Following its 50th anniversary celebrations last year, leading contract mining firm Redpath (sponsor of the Safety inductee in the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame) looks positioned to achieve continued success and growth in revenue, particularly from within the highly lucrative African mining sector. Redpath Global President and CEO, George Flumerfelt, believes that the Canadian-based company has in the past decade grown from being a North American project specialist, to one of the most well respected global services providers to the international mining market.
“During this time, the company has grown tenfold in terms of revenue, which has enabled us to establish dedicated divisions in Johannesburg, South Africa, as well as in Australia, Chile and Germany. What’s more, we have also developed a strong presence at projects in Mongolia and Indonesia during this time.”
In addition to favourable market conditions, Flumerfelt attributes this unprecedented success to the high-calibre of Redpath’s full complement of more than 6,200 staff members. “Through ingenuity, drive and the willingness to take on some of the most demanding challenges, Redpath has assisted a number of high profile mining companies in successfully developing ore deposits from some of the most aggressive terrains on earth.”
These strong qualities are clearly prevalent in the Redpath South Africa team, which is currently involved in a first-of-its-kind sand tunnel worth R67-million at the Ghaghoo diamond mine in Botswana. Here, the company’s scope of involvement in the project involves the development of a concrete-lined decline tunnel to 112 m below the surface at an inclination of 8o degrees, using a 50 t open faced tunnel shield (OFTS), which is 6 m in diameter.
Flumerfelt highlights the fact that this innovation and commitment led to the South African division being awarded a major contract at a high profile mining project located in Zambia. “Although the project is still in its infancy stages, I can confirm that work will begin in late 2013, and this contract will be of substantial importance to the international Redpath Group, and will prove to be a major contributor towards our long term growth in Africa moving forward,” he explains.
According to Flumerfelt, safety remains the core principal behind the continued success and sustainability of the international mining sector. “There is simply nothing more important than ensuring the safety of all Redpath employees, sub-contractors and client personnel each and every single day that they are located onsite,” he continues. “The company’s commitment to worker safety is evident in the fact that Redpath implemented an in-house Fatality Prevention Program in 2012.”
The program clearly highlights objectives that include; commitment from leaders to implement it; to engage all employees in the process of fatality prevention and to ensure universal compliance with Redpath’s Ten Cardinal Rules and Fatal Risk Elimination Protocols. Flumerfelt adds that Redpath places a strong emphasis on being the best mining contractor in the world, not simply the largest. “The Ten Cardinal Rules and the Fatal Risk Elimination Protocols are imbedded globally on every site, and at every level of employment.”
Another important aspect that has led to the continued success of Redpath is the fact that the company has developed a reputation for maintaining the highest standards of quality on a consistent basis. Flumerfelt stresses that Redpath’s high quality of goods and services goes hand-in-hand with safety in the workplace.
“A number of clients select Redpath as their mining contractor of choice based on our strong industry reputation for undertaking excellent quality work that is always completed safely and within agreed upon deadlines and budgets. This forms part of Redpath’s overall corporate philosophy and sets the framework for sustained success,” he says.
Although the international mining sector is currently experiencing a downturn as a result of lower commodity prices, Flumerfelt remains optimistic of the future outlook for Redpath in Africa and internationally. “Mining is a cyclical business that experiences regular ebbs and flows. This is clear in the fact that gold is currently suffering softer prices, however, copper prices are holding up pretty well.”
Africa is rich in unexplored mineral deposits, and Flumerfelt believes that Redpath will play an important role in assisting its clients in developing new mines and extracting new deposits. “Given Redpath’s excellent track record, I am confident that the company will grow and flourish along with the mining industry not only in Africa, but also globally.”
