Strength in the global mining sector is fuelling spin-off business for local companies in peripheral sectors such as fleet management.
GPS-based fleet management system multinational Wenco International Mining Systems Ltd. announced this week it had signed the biggest contract in its 24-year history.
The $7 million deal will see Wenco supply and install fleet management systems in four mines owned by Coal India Ltd. It is a significant contract for a company generating about $12 million annually.
“There’s about a half dozen companies in the world that do what we do,” Wenco vice-president of sales Garth Connal told Business in Vancouver October 21. “Our main claim to fame is that we have a computerized mining system."
The company installs onboard computers, communications and GPS equipment on mining gear. The whereabouts of the equipment can then be relayed to maps where mine staff can see exactly where everything is.
Of Wenco’s 50 staff, 35 are based in Richmond. The rest are scattered across South Africa, Australia, Russia, China and South America.