Suppliers Snapshot: Ten firms keep Canada’s mineral industry moving

Canada hosts many specialized suppliers that provide vital goods and services to keep the industry going. Here are 10 of the most exciting firms.

DSI Underground

Luxembourg-headquartered DSI Underground specializes in underground mining and tunnelling products, including dynamic anchor systems, injection resins, pumpable injection chemicals and forepoling systems.

The firm offers comprehensive services around its systems, including design, development, production, supply, installation supervision, quality management and on-site supervision.

DSI serves clients in more than 70 countries with more than 1,700 employees, and tallied sales of €437 million in 2018.

Fasken

Fasken represents one of the largest Canadian law firms with a lengthy international reach. The company has more than 700 lawyers operating out of 10 offices in Canada, China, England and South Africa.

Fasken supplies legal services to a broad range of global sectors, including: construction, energy, financial services, infrastructure, mining, technology and transportation.

The firm offers 23 specified practices area, such as: corporate finance and securities, corporate social responsibility, government relations, Indigenous law, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital and tax law.

Hard-Line

Since Walter Siggelkow founded Hard-Line in 1996, the Dowling, Ont.-based company has grown to become a top supplier of remote-controlled heavy equipment for miners.

With a focus on safety and efficiency, the company’s equipment is employed at major mining operations, including Newmont Goldcorp’s Red Lake gold mine in Ontario. Hard-Line has offices in Canada, Chile, Peru and the U.S., with distributors in Australia, Mexico and the United States.

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. The system allows machine operators to work comfortably from the mine’s surface

Major Drilling GROUP

Since its establishment in 1980, Major Drilling Group (TSX: MDI) has grown into one of the world’s largest drilling companies.

The Moncton, N.B.-headquartered firm has offices in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe, and offers a full suite of drilling services.

For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2019, Major Drilling generated $384.8 million, its highest annual revenue since 2013.

RPA

RPA is one of Canada’s most established technical services firms, with more than 30 years advising the mining industry.

The Toronto-headquartered firm specializes in resource and reserve work, such as estimating, auditing and reviewing estimates, with manual and geostatistical methods.

The company’s team of technical professionals advises mining companies at all stages of project development, from early exploration, through to closure and rehabilitation.

The employee-owned firm has offices in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Sandvik

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

In April Sandvik acquired Montreal-based digital mining technology firm Newtrax, a business specializing in wireless connectivity to monitor underground operations. Newtrax continues to exist as an independent business unit within Sandvik’s Rock Drills and Technology division.

Sandvik was founded in 1862 and has 42,000 employees worldwide. The company has 5,900 active patents and generated more than US$10.6 billion in revenue in 2018.

Saskatchewan Research Council

The Saskatchewan Research Council is a provincial crown corporation that provides applied research, development and demonstration, as well as technology commercialization.

The SRC says from 2017 to 2018 it provided a 37-times return on provincial investment, and created or maintained 1,564 jobs. The organization claims to have made $8.4 billion in impacts since 2003.

The SRC has more than 340 employees and $75 million in annual revenue. Over its 71 years in operation, the SRC has served 1,400 clients in 23 countries.

SGS

Founded in 1878 in Switzerland, SGS has grown into a leading provider of inspection, verification, testing and certification services, with more than 97,000 employees and 2,600 offices and laboratories around the globe.

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

SGS has operated in Canada since 1948. It has offices and labs throughout the country, including Mississauga and Lakefield, Ont.; Burnaby, B.C.; Calgary, Alta.; Winnipeg, Man.; and Montreal, Que.

Shell Lubricants

Shell Lubricants supplies speciality oils and greases to customers in the mining industry, and other industrial sectors.

Its products focus on enhancing protection, extending oil and equipment life, and improving efficiency for its customers.

Shell’s product suite includes long-life, heavy-duty engine oils, specialty greases for heavy mining equipment, and high-performance, energy-efficient synthetic products.

The global company has employees in more than 90 countries, which specialize in the lubrication of critical equipment and tailoring solutions to maximize benefits for each customer’s unique situation.

Sprung

Sprung supplies unique tensioned membrane structures to diverse customers across the globe.

The structures offer increased versatility, when compared to conventional construction methods. The company says its fabric membrane technology allows for rapid construction, total design flexibility, exceptional durability and longevity, and lower project costs.

Sprung has installed 12,000 structures in more than 100 countries. The company has six offices in the U.S., two in Canada, and one each in Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.