INDUSTRY INSPIRES ENTREPRENEURS
Sector inspires business success stories
Whether it’s providing security, developing new equipment, or training staff in health and safety, other businesses spring up to work alongside miners.
The contribution that mining makes to Saskatchewan’s economy is not restricted to the activities directly related to extracting valuable ore and minerals from the ground.
Mining has been a catalyst that has inspired homegrown technological innovations, entrepreneurial leaps of faith, and in many cases, some of the province’s best business success stories.
Athabasca Basin Development is a limited partnership that was established in 2002 by seven northern communities to foster local opportunities and employment in the mining sector.
In 13 years it has grown to include 12 businesses, including a security services provider that has expanded outside of provincial boundaries, as well as labour, contracting and management divisions.
It also includes West Wind Aviation, with a fleet of 25 aircraft serving the north. It employs more than 1,200 people and has annual revenues exceeding $ 145 million.
“Our mandate is to build wealth for our shareholder communities by investing in, and growing, sustainable businesses,” says CEO Geoff Gay.
“Through this mandate, we look for ways to improve the lives of our shareholders.
“Individual success stories have been the most satisfying part of our success for me ... and some of these stories are very moving. Many people overcome tremendous challenges, and we live for stories like these.”
Gay says finding partnership opportunities that lead to new ways for everyone to benefit from the resource sector has been the key to making Athabasca Basin Development a success, earning it both provincial and national recognition.
“The unity of our shareholder communities in the Athabasca region, as well as the support from our clients, have been huge keys to our success,” he says.
“We also don’t view anyone as competition, but rather potential partners. I think our success, as well as the success of others, has contributed to partnerships and community development across the province.”
Two Saskatoon companies recently realized they we stronger together.
Papa Bravo Innovations founder Patric Byrns started selling the heavy-duty electric mining vehicles he had developed to the mining industry in 2010.
Within five years he brought his company to international attention and was fielding inquiries from around Canada and the world.
In January he sold his company to Saskatoon’s Prairie Machine & Parts Mfg. (PM&P) and stayed on as a project development manager.
PMP had already built a strong reputation as a supplier of bespoke heavy equipment, designed and built in Saskatchewan, as well as parts and service for mining, steel production and the oil and gas industries. It has more than 35 years experience in the industry.
“INDIVIDUAL SUCCESS STORIES HAVE BEEN THE MOST SATISFYING PART OF OUR SUCCESS FOR ME ... AND SOME OF THESE
STORIES ARE VERY MOVING.”
GEOFF GAY
“OUR PRIMARY FOCUS HAS BEEN ON SUPPLYING OUR CUSTOMERS WITH INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR THEIR MINING NEEDS. IT’S A REALLY POWERFUL SYNERGY ...” KIPP SAKUNDIAK, GM, PRAIRIE MACHINE & PARTS MFG. (PM&P)
With the addition of Papa Bravo’s roster of electric transport vehicles, it can now offer even more solutions for underground mining, and will focus on developing all electric heavy equipment.
“Our primary focus has been on supplying our customers with innovative solutions for their mining needs,” says Kipp Sakundiak, general manager of PM&P.
“It’s a really powerful synergy between two extremely innovative companies.
“We’re innovative on the equipment that is doing the ore extraction and taking it out of the mines, and they are extremely innovative on the personnel-moving side of things.
“The electric vehicle technology that they have is one of a kind.”
Sakundiak says both companies saw the potential of putting that electric technology on heavier equipment.
“Now you’re talking about massive gains for these mines in terms of getting rid of diesel equipment.”
PM&P is anxious to offer an electric solution to the big players that churn out the largest amount of particulates into the air while having to operate on a constant basis in an underground environment.
Sakundiak says the marriage of the two technologies is very near.
Recognizing an opportunity is a common impetus for new businesses in the mining sector.
RCM Safety Services came about in 2012 because two brothers saw an opportunity to improve the safety situation at mine sites.
Ryan and Curtis Monette were both paramedics working in the Yorkton area with more than 20 years experience, and attended calls at mine sites.
“We recognized that the skill set at some of these mine sites wasn’t at the level that it could be,” says Ryan. “From there we had an opportunity with a contact to establish an initial contract and from there we expanded and grew into some other services.”
Aside from providing paramedic services and full-scale clinics, RCM also started offering training and safety supplies.
Ross Young, a 23-year veteran of firefighting, joined the Monettes as a partner in the training business.
“A lot of companies are actually putting a lot of time and effort into developing their safety culture,” says Ryan. “They’re focusing a lot on prevention. There’s a push toward developing stricter regulations on site and standards and policies that exceed provincial regulations.”
The immediate success of the medical services business was a bit of a surprise to the brothers, adds Ryan, with contracts coming from all over the province.
“We planned on having one, maybe two trucks by the end of our first year but we ended up with six.”
They are now working on updating the fleet to make sure RCM is offering the most up-to-date equipment available, although it already boasts full-sized ambulances stocked to the standards of the provincial ambulance service, Ryan says proudly.
“And this year we are concentrating on expanding our business into Manitoba and Alberta.”