Newfoundland-based NME bolsters mining fleet with Epiroc drill rigs – International Mining

Epiroc Canada says it has further solidified its partnership with Newfoundland-based Northern Mining Equipment by supplying surface drill rigs to support East Coast operations.

As the mining and construction industry continues to achieve positive growth in Canada, fast-paced operations have developed a more urgent need for productivity-boosting equipment along with the service & support to ensure it is deployed on site efficiently, Epiroc says. Due to the vast Canadian landscape, it has become essential for mining suppliers to find ways to be closer to their customers, especially those located in remote areas, to help reduce lead times for their mining & construction machinery.

With this in mind, Epiroc Canada & Northern Mining Equipment (NME) have formed a partnership to offer customers capital equipment and parts & services in Newfoundland – with facilities located in St. John’s and Pasadena.

The organisations have an experienced sales & service team in place to handle the day-to-day operations and NME has hired new technicians to continuously support their growing customer base.

The partnership has hit the ground running, with NME ordering a fleet of seven surface crawlers to their existing locations, which include the SmartROC D65, SmartROC T40, FlexiROC T40 and FlexiROC T45 drill rigs. Two machines were delivered in November, the remaining five are set to arrive in early 2025 and will be available for leasing, rental and direct purchase. NME says it maintains a reliable stock of parts & components to support the drill fleet.

“We’re extremely excited to enhance our business partnership with NME to include an inventory of our Epiroc surface crawler drill rigs to support the Maritimes region,” Jamie Charland, Business Line Manager, Surface Division, said. “Local stock will give our customers instant access to drill inventory to ensure their needs are met for their business requirements. With the additional support of local parts and factory trained technicians, NME will be able to offer a complete customer-centric package to our current and new potential customers in the area.”

NME’s newest location in St. John’s is currently being renovated and will include a new state-of-the-art drill repair shop and training facility, so the customers in the region can expect more operational benefits in the coming months, it says.