Tag Archives: North Bay

Redpath opens mobile equipment repair facility in North Bay

Automation, Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

Redpath, on the day it celebrated its 60th anniversary, has inaugurated a new state-of-the-art mobile equipment repair facility at its North Bay facility in Canada.

The new facility represents an C$8.5 million ($6.2 million) investment in the company’s North Bay infrastructure and shows Redpath’s continued confidence that the Ontario city is the ideal location for its global headquarters, it said.

The 15,600 sq.ft (1,449 sq.m) building consists of six repair bays, two inspection bays, along with welding and washing bays. Thanks to the new shop, Redpath will be able to handle the complete life cycle of any piece of equipment from its underground mining fleet in-house, it said.

The new building incorporates environmentally conscious features including solar-powered auxiliary power units, heated floors, wastewater collection and recycling, and recirculated air for ventilation.

Redpath said: “It was 60 years ago that Jim Redpath started the company with the commitment to provide superior contracting services to the mining industry. From a mere four employees in the early 1960s, Redpath today employs over 6,000 people in projects all over the world.”

Metso Outotec to discontinue North Bay operations as part of consumable wear parts restructuring

Comminution of minerals, Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining services, , , , ,

Metso Outotec is developing its global rubber and poly-met supply chain by restructuring its consumables wear parts manufacturing operations in North America, leading to the closure of its factory operations in North Bay, Canada.

Production will be ramped down by the end of the first half of 2021, with the closure affecting a total of around 65 employees.

Metso Outotec says it will use the existing North and Central American manufacturing footprint in order to serve customers.

Sami Takaluoma, President, Consumables business area at Metso Outotec, said: “We are continuously developing our global supply footprint to ensure sustainable and profitable growth. To close a factory is a hard but necessary decision, and we realise that it will have implications on our employees. We will work to support them through the transition.”

The North Bay unit produces rubber and poly-met wear parts used in the mining industry.

Metso Outotec is a leading provider of rubber and poly-met mill lining with an extensive service network in all main mining markets. The company currently operates 11 factories manufacturing synthetic solutions globally.

Epiroc to consolidate exploration drilling tools manufacturing in Canada

Mineral exploration, Mining consumables, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, , , , , ,

Epiroc says it is to consolidate the manufacturing of exploration drilling tools in Canada, gradually moving its base from North Bay to Montreal and Sweden over the course of 2020.

The decision, taken on the day it announced its March quarter results, will affect about 65 employees in North Bay, Ontario, it said, with the production facility eventually being converted into a distribution centre. It reflects the challenging business climate that existed “prior to the global pandemic, which now reinforces the need to increase efficiency and strengthen the company for the future”, Epiroc said.

Employees that are part of the local engineering, sales, and product management team dedicated to Rock Exploration will remain at the North Bay facility, according to Epiroc.

The company already manufactures products dedicated to mineral exploration in Montreal thanks to the 2019 acquisition of Fordia, a company that provides exploration drilling tools such as diamond bits, down-the-hole tools, drill rods and drill casings, as well as water treatment systems and pumps, used by mining houses and drilling contractors.

Epiroc said investments will be made to support the transition of those product lines starting in May 2020 and to be completed during the year.

The production for Ground Support and its SwellexTM product line will, meanwhile, be transferred to Sweden.

Denis Landry, Vice President Exploration at Epiroc, said: “Manufacture of our world-class products, like the HobicTM core bit series and the Epiroc wireline drill rods, are moving to our Montréal facility as part of our overall plan to become more efficient and gain synergies.

“We regret that we have to let people go, but we must adapt to changing market conditions so the company is strong for the future.”