with some of the permitting for landfills, they’re not able to do that.”

While major waste streams are being managed in accordance with regulatory requirements to ensure that the people, lands, and waterways are protected, there are smaller quantities of hazardous waste that are being overlooked in some day-to-day operations, and A&M has a proven program to tidy up these loose ends. The company has developed a fully vetted process that is traceable for auditing purposes. This system of accountability has supported its clients in achieving environmental certifications such as ISO 14001, which has very rigid standards.

Operations Manager Chris Hendsbee notes, “The client directed the auditors to our waste management programs at a couple of the mines underground and it was great for us because it was a showcase of what we were doing. In everything that the auditors saw on the paperwork side and in practice, the client was achieving the ISO 14001 standard, so that was big for us and them.”

People first
People, of course, are a major component of service delivery and A&M Remediation seeks employees who will match the energy and culture of the company, upholding the values it holds dear. At a time when securing talent is a challenge, A&M is committed to developing its own, creating an inclusive and open environment where everyone can excel, including those who have been historically excluded from the industry, such as women and people of colour.

It’s no secret that the mining industry and the underground are not the most welcoming of environments, particularly for women, as the sites are designed for male workers and usually have limited accommodation, but having a diverse team calls for a more diverse approach to staff provisions, including appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and change room facilities.

“We’re focusing more and more on our values, and we’re standing by those values more strongly with our clients. ‘This is the way it is. This is the way the work is going to go.’ Not that we’re putting ultimatums out but we’re choosing things to do that align with our values more and more every day,” says Thususka.

A unique aspect of A&M Remediation’s success is its calm acceptance of staff turnover given the time and effort that goes into its training and development program; its leadership team understands it as confirmation that the company is seen as a quality stepping stone to bigger opportunities.

For Geale, “We know that the training we do is part of our cost of doing business, and we’re prepared to do that. But being able to provide excellent service and have a positive working environment is more important to us,” he says.

“We know that a lot of people want to get into the mining side rather than the service side of things. We can help you get into the mining industry. We can help you gain some experience, some safety knowledge, some skills, and then we would be happy to provide you with a reference or to make an introduction to have you potentially work elsewhere. While that sounds a little bit backwards, embracing the turnover, I think it’s been really helpful for us because I am far happier to have an excellent staff member for a year than a mediocre one for five.”

A&M has designed its training program to focus on nurturing new onboards, providing them with a support system and sounding board during their transition underground. On any given day, you can find the leadership team at A&M alongside its employees underground doing the same jobs because no one is above the work being done—and safety is above everything.

“We stay on top of coming regulation and we try to make sure our people are comfortable and confident. I don’t want anybody going underground without the confidence that they can be on their own down there,” says Daryl Bransfield, Manager of Health and Safety Programs and Training.

“I’ll spend extra days down there making sure they understand their duties, and we have excellent people who guide them on the smaller day-to-day stuff, so we’re constantly reaching out to our workers to make sure their comfort levels match our expectations of them. We get a lot of good feedback on that,” he says.

“I talk to people who have moved on to other companies and I get feedback from them saying, ‘You know, you guys do it differently,’ and I always appreciate that. It’s a warm feeling and I love hearing from people who have moved on.”

This inherent understanding that a fulfilled employee will bring greater value to the company they work for is a testament to A&M’s ability to be an employer of choice, as well as an industrial partner of choice. By putting people and the environment first, mining operations and industrial sites can do better while being better, and A&M can help.

The post Leaders in Environmental Innovation<p class="company">A&M Remediation</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Recognizing these factors, mining companies want to do their work in as clean, efficient, and human-sensitive a way as possible so that this can become a cleaner industry overall.

To this end, the organization brings forward technologies that look to disrupt the sector, especially those that will improve prospecting and exploration, mine design, construction, permitting, remediation, and land restoration. “MICA is going to give the mining industry the tools it needs to become the mining industry of the future,” says Nyabeze.

This kind of disruption cannot be achieved alone, so while many mining companies develop technologies on their own, MICA aims to bring them all together and coordinate how mining innovation evolves. Through its network of over 100 members, six Regional Main Partners across Canada, and National and International Associate Partners, the organization taps into this innovation web that in turn feeds back into the country’s networks and goals.

Nyabeze says that MICA’s role is to usher in the future of mining in Canada in such a way that the country plays a key role, such that Canadian companies and inventors can contribute globally with their innovations and organizations can continue to meet and exceed climate-centric objectives.

Since 2022, MICA has continued moving forward in crucial ways. First, it has formalized its approach to international outreach and onboarded a new Director for Global Outreach. This appointment will create more pathways for organization members to take on a global reach so that Canadian technology can spread more effectively across the world. Nyabeze accepted a promotion to Network Director in July 2023, allowing him to work more formally in the areas of leading and developing.

MICA’s network of partners continues to grow in terms of interconnectivity as its influence and brand become more well-known, especially through various events in the national and international mining community. Nyabeze also says that the organization has since established relationships in countries like Germany, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Peru, and parts of Africa, which will only further promote this sense of interconnectivity. It has overall been a part of nearly 150 national and international events and activities, including academic engagements, conferences, workshops, panels, and presentations. In addition, the MICA team—Nyabeze and Douglas Morrison, CEMI President and CEO—recently attended the Future Minerals Forum in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia, where CEMI was consulted in the development of International Networked Centres of Excellence.

To date, MICA has allocated $26 million to 40 projects from across the mining value chain, and these projects are set to mature by 2026 and hopefully add 40 new technologies to the mining landscape. These technologies are being funded in four distinct areas: activity, which refers to increasing the production capacity of mines; energy, meaning reducing consumption and emissions; smarts, the implementation of autonomous mining systems; and environment, reducing risk and liabilities to natural resources. All these technologies work together to accomplish the mining industry’s objectives toward growth and prosperity.

Nyabeze says that there are some very promising technologies on the horizon from these projects. For instance, the company ApoSys Technologies is working on an underground positioning system that will allow more autonomous machines in mining. By enabling the use of robotics in more dangerous spaces, mines of the future can become more efficient and less risky for humans.

Elsewhere, Extract Energy is putting forth solutions to capture and convert low-grade heat from mining operations into electricity; H2nanO looks to manage waste water sources; Destiny Copper offers low-energy copper processing; and Rithmik Solutions’ ‘Equipment Doctor’ technology allows mining operations to perform predictive analysis and maintenance of equipment.

Critical minerals are another important aspect of today’s mining work. These are defined as strategic minerals needed to supply in-demand areas, those that are important to the supply chain and often found in low concentrations. Nyabeze says that innovation and technology are key to affording companies in the industry the ability to mine, process, and add value to critical minerals. MICA member, Litus Inc., from Calgary is pioneering a Direct Lithium Extraction technology that promises to harvest lithium from low-concentration sources.

The mining technology supported by the organization will allow future mines to open faster and more effectively so that any critical mineral mine will benefit from the work of MICA and its technologies. The organization is also working with its technology providers to aid smaller mining companies in getting into the critical mineral game, an area typically reserved for bigger corporations.

Existing in one of the oldest industries in the world, MICA is asking the question of what needs to be changed in the industry to accommodate innovations on the rise. Nyabeze says that the mining industry needs MICA to support and de-risk innovations and raise the level of confidence that these innovations work; however, the mining industry holds many potential dangers, so MICA wants to remove humans from this as the industry itself opens to solutions that will achieve safer operations.

Companies are looking to open new mines where the footprint of mining itself is minimal, especially as it pertains to the local environment and economies. Typically, Ontario locations like Sudbury and Timmins are communities that have been supported by mining for generations, but the call is now on for mining to be more responsible for its environmental and worker impact. “We want to make sure that mining is respectful of the environment and people,” Nyabeze says.

As the year is well underway, MICA will soon be looking to have a presence on the international stage at Mining Indaba, from 5-8 February in Cape Town, South Africa. Organization representatives will be attending the conference as well as taking a mission of partners and members to Johannesburg. Nyabeze says that Africa is the place with the most concentrated amount of valuable minerals, so MICA wants Canadian technologies to play a part in the development of the African mining industry.

The organization is also pushing more activities and events across Canada to knit together the innovation ecosystem present in the mining space. This will further increase the outreach, memberships, partners, and companies of MICA, as well as the innovation of that network.

Closer to home, MICA’s online portal will be adding new features this year, where members can do more matchmaking to find integrators and solutions. In fact, it is enlisting an open challenge to all mining companies to be open about their ongoing problems and challenges so that it can vet solutions to these problems from around the world. Finally, MICA aims to get more involved at the academic level with students and work to address and initiate relationships with the next generation of workers.

MICA continues to position itself as a global leader in curating emerging solutions for mining, and it wants mining operators around the world to regard it as a go-to place for innovations that can make operations better and affect them in significant ways as far as possibility, environmental performance, and how these technologies deal with the people that represent the beating heart of mining operations. Simply put, MICA “will make mining better,” as Nyabeze says.

For more information about MICA please contact info@micanetwork.ca.

The post Bringing Canadian Mining Solutions to a Global Market<p class="company">Mining Innovation Commercialization Accelerator (MICA) Network</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“Electrification is probably the most interesting and newest topic that the HAWE Group collectively is exploring. Back in 2019, we acquired a company called Mattro, and we’ve now integrated them into our fold. We’re calling that division HAWE Mattro. They are an Austrian-based team with a production line for building batteries and integrating electrification systems,” explains Electronics Product Manager, Chase Younker, who works for HAWE’s U.S. subsidiary. “With electrification, we are adapting to a world that is changing.”

The company (whose name is pronounced ‘Ha-Vee’ and was previously profiled in February 2023’s Resource in Focus) has no intention of abandoning its original mission of making hydraulic valves and coming up with integrated solutions incorporating these valves. In fact, it wants to “make sure that hydraulics still has a seat at the table,” even as it broadens its focus, Younker says.

Hydraulic valves control the direction of liquids used within a hydraulic system to activate an equipment or machine function. HAWE’s valves are used in agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery, lifting platforms, loading cranes, drilling equipment, and more, and HAWE aims to establish itself as a leader in providing electrification solutions within some of these same sectors. It has also branched into new sectors such as the consumer boat market.

“There’s a big push to get electrified boats out there, and they fit our offering quite well,” shares Younker.

The company is also making a splash within the world of electrified field robots, used to seed, weed, and harvest plants in agricultural settings. In addition to providing automation, consistency, and accuracy, field robots are lighter than conventional tractors, resulting in less soil compaction. HAWE has developed a field robot platform called ROVO, which is powered by lithium-ion batteries.

“ROVO is a fully developed, off-highway, tracked electrification platform that allows customers to mount and integrate their application on board. It operates on our 96-volt battery, which is part of our standard product offering,” says Younker.

Field robots fitted on the ROVO platform have a 40-kilometer range, can toil continuously for four hours before requiring a recharge, and do not produce any emissions. Beyond farm work, ROVO has been utilized for firefighting, search and rescue, and some industrial and drilling applications, says Younker.

There are different levels of electrification, including hybrid outcomes featuring conventional fossil fuel sources and some electrified functions.

“In electrification, the entire vehicle is often not redesigned, but proven work processes are electrically driven,” explains HAWE literature. The company’s work with truck mounted cranes is a case in point. Under its guidance, a modified truck mounted crane might include a traditional engine along with a separate electric drive to power the hydraulic pump for boom lowering, lifting, swinging, hoisting, and other work functions.

HAWE’s work with controls is another key area of expertise, and the company recently partnered with Xtreme Manufacturing to produce a massive, tracked telehandler nicknamed ‘Trackzilla.’ Officially called the XR50100-G, this telehandler boasts a 100-foot lift height, 75-foot forward reach, 675-horsepower engine, dual hydrostatic transmissions, and a 50,000-pound lift capacity. In an exuberant LinkedIn post, Younker described Trackzilla as “a one-of-a-kind, absolute MONSTER of a machine, with all the GRACE of a ballet dancer.”

“We did all of the programming and integration of all the CAN sensors including the CAN valves… We leveraged our hydraulic expertise with our electronic expertise,” he tells us. A controller area network (CAN) is a system that links ‘intelligent’ devices in industrial settings. CAN bus technology features prominently in HAWE controls.

Using CAN bus, the company can “tie all your smart sensors together,” in mobile equipment and do the same “in the mobile hydraulics world as well, mostly with our PSL CAN product which is essentially a spool valve with electronics and CAN bus communications onboard. So you can send it a CAN message and get the actuation that you need and get a lot of diagnostics out of it as well… Our CAN lite product [is] a budget-friendly version that doesn’t include internal spool feedback for high accuracy. This allows customers who don’t need that accuracy but want to take advantage of the wiring benefit and CAN bus integration,” he explains.

The company’s controls can be used to remotely monitor and control tractor attachments for improved efficiency, productivity, and machine health. The ROVO platform is also fitted with a HAWE control.

ROVO has “the motors and the drives and the controls necessary for radio remote operation… but then, we add an interface so customers can control it with CAN bus. That allows you to tie in telematics, automation, even full autonomy if you want,” states Younker.

The company also continues to develop hydraulic valves. “We recently launched what we call our MICK product which is, more or less, an add-on to our standard PSL valve,” he says. The MICK 3 valve is a proportional directional spool valve that controls the velocity and direction of either individual or multiple hydraulic consumers when actuated at the same time. The MICK 3 valve enhances safety and energy efficiency and has the benefit of being lighter, smaller, and less expensive than conventional solutions.

HAWE has been growing its footprint within the renewable energy sector. Over the years, it has produced over 20,000 hydraulic pitch systems for wind turbines and provides turbine parts and retrofit services as well. The company also makes products that can position solar panels.

Theme parks represent another intriguing market for HAWE’s wares. It supplies a special hydraulic locking system for theme park rides that enhances safety in lap, shoulder, and stomach restraints.

“When you get on a roller coaster and feel that padded lock mechanism come in place, that’s a HAWE lock mechanism that’s actually providing you with that safety in a lot of cases. We have a pretty good market share there,” says Younker. The same hydraulic locking system is used in simulators, virtual reality rides, and 4D cinemas, which provide physical sensations of motion along with sound and pictures.

HAWE Hydraulik was founded in Munich in the late 1940s, a few years after the Second World War ended. Manufacturing is currently done at a state-of-the-art plant in Germany. The company’s American subsidiary, headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, handles distribution and warehousing for the U.S. Younker works in a HAWE office in Clackamas, Oregon that provides technical support and custom-engineered solutions.

HAWE products used to be distributed in Canada through Mississauga, Ontario-based firm, Hydra-Fab. HAWE eventually bought Hydra-Fab and then launched an official HAWE Hydraulik Canada subsidiary on July 1, 2023. With over 40 employees, the Canadian operation is “doing really well and also growing at a good clip. It provides the same type of engineering and distribution [as the U.S.],” says Younker.

One thing that has not changed at HAWE is the company’s business model. The firm works directly with original equipment manufacturers and “qualified electrification distributors,” says Younker.

HAWE tries to impart best practices to its clients, “because I think there are a lot of ways to do things incorrectly. We want to make sure our products are being used in the best way possible. Leveraging our expertise for our customers and distributors and providing a bit of that integration knowledge helps a lot,” he adds.

“We’re very vertically integrated,” which meant that HAWE was not as adversely affected by COVID-related supply chain chaos as many of its competitors. “During the supply chain shortages that were experienced globally in the past few years, we were relatively unaffected because we had so much control over how we get the steel, how we machine it. We really control every aspect of our production in that regard. [We didn’t] succumb to a lot of the challenges that some of our competitors did,” explains Younker.

That is not to say that HAWE Hydraulik has faced no challenges of its own. “I think everyone’s experiencing personnel shortages. It’s hard to find good help… Our European subsidiaries [are trying to address this issue by] working with universities. We’re making more of an effort in North America to do the same,” he says.

Personnel shortages aside, Younker is excited about HAWE’s direction and growth potential.

Going forward, “We want to expand our battery portfolio. We currently have a 48-volt and a 96-volt battery. We also recently came up with a modular energy pack and this allows us to take our battery modules and stack them in a series to achieve various high voltage applications: 400 volts, 600 volts. What we’re really trying to do is stay on top and make sure we design products that are going to fit now and in the future.”

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