Industry Leaders Talk Future of Mining at Annual Conference
THE SME Conference in Duluth is generating a lot of discussion about where the mining industry is headed
DULUTH, Minn. – Mining industry leaders are in Duluth this week as part of the 90th annual SME Conference at the DECC.
The conference features more than 200 companies showing off the latest trends in mining and plenty of discussion about where the industry is headed.
“We truly believe we can mine here, we can keep it local, use our workforce and do it better in our backyard,” said Adam Christensen, a sales associate with GPM.
“Conferences like this that really dive in to those technical changes,” said John Ward, general manager of Joy Global, whose company designs state-of-the-art drills and shovels used in mines on the Iron Range.. “It’s really what’s important and why this type of conference is important to the region.”
Industry leaders aren’t just here to talk shop, students like Laura Ostman are here to network and learn more about the future of mining in the state of Minesota.
“I would love to see the mining industry grow,” Ostman said. “It’s kind of the backbone of the Iron Range where we live.”
She adds that people on the Iron Range rely on the mines to help build the economy and would love to see it thrive and do good things. “But [we should] also keep in mind it’s our environment where we live, stay safe and stay clean.”
Industry issues surrounding environmental concerns has been another popular topic this week, something many at the SME Conference believe is actively being addressed as companies utilize new technologies and improvements to meet and surpass industry standards.
“I think the industry has really stepped up on trying to demonstrate that we not only understand those concerns are, we’re helping to address those concerns,” said Ward.
Some experts we spoke with say they think the mining industry is stable right now, but hope recent efforts like PolyMet’s recent acquisition of land to develop a new copper nickel mine, along with support from the new administration are a positive sign for future growth.
“We need to keep people here,” adds Christensen. “We need to keep Duluth growing, all our iron range cities growing. We need to keep the mines running and look for future growth for anything we can do as far as industrial development.”
