Suppliers Snapshot: Ten companies that keep Canada’s mineral projects moving

Canadian mining companies don’t do everything on their own. They rely on the diverse and dynamic companies that deliver the products and services needed to move mineral projects forward. The following 10 firms are amongst the best supplier companies operating in Canada.

Hard-Line 

Since its founding in 1996, Dowling, Ontario-based Hard-Line has grown to become a top provider of remote-controlled heavy equipment.

With a focus on safety and efficiency, the company’s equipment can be found in major mining operations, including Goldcorp’s Red Lake gold mine in Ontario. Hard Line has offices in Canada, Chile and Peru, with distributors across the globe.

Hard Line recently announced it launched a partnership with Murray Engineering (part of the Byrnecut mining services group), wherein Murray will provide full support for Hard Line’s  products in Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

The company’s flagship product is the Teleop Teleremote Control System, which allows for the remote operation of heavy machinery, such as: rock breakers, drills, excavators, LHDs and dozers. Machine operators can work comfortably from the mine’s surface or off-site. The company has sold Teleop systems to many of the world’s larges mining companies, including: Agnico Eagle Mines, Barrick Gold, Vale, Hudbay Minerals, BHP Billiton and De Beers.

Hatch Associates

Hatch Associates is an engineering firm with broad and deep expertise in the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors.

From its base of operations in Mississauga, Ont., Hatch employs more than 9,000 people who have worked in more than 150 countries. The firm has branch offices across the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

In the mining space, Hatch has begun working with Arafura Resources on the development of a feasibility study for the Nolans REE project in Australia.

The company was also engaged by Savannah Resources to conduct a scoping study on the Mina do Barroso lithium project in Portugal.

Hexagon Mining

Hexagon Mining is a Tucson, Ariz.-based information technology company that offers digital mining solutions related to four areas: planning, operations, safety and enterprise.

Its portfolio includes offerings related to geology, engineering, production, fleet management, machine guidance and much more.

In 2017, the firm launched the HxGN Mine VIS, the industry’s first vehicle-intervention system that detects and prevents collisions by automatically slowing down or stopping a vehicle in the event of an imminent collision. The system was installed at Anglo American’s Sishen iron ore mine in South Africa.

Major Drilling Group

Since its establishment in 1980 Major Drilling Group (TSX: MDI) has grown into one of the world’s largest drilling companies. It has offices in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The Moncton, N.B.-headquartered firm offers full drilling services, including: surface and underground coring, directional, reverse circulation, sonic, geotechnical, environmental, water well, coal-bed methane, shallow gas, underground percussive and longhole drilling, surface drill, and blast.

In 2017, the company’s Mongolia division received the Rio Tinto Growth & Innovation Group Award for its successful seismic drilling campaign at the Oyu Tolgoi copper project.

Procon

Mining contractor Procon is equipped to finance, build and operate mines. Based in Burnaby, B.C., and with offices in Canada, U.S. and Mongolia, the firm offers a variety of services, including contract mining, mine development and construction.

Recently Procon acquired Quebec-based Promec Mining Contractor and renamed the operations Procon Canada East, which will serve customers in eastern Canada.

Recently Procon has won contracts at Pretium Resources’ Brucejack gold mine in B.C. and Dominion Diamond Mines’ Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories.

Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation (NYSE: ROK) is the world’s largest company focused on industrial automation and information, with more than 22,000 employees and based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

For miners Rockwell offers “connected mine” solutions to increase production efficiency and lower process variability by providing more access to on-site information, which leads to better decisions and optimized throughput.

In 2018 the firm announced it has helped manufacturer Arkansas Steel by automating data aggregation and reporting, which lifted yields at least 3% at its plant.

Sandvik

Stockholm-headquartered global heavy-equipment supplier Sandvik continues grow and offer new solutions to customers in the mineral development industry through its Mining and Rock Technology division.

By mid-year the firm unveiled its LH517i loader, which has been optimized, based on customer feedback, to lower operating costs and improve employee safety and working comfort.

Sandvik also recently announced its acquisition of Houston-based, rock-drilling tool supplier Inrock. The firm specializes in horizontal directional drilling.

Sandvik was founded in 1862 and has 43,000 employees, a presence in 130 countries and 7,300 active patents, and generated more than US$10 billion in revenue in 2017.

SGS

Founded in 1878 in Switzerland, SGS has grown into a leading provider of inspection, verification, testing and certification services, with more than 95,000 employees and 2,400 offices and laboratories around the globe.

SGS serves a range of industrial sectors, including mining, construction, life sciences and transportation.

In July the firm announced it has opened a new sample preparation facility in Whitehorse, Yukon, which adds to its expansive geochemistry laboratory network in Canada.

The new facility is set to meet growing demand in the Yukon and is equipped to provide drying, grinding, crushing, pulverizing and soil-screening services.

SRK Consulting

SRK Consulting was formed in 1974 in Johannesburg and now employs more than 1,400 people in 45 worldwide offices.

The firm specializes in all aspects of mining — from exploration to mine closure, and everything in between. 

In June the SRK announced seasoned professional Kimberly Webb has joined the company as a principal consultant in kimberlite geology to bolster the consultancy’s Diamond Group in Vancouver.

In Indonesia the company’s hydrogeologists are working on a regional groundwater model for the massive Grassberg copper-gold mine, where the mine’s large size and complex hydrogeological setting are a challenge.

Wood Group

Wood Group (LON: WG) is a worldwide provider of engineering and technical services, with 55,000 employees, locations in more than 60 countries and US$10 billion in annual revenue.

In 2017, the U.K.-based multinational merged with Amec Foster Wheeler.

Wood works in various industrial sectors, including mining, energy and infrastructure. The firm recently won an engineering, procurement and construction management contract for the expansion Kinross Gold’s Tasiast gold mine in Mauritania. The company previously executed the feasibility study on for the mine expansion, which will see mill capacity reach 30,000 tonnes per day and the mine produce more than 800,000 oz. gold per year for the first five years.