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BusinessExcellence Weekly
ISSUE No. 51 | www.bus-ex.com
General Printers Ltd. (GPL):
The perfect package The secret behind GPL’s success and its plans for imminent expansion
osisko mining:
Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine:
botswana chamber of mines:
Included The BE Mining Directory showcases leading mining organisations from across the world, ranging from big corporations to junior mines and their supply chains.
Be seen throughout our portfolio of magazines: •BE Mining Directory •BE Mining •BE Weekly •BE Monthly •
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editorial Martin Ashcroft Editor In Chief
Martin has edited business magazines for 15 years and has been editor-in-chief since Business Excellence began in 2006. mashcroft@bus-ex.com
Will Daynes Editor
Will has been a business writer for three years. He joined the Business Excellence team in September 2012. wdaynes@bus-ex.com
John O’Hanlon Editor
John has contributed to Business Excellence since its inception: he joined the in-house editorial team in February 2013. johanlon@bus-ex.com
CONTRIBUTORS Joseph and JoAnn Callaway
Coauthors of the New York Times bestseller Clients First: The Two Word Miracle and founders of the real estate company Those Callaways.
The London Offices
The LondonOffices.com Blog features news, views and insight into the vibrant office market that exists in Central London. In addition to reporting on activity from the London Office Market, the Blog also features business and general interest items on life in the UK Capital.
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www.bus-ex.com The content of this magazine is copyright of Infinity Business Media Ltd. Redistribution or reproduction of any content is prohibited. Š Copyright 2013 Infinity Business Media Ltd.
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issue No.51
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How can businesses retain talent? In a tough trading climate it’s essential to hang on to good people. Yet in a recession it isn’t always easy to reward loyalty with increased pay.
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10 strategy
truth pays
Most us were taught as children that ‘honesty is the best policy,’ but would George Washington and Abraham Lincoln make it pay in today’s business world?
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18 General Printers Ltd (GPL) The perfect package
Managing director, Ketul Tanna, reveals the secret behind GPL’s success within the FMGC sector and its plans for imminent expansion across Africa.
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contents
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26 Goldcorp - Éléonore mine
partnership in northern Quebec Goldcorp’s Éléonore gold mine is paying far more than lip service to the principles of stakeholder consultation, community benefit and local content.
38 Osisko Mining Corporation The golden touch
Osisko’s Canadian Malartic mine continues to go from strength to strength, as its first quarter results clearly highlight.
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46 New World Mining Corporation (NWMC) Mexico’s mining masters
Priding itself on the logistical superiority and quality products, New World Mining Corporation (NWMC) is a key supplier of iron ore and iron ore pellets to the increasingly demanding international market.
54 Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM)
Working towards excellence CEO Charles Siwawa discusses the vital role that the Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) is playing in helping to further develop the country’s rapidly expanding mining sector.
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How can businesses retain talent? by: Michael Davies
comment: retention
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n a tough trading climate it’s essential to hang on to good people. Yet in a recession it isn’t always easy to reward loyalty with increased pay. Here are some other ways businesses can retain talent. 1. Make work fun This may come as a shock but studies have shown happy workers are more productive than miserable staff. They are also less likely to leave. Not only that but they become great ambassadors for the company telling everyone they know just how cool their workplace is. Companies such as Google, Apple and Facebook have all traded on their image as hip places to work with astonishing success. You may not be a technology giant but that doesn’t mean your office can’t be cool too. There are limits though: a pinball table is ok as long as the staff don’t play on it all day. Remember you still have clients to keep happy. 2. Invest in your staff Good team members will show an interest in your business. Nurture that and
they will help you to grow. Training providers offer some great deals at the moment so there are no excuses for not investing in your best people. 3. Free tea, coffee and biscuits This is such a simple thing to offer and it doesn’t cost very much at all but it’s amazing how many firms charge their staff for basic refreshments such as tea and coffee. If you push the boat out and invest in some chocolate biscuits they will love you forever. 4. Extra paid leave Reward long serving staff with extra annual leave when they reach milestones such as five, 10, 15 and 20 years with the company. As their experience grows they should become more and more useful to your organisation and so little overall productivity should be lost. In fact the gains from having happy, motivated staff will easily outweigh the days lost to the company. 5. Help with parking / transport to and from work Free workplace parking is
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do you have something to say? We’re always looking for industry experts with an opinion.
Get in touch to share yours with us...
editorial@bus-ex.com
comment: retention For example, don’t just send a bottle of Moet to the wedding venue – make it a case. It might cost a couple of hundred quid but gestures like that buy loyalty much more than annual bonuses ever can.
a big plus for employees but is not always easy for businesses in London. If you can’t provide it think about helping out with Oyster cards or encouraging a cycle to work scheme. 6. Take the team out You spend a lot of time with these people but most of it is probably spent heads down working to deadlines for clients. As a business leader you should make time to take the team out at least twice a year – once at Christmas and once in the summer. Team building paintball sessions are optional but at least stand them a few drinks to let them know you value them. 7. Introduce a pension scheme Every business no matter
how small will soon have a legal obligation to roll out a pension scheme for employees. Don’t wait for the legal deadline – get yours set up early and let the staff know you are looking out for their long-term good. 8. Mark life events Getting married or having a baby are amongst the most important events in anyone’s lives so if this happens to someone in your team make sure you mark it for them with a generous display of your affection.
9. Childcare vouchers Juggling childcare is likely to be one of the major issues facing your employees. Make it easier for them by offering a workplace child care voucher scheme to help them save up to £1000 a year. 10. Eye care vouchers Help with eye care is the most popular healthcare benefit offered by UK businesses. Office staff spend a huge amount of time staring at a computer screen and offering employees vouchers they can redeem against optician’s costs w ill def initely catch their eye.
The LondonOffices.com Blog features news, views and insight into the vibrant office market that exists in Central London. In addition to reporting on activity from the London Office Market, the Blog also features business and general interest items on life in the UK Capital city. www.londonoffices.com
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Truth
Most us were taught as child policy,’ but would George Lincoln make it pay in t
written by: JoAnn an
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Strategy
h p ys
dren that ‘honesty is the best Washington and Abraham today’s business world?
nd Joseph Callaway
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I
n the United States, Presidents’ Day falls between the birthdays of two of the nation’s most revered leaders— George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. As the country’s schoolchildren are constantly told, both men are remembered for their honesty, but would Washington and Lincoln make it in today’s business world? I believe the answer is yes. If they showed up in 2013 and truly lived up to their reputations, they would find themselves in huge demand. People really, really crave honesty and transparency, and it’s mostly because they’re such rare qualities these days. Do a little soul-searching. You might be shocked at the number of white lies, exaggerations, misdirections, and lies of omission you’re guilty of. The occasional lie of omission, or even
commission, may not reflect any ill intent toward your clients, but in the long run, even small dishonesties will muddy your relationship and ultimately keep your business from being all it can be. We can usually rationalize our small or even large dishonesties. But when we examine them, we can see that our lies, little or big, are told to benefit ourselves—to make more money, to cover up mistakes, or to avoid an uncomfortable conversation. Making the decision to always put your clients first instead—which means telling them the truth and letting the chips fall—will transform your business. It may not happen overnight, but it will over time as you gain a reputation for transparency and trustworthiness. And it will change your life. Just ask Abraham Lincoln, who “lost” a lot of money during his lawyer career because
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Strategy
“Whatever happened, we knew we had to always put the client first” he didn’t like to charge exorbitant amounts, and encouraged clients to settle out of court when it was in their best interests—even though he didn’t get paid! My wife JoAnn and I built our thriving business—Those Callaways—after a late-in-life entry into the world of real estate. Since then, we have lived through a bubble and survived a horrible economic downturn—and managed to prosper through both, while many of our fellow realtors never recovered. In our new book, Clients First: The Two Word Miracle, we credit our “Clients First” philosophy as our magic bullet— and never, ever telling a lie is part of that. Early on in our careers as realtors, we faced a notuncommon dilemma: Our sellers, the Smiths, needed to sell their home soon so they could move. Our buyers, the Browns, had fallen in
love with the Smiths’ house. Perfect, right? Not really. It turned out the Browns’ offer was lower than what the Smiths were asking, but it still stretched their budget. Should we tell each family what they wanted to hear (and guarantee ourselves a commission)…or should we do the right thing? JoAnn and I decided to tell each party the truth: This deal really wasn’t in either of their best interests, even though it was in ours. Like a fairy tale, we soon found the Smiths a buyer willing to pay their asking price, and we found the Browns a more affordable home they loved even more. The way we did business was forever changed. Whatever happened, we knew we had to always put the client first—even though the truth sometimes hurts, and a fairy-tale ending isn’t always guaranteed. Whether in the days of
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Washington and Lincoln or right now, telling the truth is not rocket science. Honesty really is the best policy in business and in life. I give seven solid reasons why: It’s why you exist If you’re in business, you provide either a good or a service that’s aimed at making the consumer’s life easier, better, fuller, etc. In other words, your raison d’être comes down to helping other people. When you think about your job description
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in those terms, you’ll have to admit that while it may not always be comfortable, telling the truth is what’s in the client’s best interest. You can’t truly help someone if you aren’t being honest! Sure, you can usually rationalize a blurred line or a white lie. But on whose behalf are you fudging the truth? Even if it’s for the client, broken rules and skipped steps—if and when they come to light—won’t be doing him any favors. And if you’re trying to skirt the
truth to make your own life easier, beware: You’re on a very slippery slope. Truth breeds trust It’s simple. When the customer knows he can expect the whole truth and nothing but the truth from you, he’ll trust you. And especially in the wake of so many business scandals (Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase, and even Bernie Madoff spring to mind), trust isn’t something you’ll automatically get from a client. You’ll have to earn
Strategy
“if you’re trying to skirt the truth to make your own life easier, beware: You’re on a very slippery slope” it. And once you have done so, you’ll most likely have a client for life. Trust is one of the relatively few remaining things that no amount of money can buy. It’s also something that’s invaluable once you have it. While I’m no business
historian, I would venture to say that dishonesty, coverups, and stretching the truth played a large role in the collapses of most nowdefunct companies. What would the current business climate look like today if all of those organizations had prized earning long-term trust over earning short-term profits? It helps you show— and earn—respect No doubt you’ve been lied to at some point in your life. When you found out that the proverbial wool had been pulled over your eyes, how did you feel? Of course you were angry and hurt, but chances are, you also felt belittled. That’s because it’s offensive and demeaning when someone doesn’t think you can “handle the truth.” On the flip side, though, when you hear the truth—even if it’s not what
you expected—you feel empowered and respected. Respect isn’t just about being polite and using your manners. To a much larger extent, it’s about letting people make their own decisions. Sure, you can offer your expertise and opinions— just don’t withhold or twist the truth in an attempt to manipulate or manage. Also, people respect you more when you tell a difficult truth. They may not like what you have to say but they will think more of you for having the guts to say it. The truth will set you free Remember when you were a kid and your mother told you that if you told her the truth about how the lamp really got broken, you’d feel better? She was right! Making a commitment to always tell the truth will take a weight off your shoulders that you
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“Sticking with the truth isn’t always easy—it’s something you have to dare to do” might not have known was even there! Not only do lies have their own psychic weight, they complicate your life. Truth-telling simplifies it. JoAnn and I found that the positive effects of telling the Smiths and Browns the truth were almost immediate. The first thing we noticed was a new feeling of strength and courage. By no longer having to juggle the facts, we were relieved of so much strain! When you have only the truth, you wave goodbye to moral dilemmas and sleepless nights. You don’t have to worry about getting the story straight or remembering what you have and haven’t shared. You know you’re doing the right thing. Honesty is a catalyst for personal evolution As you walk the path of putting your clients first, you’ll evolve as a person, not just as a professional. That’s because being honest with
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Strategy your clients isn’t always easy. In fact, in some situations, it might be one of the most difficult things you’ve ever done. But just as sore muscles after weightlifting means that your body is getting healthier and stronger, feeling uncomfortable but telling the truth anyway means that your motivations and intentions are moving toward a higher plane. It’s hard to define what a “good” person is, but rest assured that making honesty a constant part of your business will help you to move in that direction. JoAnn and I are not the same people we were 14 years ago. Our honesty now is definitely not what our honesty was then. Before, we weren’t always sure we could trust the truth, and we paid for that with fear and anxiety. Now, we enjoy a wonderful calm, as well as the trust and loyalty of clients we would have once worried about losing! Telling the truth is the best insurance No matter what industry or field you’re in, things are occasionally going to go wrong. Despite your best efforts, clients will
sometimes be disappointed and angry, and some will seek retribution. While you can’t prevent this eventuality, you can protect yourself by consistently being honest. Once I heard a fellow real estate agent say, “If you haven’t been sued, you aren’t doing enough business.” I thought about that, and on the one hand was saddened by this person’s hardened attitude, and on the other hand, I was struck by the notion that litigation is a fact of life. It occurred to me that when you’re honest, your chances of being sued plummet. Even if things go wrong, your clients will know you have done your best and will be less likely to blame you for the failure. Honesty is a powerful magnet When you cultivate a reputation for honesty, you’ll be surprised by how quickly and how far the word spreads. Clients want to work with
businesses that won’t play them false, and when they believe they’ve found a good thing, they’ll tell others! And, of course, they themselves will stay loyal. Believe it or not, JoAnn and I have never asked for referrals. We simply put our clients first and watch as they become an army of recruiters. When you show yourself to be honest and trustworthy, the people with whom you do business will recommend you and advocate for you and want you to succeed. And when you take good care of those they send your way, they’ll be proud to do it again and again. Sticking with the truth isn’t always easy—it’s something you have to dare to do. Why else do you think George Washington and Abraham Lincoln are revered for doing so? But remember, everything has an impact—and the price of not trusting the truth is always more expensive than the alternative.
Joseph and JoAnn Callaway are coauthors of the New York Times bestseller Clients First: The Two Word Miracle and founders of the real estate company Those Callaways. www.clientsfirstbook.com
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The perfect package Managing director, Ketul Tanna, reveals the secret behind GPL’s success within the FMGC sector and its plans for imminent expansion across Africa
written by: Will Daynes research by: James Boyle
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General Printers Ltd (GPL)
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General Printers Ltd (GPL)
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hen considering the extraordinary level of social and economic growth that has occurred in Africa over the last ten years it is easy to forget that for decades it suffered from being seen as little more than a poor continent that could only be sustained by the giving of aid. Today the complexion of Africa has changed dramatically thanks to considerable local and international investment. Founded in 1967, General Printers Ltd (GPL) has witnessed first-hand the evolution of the continent. Boasting three generations of experience and expertise as a family operated printing company in Nairobi, Kenya, GPL has grown to become the leading player in flexible packaging within the Eastern and Central African regions. “Having established ourselves in these regions,” explains managing director, Ketul Tanna, “we are now focused on becoming much more of a complete African player, an aim we have fully embraced with our new motto of being ‘Africa’s Packaging Professionals’. It was in the mid-1970s that GPL first began exploring the emerging area of flexible packaging, leading the company to create the world’s first flexible packaging production run on a UV offset web machine in 1978. In 1994, the company made the decision to focus exclusively on gravure printed flexible packaging, a decision that laid the foundations for its position today as a leading provider of cutting edge flexible packaging solutions. As it looks to cement itself across the continent GPL is focusing its attention on
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$5 million Investment being made towards the building of Africa’s first solvent-recovery plant
Five layer extrusion machine in operation
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the core markets of West Africa, Egypt, East Africa and South Africa. “When you join these four regions up they form something of a ‘Y’ axis,” Tanna continues. “Within this axis are the parts of Africa that both ourselves and our multi-national partners see as being the major areas of expansion and growth in the years ahead, and naturally we want to capitalise on that.” When he is asked about the evolution of GPL from those early, humble days in the late 1960s to its present day position as a market leader Tanna is certain of what it is that has led the company to where it is now in 2013. “Perhaps the biggest contributing factor to our success has been our constant dedication to what we call our ‘Four Ps’: Pride, Professionalism, Performance and Passion. These qualities are central to our corporate culture and form an ethos that runs through our company having been handed down from generation to generation.” Based in Nairobi’s Industrial Area, GPL’s facility possesses state of the art machinery with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per annum, which allows it to provide quality, cost-effective packaging solutions that its customers require on a mass scale.
General Printers Ltd (GPL)
Online quality checks fresh off the press
“Throughout our history,” Tanna highlights, “we have strived to invest in cutting-edge, innovative technology and have shown on numerous occasions that we are not shy when it comes to making bold investments and bringing new ideas to market. Indeed those traits have helped to shape our corporate identity, to separate GPL from its competitors and to create efficient, cost-effective solutions to cater for our clients’ needs.” GPL’s dedication to innovation continues to this day, with the company currently investing approximately $5 million in what is the first
solvent-recovery plant of its kind in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. A core part of GPL’s desire to be 100 percent environmentally conscious, the plant allows it to recover and recycle some 98 percent of the solvents used in the printing and laminating process. In addition to immensely reducing the company’s environmental impact this investment is also set to translate into significant cost savings for the business. As Tanna enthuses, this attitude towards the environment also extends into the company’s corporate social responsibility work. “Our family has been in Kenya now
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“our success has been our constant dedication to what we call our ‘Four Ps’: Pride, Professionalism, Performance and Passion”
Pouching machine in operation
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General Printers Ltd (GPL) for over 100 years and to celebrate such a milestone we decided to build a school where our forefathers first settled in Western Kenya. The school was built in 2008 and subsequently handed over to the local community at no cost to them whatsoever, and it remains open to this day. We also carried out a similar school building project in India where our forefathers originated from.” With the company very much embedded within the community in which it operates, and indeed throughout Africa, Tanna’s thoughts are understandably drawn towards what the future holds for GPL. “Consistent GDP growth continues to occur across Africa and one of the consequences of this is that consumers are becoming much more conscious of what they purchase. They are becoming more drawn to attractive, differential packaging and this is helping to spur further growth in the FMGC sector as manufacturers embrace new innovative ideas.” The investment that GPL has made over the years in new technology and innovation has already begun to bear fruit, with the company now expanding its capacity by some 45 percent in order to meet the demands of its existing customers within the region and its existing export clients. With its immediate focus revolving around achieving growth in the aforementioned
Fully robotic cylinder engraving plant
African ‘Y’ axis, while of course retaining the core ethos that has defined GPL since day one, Tanna is well aware of what the company’s biggest asset always has and always will be. “Without a doubt it is our people, without whom we couldn’t have achieved all we have as a business. We dedicate a great deal of time towards training our employees and motivating them to be leaner and meaner, and more efficient. This has allowed our business to grow in the way that it has, which in turn allows them to grow as individuals by being part of a company that is entering a very exciting time in its history.” For more information about General Printers Ltd (GPL) visit: www.gplflexibles.com
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Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine
partnership in orthern Quebec Goldcorp’s Éléonore gold mine is paying far more than lip service to the principles of stakeholder consultation, community benefit and local content
written by: John O’Hanlon research by: james boyle
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Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine
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ames Bay, a tongue of water licking out between Ontario and Quebec, is by any standards remote. The Cree nation that lives on its shores have staked their claim, not always without difficulty, to such economic development as has taken place in the region, but today the greatest impact on their way of life is undoubtedly mining. Nobody coming into this area should doubt the need to involve the Cree, as traditional owners of the land, in their plans. Perhaps the highest profile local business to have been developed is Air Creebec, founded in 1982 and today carrying more than 60,000 passengers a year – it’s a wholly-owned Cree enterprise, and its largest customer is Goldcorp, one of the world’s fastest growing senior gold producers, with operations and development projects located throughout the Americas. Goldcorp plans to fly more than a third of that number to its Éléonore project during 2013. A Canadian company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Goldcorp employs more than 16,000 people worldwide however one of its most significant current projects is its fast developing Éléonore project located some 200 kilometres inland from the Cree centre of Wemindji on the east cost of James Bay. When it comes into operation in 2014, according to figures from a pre-feasibility study published in 2011, it should be processing 3,500 tonnes of gold bearing ore a day, extracted from an underground resource that is known to have a lot more potential than so far confirmed. By 2017 this rate will double,
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making the Éléonore mine one of Canada’s most significant gold producers, but as the deposit is ‘open at depth and along strike’ (there is more to be discovered below and beyond the areas already drilled) the ultimate limit is not yet known. It is a brand new, greenfield site, says Guy Belleau, site manager at the Éléonore project and it has been moved forward in an exemplary way. “In February 2011 we announced that after a successful negotiation with our Cree partners we had reached a collaboration agreement with our First Nation partners, the Cree Nation of Wemindji, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) and the Cree Regional Authority.” The agreement will ensure that the Crees receive a fair share in the project’s financial
Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine
Concentrator under construction
benefits. It protects the environment while supporting the Crees’ social and cultural practices in a spirit of continued collaboration, and establishes shared responsibilities in critical issues of environmental stewardship, community development, local employment, and small business development. It reflects an approach to working with indigenous communities that Goldcorp hopes will provide a benchmark for its own and others to use in
future projects, he says. Construction started in November 2011, and has progressed excellently. “We are on schedule,” says Belleau. “We have dug an exploration decline, or ramp, that is now three kilometres long and down to 400 metres in depth, enabling us to initiate our diamond drilling definition so we can get better knowledge of the detail of the ore body and definition drilling also takes place from
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our 725 metre exploration shaft. We have also made a start on the production shaft. It is already 200 metres deep, but is projected to end up at 1,500 metres so still has a long way to go.” A 63 kilometre road was built from the La Sarcelle Hydro-Quebec power plant which is located 60 kilometres from James Bay Highway, a 60 kilometre power line brought to the site, an airstrip constructed complete with
communications tower. All in all Goldcorp has invested $130 million in infrastructure at Éléonore. “We are in a win situation here with these world class infrastructures: there is no excuse now – we are going to deliver!” Above ground there’s a great deal of building work in progress. The steelwork for the processing plant is substantially completed, and cladding has started. From May the ball mill that crushes the ore will
“Today 30 percent of our workforce are from the Cree communities - that is a great achievement just a year into the construction phase”
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Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine
be installed, an important milestone towards getting the processing plant ready to receive its first batch of rock from the mine. At the moment Éléonore is a fly-in-fly-out operation served by Air Creebec, however a 400 person permanent camp is under construction. “The accommodation is just about complete, and we are starting to build a new kitchen facility, the recreational areas and a gymnasium – all that will be completed by the end of this year.” There will also be a world class tailings management facility, an administration building and a water treatment facility with a daily capacity of 26,000 cubic metres. Contributing to this hive of activity, 850 workers are currently at the site, which means that the mine is providing direct employment to around 1,300 people.
The permitting go-ahead from the Québec department of environment could have come at a better time than November 2011. Many companies would have put off construction till the spring, but Goldcorp thought it could perhaps save time by working the foundations for the concentrator and the production shaft through Canada’s unforgiving winter. “You know that every time we have obstacles or challenges our people respond,” says Guy Belleau with irrepressible enthusiasm. “They always think outside the box and find solutions so we did pretty well to speed work up and build during the worst time of the year while keeping up the schedule.” The solution was to build a shed over the foundations. It was, he claims, just like working in the summer! Additionally the
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“Firms like this will be training others in the community to create a sustainable industry” concrete elements for the foundation were cast in a factory off-site. “They arrived ready made so it was just like putting together Lego – that also helped us to speed up a lot.” First and last, Guy Belleau believes in the mantra that people are the key to a successful project. “Our main challenge is to find the right people, and so far we have been very successful in attracting the best-in-class simply because of Goldcorp’s reputation in
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promoting people, safety and partnership.” Staffing a project like this ought to be difficult, but it has not been hard. Good people really want to work for Goldcorp and gravitate to the company, as evidenced by the large number of résumés he gets on his desk. Safety is an important pillar in attracting the best people, he continues. The results of the continuous improvement efforts were recognised by the Quebec Mining Association
Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine
Aerial view of the operations
when it awarded the FJ O’Connell trophy to Éléonore in 2011 to acknowledge an 85 percent improvement in safety at the site in the past three years. However training is also key where the First Nations are concerned. A committee comprising 50 percent Cree and 50 percent Goldcorp employees meets regularly with the objective of maximising Cree employment, training and retention. “Today 30 percent of our workforce are from the Cree communities - that is a great achievement just a year into the construction phase and we are very proud of it.” These are not just any jobs, he emphasises. “When someone joins us as a janitor or washing up in the kitchen, and a year later I see them working as technologists with the geology or explorations teams, or doing skilled jobs
like roof bolting underground, operating sophisticated equipment or shaft sinking it makes my job really worthwhile!” Some operators who joined without qualifications or experience are now operating 50 tonne trucks underground, thanks to the ore extraction training program, and that really warms his heart. Now Belleau’s team along with Cree partners are developing a similar programme in mineral processing. “We think this is the first time, in Quebec anyway, that the Cree have had the opportunity to learn mineral processing. They will end up with a high school diploma in the subject.” The first cohort of 16 students is already in session, he says. That is important. The mine life is estimated at 15 years. It will probably be there decades
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Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine after that, but at some point it will stop but then there will be a core of experienced Cree able to take their skills anywhere in the world. Outside of direct employment, he wants to leave a legacy of sustainable investment. A laundry is being established by the Cree in Wemindji and Goldcorp participated in the purchase of some of the equipments. The new business has a three-year contract to wash all the overalls, all bed liners, sheets and cleaning cloths generated by the mine. “Firms like this will be training others in the community to create a sustainable industry,” enthuses Guy Belleau. “We promote Cree contractors on site too. Today 80 percent of the material brought to the site is transported by a Cree company. And Air Creebec has added to its fleet thanks tour contract with them.” But the First Nations are not only concerned with making money. One of Goldcorp’s proudest innovations has been the way it manages its tailings at Éléonore. “In consultation the Cree made it very clear they didn’t want traditional tailings management involving a large body of water under which we would do the tailings deposition. Water is very important to them. So we decided to filter 85 percent of the water and transport the thickened tailings truck by truck to the tailings facility.” The area is rehabilitated progressively, he adds, so that be the end of the project the tailings will have been already 95 percent revegetated. For more information about Goldcorp - Éléonore Mine visit: www.goldcorp.com
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Osisko Mining Corporation
The golden touch
Osisko’s Canadian Malartic mine continues to go from strength to strength, as its first quarter results clearly highlight
written by: Will Daynes research by: Jon Bradley be weekly | 39
The mining complex
Osisko Mining Corporation
F
ollowing more than 800,000 metres of drilling and intense preparation, financing and community relations works, in addition to obtaining hundreds of permits and constructing the actual mine, it was in April 2011 that the first gold bar was poured at Osisko Mining’s Malartic mine in Canada. The pouring of this gold bar represented a sight that had not been seen in Malartic for 28 years previously and what followed a month later was the commencing of commercial production. Today the Canadian Malartic deposit is recognised as being one of the largest gold reserves in production in the country with proven and probable reserves of 10.11 million ounces of gold. In fact this figure continues to grow to this day through on-going drilling on adjacent mineralised zones. Osisko Mining Corporation, a mid-tier gold producer based in Montreal, Quebec, is a mining company focused on acquiring, exploring, developing and mining gold properties. In addition to the Canadian Malartic gold mine in Malartic, Quebec, Osisko continues its exploration work on the Hammond Reef Project in Northern Ontario, the Kirkland Lake Project in North-eastern Ontario, as well as other projects elsewhere in Canada and around the world. The Canadian Malartic gold property is very much the flagship asset of the company. Located in the heart of Quebec’s prolific Abitibi Gold Belt, immediately south of the town of Malartic, approximately 20 kilometres west of the town Val d’Or, the property includes the former Canadian Malartic underground
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Osisko Mining Corporation mine, which produced more than one million ounces of As the Caterpillar dealer for Quebec and Labrador West, gold from 1935 to 1965 from Hewitt Equipment Ltd (Hewitt) has been involved as a ore containing three to six strategic supplier from the early stages of the Osisko grams of gold per tonne. Canadian Malartic project. Relying on their expertise and The deposit is an Archean extended experience in servicing mining customers, Hewitt porphyry gold system, and Caterpillar supported Osisko in the areas of mining equipment optimization, project financing and operational consisting of a widespread effectiveness. Caterpillar state-of-the-art mining equipment shell of disseminated gold combined with innovative solutions such as Caterpillar Mine and pyrite mineralisation Star system, the industry’s broadest suite of integrated mine hosted by diorite porphyry operation and mobile equipment management technologies, and altered metasediments. helped Osisko in reaching new benchmarks of equipment Drilling and compilation reliability and mining performance. work has outlined a www.hewitt.ca gold mineralised system measuring 1900 metres by 350 metres, with a variable true thickness ranging from 40 to 270 metres to a vertical depth of 320 metres from surface. The system is open to the west and to the south at depth. Between August 2009 and May 2011, Osisko invested more than $1 billion in capital expenditure into building its largescale mining complex, with more than half of that figure being spent directly in the AbitibiTémiscamingue region. Today, the Canadian Malartic Mine employs more than 700 people, most of them from Quebec, and they are the face of Osisko. Osisko Mining commenced commercial production effective May 19, 2011. Commercial production is determined within the gold industry as the first continuous 30 day period of plant operation at a rate of 60 percent of design capacity, which is 33,000 tonnes per day for the Canadian Malartic Mine. The company’s focus in 2013 is centred Gold pour on synchronising the mining and milling
Hewitt equipment ltd
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“The company’s focus in 2013 is centred on synchronising the mining and milling operations in order for the mine to reach its full production capacity” operations in order for the mine to reach its full production capacity. Part of this mission involved the construction of a second crusher plant that was completed at the end of the first quarter. This new plant incorporates the use of an XL Raptor 2000 crusher, which are among the largest cone crushers found anywhere on the planet, and its use will allow the mine to ramp up production further still
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by the end of the third quarter The main challenge that Osisko, and the vast majority of other miners throughout the world for that matter, faces today is its ability to attract and then retain a multi-skilled workforce, and the costs associated with that. The industry is facing a shortage of technical men and women with the required expertise to take a project like the company’s Canadian
Osisko Mining Corporation
Malartic Mine forward and Osisko knows full well that no matter how good a plan may look on paper, in order for it to succeed it needs to have the right people in place to implement it. In a concerted effort to combat this challenge the company are now in the process of identifying suitable third year graduates who would be interested in joining Osisko on a four year course of employment. At the end of this course these graduates will have gained all the necessary experience to potentially embark on a long-term career at Osisko. On 9 April 2013 the company released a preview report of its operational results for the mine for the quarter ending 31 March 2013. Highlights during the first quarter of the year included achieving record gold
production of 106,047 ounces, record total tonnage processed of 4.23 million tonnes and record average daily tonnage processed of 48,389 tonnes per day, based on 87.5 operational days. The month of March also saw the company achieve record one-month gold production of 42,521 ounces, record one-month tonnage processed of 1.59 million tonnes and record one-month average tonnage processed of 51,439 tonnes per day, all with an average recovery of 88 percent. For more information about Osisko Mining Corporation visit: www.osisko.com
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Mexico’s mining masters Priding itself on its logistical superiority and quality products, New World Mining Corporation (NWMC) is a key supplier of iron ore and iron ore pellets to the increasingly demanding international market
written by: Will Daynes research by: Louisa Adcock
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New World Mining Corporation (NWMC)
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ith the 13th largest economy in terms of nominal gross domestic product (GDP), Mexico has a long-standing tradition as a mining country with its history dating back to the pre-Columbian days, when mining was practised by the Maya, Aztec, Mixteco and Zapoteco peoples. Since those early days the country’s underground resources have played a significant role in the development and prosperity of its economy. To this day Mexico’s geological potential continues to grow, attracting hundreds more national and foreign companies into the country that wish to commence new exploration projects, many of which are based in the northern states of Sonora, Zacatecas and Chihuahua. In figures for the year 2010 it was determined that the mining sector represented more than eight percent of the country’s GDP. It was also during this year that Mexico regained its position as the world’s leading silver producer, while also recording high production levels of copper, gold, zinc, bismuth, fluorite, cadmium, molybdenum, graphite and manganese. Abundant iron ore and coal reserves, coupled with low labour costs, make Mexico an attractive market for iron and steel production. After Brazil, Mexico is the secondlargest iron ore producer in Latin America and the Caribbean, and consequently, Mexico’s iron ore production is dominated by a small number of large steel producers and a large number of small companies. New World Mining Corporation (NWMC) is a large Mexican supplier of quality iron ore
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New World Mining Corporation (NWMC)
Terminales Portuarias del Pacífico
SAPI de CV(TPP)s, this Port Terminal will have an annual capacity of 6.0 million metric tons. During the first stage, it has a capacity of 3.0 million metric tons for bulk minerals and steel products handling, and rail and truck connection the Mexico north region and the US. Due to the dynamic nature of the mining industry, the increasing demand for steel and energy products and the highly competitive markets, more efficient alternatives are required. So, TPP is committed to providing its customers with better infrastructures to promote international trade with the Asian-Pacific – North American region.
• • • • •
INFRASTRUCTURE • Two berths with a capacity to receive cape size vessels of up to 150,000 tons of dwt. • Navigation channel with a draft of - 16.5 meters (54.13 feet). • Mobile cranes with grabs for loading/unloading different types of products with an average rate of 20,000 metric tons/day. Capacity to handle up to 6.0 million metric tons annually. Availability of a bonded storage area for importation products. Capacity to deliver and receive cargo by truck and railroad. Swift land connection to the country’s main roads. Railway connection with the major industrial areas of the country and the southern United States.
www.tpp.com.mx
NEW PRECIOUS RESOURCE DISCOVERED
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New World Mining Corporation (NWMC) and iron ore pellets to global Terminales Portuarias del Pacífico industrial users. As well as Terminales Portuarias del Pacífico SAPI de CV(TPP) is having its products directly the first specialised terminal for bulk handling and steel exported to the hugely products located at the Mexican Pacific in the Port of important Chinese market, the Lázaro Cárdenas, Mich. This port represents the most company has also developed competitive option for exporters and importers in Mexico a large network of suppliers, and the North American region. TPP will have two berths with a capacity to receive cape size vessels of up to vendors and logistic partners 150,000 metric tons of dwt, a draft of - 16.5 meters (54.13 who support their global feet, excellent rail and road connections. Our dock is operations. These operations equipped with state-of-the-art cranes, making loading/ see ore from Manzanillo and unloading vessels extremely efficient. Lazaro Cardenas shipped www.tpp.com.mx to end users on a turnkey basis. In more recent times shipments of high-grade iron ore from Bellary and Hospet areas of Karnataka have begun regularly to China and the Far East. The importance of being able to deliver a regular supply of iron ore to China cannot be overstated for one second. China is currently the world’s largest consumer of iron ore, as well as being the largest importer. NWMC is a business that is constantly looking to expand and as such it continues to explore various inroads and opportunities to diversify its mining offering through the discovery and export of rare minerals, copper and pig iron. In addition to this the company is benefitted by having the financial and logistical capacity to undertake projects
“The company has developed a large network of suppliers, vendors and logistic partners who support their global operations” be weekly | 51
related to mineral extraction, mining operations, processing and commercialisation. The company has contracts and marketing arrangements with different mining companies and large mineral suppliers in different locations globally. It is continually looking to solidify and expand its business relations in the industry, specifically focusing on providing
good value for its clients and partners. NWMC is committed to adding value to its customers by providing high quality standard processed minerals with reliable service through its logistics network and excellent financial support. It is continually looking to create supportive and collaborative global business relations.
“Since the very beginning NWMC has built its success on several core foundations, none more important that its quality controls and logistical strength� 52 | be weekly
New World Mining Corporation (NWMC)
Loading the iron ore into heavy dump truck at the opencast mine
The company operates its mines and processes minerals according to internationally approved specifications, before selling them directly to its overseas clients. NWMC prides itself of possessing the highest of mineral iron ore standards that it claims are far greater than that of its competitors. The reason behind this is simply that it replies on the quality of the minerals it extracts from Mexico’s fertile underbelly, which itself is seen as being far superior to that found in other regions. Meticulous and innovative processing allows the company to provide high-grade and certified iron to its international customers. Since the very beginning NWMC has built
its success on several core foundations, none more important that its quality controls and logistical strength. As the company turns its attentions to the future it is making considerable strides to expand its global reach, having recently appointed one of the largest shipping companies in Shipco, whose task it will be to ensure that its minerals are delivered safely and efficiently, while always retaining the qualities that brought it such success in the first place. For more information about New World Mining Corporation (NWMC) visit: www.newworldminingcorp.com
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Working toward
CEO Charles Siwawa discusses the vital role that the Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) is playing in helping further develop the country’s rapidly expanding mining s
written by: Will Daynes research by: Vince Kielty
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Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM)
ds excellence
g to sector
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Charles Siwawa, CEO of the Botswana Chamber of Mines
Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM)
M
ining activities have been share ideas about how they could contribute taking place in Botswana to improving the mining situation in the since the nineteenth century country. Twice a year these companies would with the advent of the gold gather, along with leaders in the fields of rush in the northern part health, safety and the environment. However of the country and have since acted as the it soon became clear that for real progress backbone of the country’s economy. This to be made a dedicated office or Secretariat has been particularly true in the last four was required to carry out the functions of the decades, during which time Botswana’s group. This dedicated office was established hugely significant diamond sector has helped in 2010 with Siwawa at the helm. drive the economy to new heights. Today the Today the BCM boasts close to 30 members, mining industry remains the main driver over half of which are exploration companies, of economic activity in Botswana and is a figure that typifies the rapid increase in the forecasted to sustain the economy further number of companies now present in Botswana into the future. that are searching up and down the land for The Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) various minerals. Indeed the country’s mining is an organisation established sector has come a long way over 20 years ago with in a matter of a few decades the purpose of serving the from being a purely diamond and copper driven industry interests of mining and to a varied centre of mining exploration companies operating within the county, activity and this is reflected in The year the first together with associated the work of the BCM in 2013. diamond mine was industries. In its role, the BCM “One of our primary discovered in Botswana aims to ensure that legislation objectives at present,” in the country is conducive Siwawa explains, “is trying for mining companies and at the same time to diversify the economy away from being developing good working relationships with one that is single source driven and this the legislator and other stakeholders. has required the industry to look at the “The Chamber was formed with the idea potential of other minerals, rather than to represent the interests of the mining say just diamonds or copper. This approach companies within Botswana and really is also playing an important role in the promote their ideas to make sure that mining country’s Economic Diversification Drive, in the country takes place as smoothly and whereby the aim is to further rejuvenate responsibly as possible, and in a sustainable the economy of Botswana by internalising its own purchasing power in order to invest manner,” says its CEO, Charles Siwawa. Initially the BCM was made up of a small capital across multiple industry sectors.” handful of companies which came together to Attracting foreign direct investment
1971
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(FDI) from overseas is equally fundamental to Botswana’s long-term prosperity. In this arena the BCM is working in conjunction with the government to attract investment by way of marketing what the mining sector has to offer in terms of medium-to-long term profits and growth opportunities. As the government and the BCM look to
establish Botswana as a hub for mining activity, both are also aware that improvements do still need to be made internally to properly support the expansion of the marketplace. At the top of the list of concerns right now is the shortage of skills within not just Botswana, but the wider region. “In order to combat this shortage,”
“we have taken it upon ourselves to focus a great deal of energy on developing the skills of Botswanan people”
Gem Drill Site: Exploration drilling for diamonds
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Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM)
Smelter operations at a copper nickel mine
Siwawa highlights, “we have taken it upon ourselves to focus a great deal of energy on developing the skills of Batswana, many of whom will become the next generation of workers that will take the country into the future. We know that developing skilled people is a continuous and vital process that needs to be done to the highest of standards to remain in line with market demands. In acknowledging this we are making our intentions of developing Botswana’s mining industry comparable to that of anywhere in the world very clear.”
Since the first diamond mine in the country was discovered in 1971 the mining sector has contributed an ever-increasing percentage towards Botswana’s GDP, a trend that shows no sign of diminishing any time soon, particular as the country braces itself for the next phase in its development. It is the BCM’s belief that the next launching pad for this particular phase will be the exploitation of Botswana’s coal reserves, thought to be the second largest in all of Africa. “As a land locked country,” Siwawa states, “we are well aware that in order
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“Over the years the government has worked hard to develop the kinds of infrastructure networks this country needs” to generate revenue from these coal reserves a great deal of work needs to be done to improve the infrastructure of the region, particularly when it comes to road and rail networks that will be needed to transport the product to ports in Namibia, Mozambique or South Africa to be exported
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overseas. Such infrastructure will be of vital importance to the country, without which we would not be able to access the full potential of our coal reserves.” It is the opinion of Siwawa, and many others for that matter, that despite coming on leaps and bounds as an epicentre for
Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM)
Flamingos in the forefront of soda ash mining
mining in recent times Botswana remains grossly underexplored. Despite having a land mass equivalent to that of France, Botswana is home to little over two million people and thus only a select few areas of the country possess the necessary infrastructure to host the operations of multi-national mining players. “Over the years the government has worked hard to develop the kinds of infrastructure networks this country needs,” Siwawa concludes, “while at the same time introducing water and power networks so that we are now able to branch out further across the land. Simply put,
this would not be the case if we didn’t feel that Botswana had an enormous amount of mineral potential still to be realised. Our diamond reserves have taken the country to where it is today, from amongst the bottom four poorest countries in the world to a middle-income nation and now we believe that with the resources that we are yet to develop, such as coal, the country can push itself even higher still.” For more information about Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) visit: www.bcm.org.bw
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To find out how to get involved contact: vincent@bus-ex.com