Queensland Metals always looking to partner with local suppliers

Operating one of Australia’s largest industrial complexes is no easy feat and, where possible, Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines partners with local suppliers to ensure our operation runs smoothly.

Having strong relationships with local suppliers is important to us and vital to the business operating efficiently. Here we take a look at one local supplier who’s helping to keep Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines powering forward.

Since its establishment in 2009, local Mount Isa business Isadraulics has been a long-term supplier to Glencore’s operations across north-west Queensland.

Starting as only two employees in a small shed, Isadraulics has grown over the last 12 years and now proudly employs 25 local people while managing a high-quality workshop with a dedicated focus on hydraulic engineering.

Managing Director of Isadraulics, Ryan Mackenzie, says the relationship between Mount Isa Mines and Isadraulics has grown from strength to strength.

“With the security of maintenance contracts and regular service work, our relationship has allowed us to provide our staff with additional training within the field, allowing our business to improve and offer a higher quality service to Mount Isa Mines,” says Ryan.

“It is a win-win relationship. We now have the majority of our staff with Certificate IV or above trade qualifications.”

Hydraulic engineering is the principle of fluid motion in power and is used in a broad range of motors, pumps and cylinders through different mobile applications and fixed plant equipment onsite.

Isadraulics products and services are engaged across all critical infrastructure at Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines operations. From the start of the mining process with underground mobile equipment—rebuilding hydraulic pumps and cylinders, underground crushing and conveying hydraulic drive systems, and shaft and hoisting hydraulic loading stations—to the surface and processing operations with surface concentrator lube mill systems and hydraulic thickener drives.

Queensland Metals Contracts and Procurement Manager, Rob Blyth, says suppliers play a significant role in helping us achieve our performance goals, from sourcing materials to help ramp up production to finding better options for products and services used in our processes and across the business.

“Local procurement is incredibly important to Queensland Metals because we are a 24-hour operation,” says Rob.

“Whenever we require an urgent response on our mine site, our dedicated local suppliers are engaged and ready to assist at any time.”

“Isadraulics has contributed to Queensland Metals' success by continuing to provide this ongoing rapid response. It doesn’t matter if its three o’clock in the morning, the Isadraulics team is willingly onsite to support us and provide a high a quality service.”

However, Rob says local businesses provide more than just a service to the mine, they also provide sponsorships to local sporting clubs, funding to community groups, generate greater employment for local families and are an integral part of the Mount Isa community.

“Some of the values we look for in our suppliers include entrepreneurialism through taking different approaches to solve our challenging problems as well as their investment in high-class facilities and workshops like those at Isadraulics,” says Rob.

“Some of the assets here in these local workshops can’t even be found in our capital cities, so that’s amazing for our regional communities.”

“Our mining operation is on the doorstep of the Mount Isa community, so it’s really important to us that we invest back into the community any way we can. Supporting local businesses such as Isadraulics is a great way to do that.”