January 19, 2009

SUDBURY BUSINESS: MIGHTY MACHINES

Partnership will college to help create versatile mining workforce

Posted by: The Sudbury Star - January 17th 2009

Not everyone who works in a mine knows how every piece of equipment works.

So, if you want to learn how to operate a specific piece of equipment, such as a rockbolter, and also get some troubleshooting tips, where do you turn?

MacLean Engineering & Marketing has teamed up with College Boreal to offer a two-week mining equipment-training course that will be run at the company's Kelly Lake Road complex.

Offered 10 times a year, the course will train up to four students on five pieces of mining equipment: bolters, scissor lifts, scooptrams, jumbo drills and utility mine vehicles.

"They get it all," said Rick Ketter, MacLean Engineering's training supervisor, who is also responsible for worldwide training.

Ketter was in town Friday to sign the partnership agreement at College Boreal.

"Here's what you need to know" is the basis of the program, he said.

"What you are going to be taught is how this piece of equipment is supposed to function and what you are looking at when you walk in ... It doesn't matter who they are. When they are trained, they are going to know how that equipment operates and what you need to be aware of when operating that piece of equipment."

Ketter said the program is a good step for underground staff -- such as supervisors -- in charge of people who use the five machines, or even mine engineers, since it will give them a solid understanding of how those machines work.

Ketter said the current method of teaching staff how to operate the machines is haphazard. With the current slowdown in the mining industry and less people working in the mines, it's important that as many employees as possible know how mining equipment works.

"We have been in the business of selling equipment and training but the mining companies and the industry relies on competent people," he said. "The equipment you have now, you want to keep running."

The program is being offered through College Boreal's continuing education department. Brian Vaillancourt, the college's dean of trades and apprenticeships, said the cost is about $3,000.

"It's available to people already working in the mines, whether regular people or supervisors or post-secondary students who want to upgrade for participation (in mine work)," he told the more than 40 people on hand for the partnership agreement signing.

"That opportunity is now available. And it's available in both official languages."

Allan Gibson, MacLean Engineering's vice-president of product support, said the program fulfills a long-standing goal of his.

"I had a vision of training within the company," he said. "We have been selling equipment for many years. Now, my vision has become complete. Training is so important. There's a lot going on underground that people aren't aware of. We can bring the people who know underground very well to help out ... It's a unique opportunity. I don't think this is offered anywhere else in North America."

Brian Vaillancourt, dean of trades and apprenticeships at College Boreal

College Boreal President Denis Hubert said the new program will help boost proficiency in the mining environment. He said it's fantastic his college and the mining industry are teaming up to create such an initiative.

"We want to make sure the product that comes out is one the companies can use and are using well," he said. "You want to make sure that someone who is working down there is doing it right and knows what they are doing."

MacLean Engineering & Marketing Co. has a strong presence in Greater Sudbury,

In 2006, it upgraded its Greater Sudbury sales and marketing office into a full-fledged mining division to serve all of Canada.

What was once a 2,500- square-foot operation on Webbwood Drive relocated to a 36,000-square-foot building at 1067 Kelly Lake Rd. Twothirds of the building is used for a warehouse (parts and inventory) and repair/rebuild purposes.

MacLean Engineering & Marketing also owns a second building of similar size at the site, which will be used for future growth.

The number of staff in Greater Sudbury also increased, almost quadrupling from 12 to 45. The new total includes field technicians, (parts and supply), marketing and accounts managers and the inside sales person. About nine of the current 45 staff moved up from Collingwood where the company's manufacturing plant is located.

The expansion involved a multi-million-dollar investment. MacLean Engineering & Marketing opened in 1973 by Don MacLean, an Inco employee who had many ideas on how to make life easier for people who worked in the mines.

The Collingwood plant produces underground mining equipment, such as ground support units, secondary breaking rigs and Mine-Mate utility vehicles. And there are also the mechanized rock bolters, commonly known in the mining industry as the "MacLean Bolter."

The plant also features a research and development section.

Article ID# 1392814