Meet the Boss - Mine Spec Industries

MEET THE BOSS

STEFANIE TATCHELL Managing Director, Mine Spec Industries

“It’s never just a job; it’s an adventure of some sort on a daily basis.”

MINE SPEC INDUSTRIES was established in Whyalla in April 2014 to provide maintenance services within the mobile and fixed plant sectors, along with plant hire and logistics services. Stefanie oversees the day-to-day operations while husband Jase has responsibility for maintenance/logistics services.

Stef, as she likes to be known, has worked in the hire, maintenance and transport sectors since 2007. Her company employs five people locally and uses many subcontractors and suppliers ‘to keep the wheels turning’. A depot in the Whyalla metro area has hire stock spanning multiple product lines and a fully functioning workshop.

Mine Spec Industries has a long-term SMR (Southern Middleback Ranges) contract with Simec Mining, which owns and operates a 10 million tonne per annum iron ore mine in the Middleback Ranges approximately 60 kilometres from Whyalla. “We also have major contracts and supply agreements with many varied Tier 1 clientele who have supported us all the way from the beginning,” Stef said.

The client base is mining, industrial, military, government, commercial and civil. Stef said military involvement had been limited of late

but Mine Spec Industries had been indirectly involved in providing services to the current Cultana Training Area infrastructure project near Whyalla. A five-fold expansion will make the site the Australian Defence Force’s largest training area.

Stef and Jase have deep roots locally, both having grown up in Whyalla. “Jase has extensive knowledge of the hire industry and has always been willing to teach the finer points to those wishing to make it a career path,” Stef said.

“More assistance for the little guys to get off the ground and grow would make a big difference...”

Getting Mine Spec Industries established was a hard, hard road in the beginning, she added. “The Arium steelworks had gone into administration and the whole town and area was thrust into absolute uncertainty. After some time, and many sleepless nights, Sanjeev Gupta’s Liberty GFG and Simec group acquired the keys to the steelworks and local mines, giving everyone in Whyalla another start as such.

“We kept growing and building our reputation, delivering on our promises and providing service excellence to all of our valued clientele. We persevered and continued, day after day, night after night, until we had done enough to be considered as a serious contender to supply.

“After months of tedious negotiations we had finally beaten off a quality pack of national and local suppliers to be awarded as the preferred supplier to the Simec Mining operations.”

Stef said family, close friends and business associates had assisted with advice and support ‘when the chips were down and even when the chips were up’. “Our hire fleet has grown exponentially, our maintenance services are in strong demand and our logistics vehicles are on the move daily.”

She added: “We’ve always thought that it’s never just a job; it’s an adventure of some sort on a daily basis. We’ve always said that we enjoy the saying ‘Mine Spec Industries, making the impossible possible, but miracles take about an hour extra’.”

Her recipe for running a successful business would be: Dedication, integrity, honesty, communication and experience, coupled with service excellence second to none. Asked if the future held promise she responded: “Absolutely! We are currently looking at new ventures within our fields of expertise that will directly relate to how we move forward. New technologies and an ever-changing industry will be interesting challenges for future direction.”

Her wish list would be for time to slow down a bit and it would be nice if the Big Four lenders made life a bit easier for small and upcoming business. “Smaller operations have an invaluable footprint that makes communities thrive,” Stef said.

“More assistance for the little guys to get off the ground and grow would make a big difference to today’s business operators. We have had numerous difficulties in this area, so success is all the sweeter when you overcome these types of hurdles.”

Written by John Satterley