Suppliers news: Sandvik, IronPlanet-Cat, Dumas, Blutip

Oyster Night in Toronto

For nearly a century, in one form or another and under different sponsors, mining people have gathered in Toronto for an evening of oysters and fellowship before the Christmas break.

The ninetieth anniversary Oyster Night was held at the King Edward Hotel in late November 2014, and was sponsored by equipment manufacturer Sandvik (STO: SAND) and explosives supplier Dyno Nobel. For more photos from the event, visit http://chrisdrover.pixieset.com/sandvikoysternight/.

IronPlanet and Cat Auction Services to merge

In a move aimed at creating a uniquely comprehensive and integrated platform for buying and selling used heavy equipment, IronPlanet and Cat Auction Services are joining forces.

“I am excited about the combination of IronPlanet and Cat Auction Services, two trusted partners in helping buyers and sellers with their used heavy-equipment acquisition and disposition needs,” said IronPlanet chairman and CEO Gregory Owens, who will retain those roles in the merged company. “The power of IronPlanet’s technology, multiple marketplace formats and global buyer base coupled with Cat Auction Services’ live, on-site auction format and deep equipment expertise will provide the most powerful and complete suite of auction remarketing tools in the industry.”

The merged firm will give customers a broader range of markets for asset disposal and acquisition, including both online and on-site auction formats, as well as multiple timing and pricing options.

The company’s auctions will be backed by a suite of support services. Buyers can obtain equipment protection plans and equipment financing, as well as IronPlanet’s IronClad Assurance buyer protection program, which accurately represents equipment condition. For sellers, the combined firm promises increased ease, reliability and security, from handling transactions from qualifying buyers to coordinating equipment removal.

“This is a significant merger, as both companies are industry leading and clearly complement each other,” Cat Auction Services president and CEO Gary Trettel said, who will oversee Cat Auction Services’ live auction format, as well as serve on IronPlanet’s executive committee.

The new company will be headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., where IronPlanet is based. Cat Auction Services’ office in Eagan, Minn., will remain open as the midwest office for IronPlanet.

Since 2000, IronPlanet has sold over US$4 billion of used equipment online and has built a database of more than 1 million registered users worldwide.

Cat Auction Services is an alliance between equipment manufacturer Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) and several of its North American dealers. Formed in 2008, the company facilitates auctions through live events, online bidding and a monthly online platform called eQuipment Yard.

Dumas employees support local charities

Employees of underground mine contractor Dumas in Timmins and Kirkland Lake, Ont., raised more than $11,000 in holiday donations to support local charities.

The money was used to sponsor 41 children’s wish lists and provide $1,500 in grocery gift certificates to help families buy Christmas dinner supplies, which were distributed under the auspices of North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS) as part of an annual Christmas fundraising campaign.

Donations have also been made to several additional charities, including the Yo Mobile, local food bank the Good Samaritan and a women’s shelter.

Dumas employees have partnered with NEOFACS every year since 2008.

In 2014, employees from various project sites were quick to submit donation sheets, challenging colleagues to match their generosity. Once the funds were collected, the shopping trip became a family affair, with some Dumas “elves” bringing their children along for the trip to fill up the shopping carts and check off the children’s wish lists.

“This year’s campaign was successful well beyond my expectations. The generosity of our employees, no matter the cause, never ceases to amaze me,” Dumas’ Timmins fundraising campaign lead Shannon MacIver said. “It’s so rewarding to be able to spread the Christmas spirit and bring joy to so many deserving children and families.”

Lorraine Charlebois-Thom, volunteer coordinator at NEOFACS, said that “it warms my heart to see how generous people have been with their donations — not just big businesses in Timmins, but families and individuals.”

Blutip to help Anglo American cut fuel use

Blutip Power Technologies has signed a contract to supply its Advanced Universal Controller (AUC) for Anglo American’s haul trucks at the miner’s Australian coal operations.

The agreement comes after Blutip’s controller saved fuel for Anglo at its Dawson, Capcoal and Drayton coal mines, where the it was employed on Caterpillar 797, 793, 789 and 785 series haul trucks in 2014.

Blutip’s AUCs provide engine remapping that reduces fuel consumption while maintaining the engine’s power output and other functionality of the machine’s electronic control unit.

The improvement in fuel efficiency helps Anglo save money, cut its carbon footprint and reduce particulate matter emissions at its mine sites. The AUCs also encourages other fuel-saving initiatives.

“Blutip is proud to work with a leading mining company like Anglo American and support them in achieving their fuel efficiency objectives,” Blutip president and CEO Chuck Knott said. “We are committed to assisting Anglo American maximize their efficiency by allowing them to reduce the fuel consumed per tonne-hour across their fleets and by providing real time fuel management analytic tools.”

Blutip describes itself as a provider of engine control solutions and data analytics for high horsepower engine applications. The firm was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Mississauga, Ont. The AUC units are manufactured in Markham, Ont.