END OF USW-VALE STRIKE EXPECTED TO BOOST LOCAL ECONOMY July 13, 2010
Greater Sudbury's economy will get a big cash injection when almost 3,000 Vale employees go back to work, but there are two unknowns that will
come to bear in the equation, says the executive director of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association.
"If you go from $200 a week to $1,200 a week, that's more than four-and-a-half times what will go into our economy," said Dick DeStefano, offering his personal
thoughts on the end of the almost one year-old strike Friday.
"But my big concern, on behalf of the miners, is the debt load. It's going to be interesting to see."
DeStefano estimates that anywhere from 250 to 400 miners could take the enriched early retirement offer package which, while helping to cushion any possible layoffs
(113 positions have been declare excess), will also see the group shift from a high-paying mining job to a pension of $30,000 until retirement at age 65.
"I would think we are probably going to see a defined workforce of about 2,300 direct mining jobs," he said. "You are going to find out in two months what the exact
number of employees will be."
All striking employees will be getting a $2,000 bonus whether they return to work or retire.
Millions of dollars in salaries that would have been spent in the local economy were lost in the strike that last almost a year.
Now that the strike is over, DeStefano said his association's membership is hoping Vale goes on a big spending spree as it moves back to full production.
"Everybody is very positive," he said. "The feeling is there will be a surge in replenishment of mine supplies for the first three months to Christmas, then probably a levelling off."
DeStefano added that while the average hourly wage for Vale employees is about $31/hour, that doesn't include things such as performance and production bonuses. That's why annual incomes can end up being $75,000-80,000, even hitting as high as $100,000.
Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce chairman Andre Dumais said the ending of the Vale strike will boost the city's economy.
"Definitely," he said. "It will be fairly significant, going back to high-paying wages."
Dumais added that maintenance and other projects at Vale that have been put on hold due to the labour dispute can now move forward, putting other people to work as well.
"I don't have any specific numbers to work with, but all projects will be moving forward presumably," he said.
As well, people who do contract and consulting work will also be able to land work opportunities with the mining company, said the chamber chairman.
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NEW CHAMBER OFFICERS July 3, 2010
The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce has a new slate of officers for 2010/2011. Andre Dumais, manager of corporate
services with BESTECH, is the new chair of the board. Julie Denomme, president and executive coach of Lasting Leadership, is first
vice-chair. Mark Weiman, a partner with Collins Barrows, is second vice-chair. Mike Gribbons, president of Synergy Controls Inc., was named treasurer.
Debbi Nicholson, president and chief executive officer of the chamber, is an ex-official member of the chamber's executive committee.
The chamber has a strong executive council and board with a wealth of business experience, said Nicholson.
"The chamber is well-positioned as Greater Sudbury's voice of business and we look forward to working on behalf of our members in helping to create an atmosphere
that fosters economic growth," Nicholson said in a written statement.
The chamber's chair and board of directors will be sworn in July 5 by Judge William Fitzgerald.
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BESTECH HELPS MINERS MEET EMISSION REGULATIONS June 16, 2010
Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal
Sudbury-based BESTECH's Air Quality Monitoring System was recently purchased by the Iron Ore Company of Canada and will be commissioned in June
at its Labrador City operations.
"We will be providing a turnkey AQM solution," BESTECH's technical support division manager Pat Dubreuil said.
The AQM System has had a track record of monitoring SO2 emissions for Vale Inco and Xstrata Nickel since 2005. It is the largest SO2 monitoring network operating in
Canada with 17 active monitoring sites, two meteorological stations and one SO2 mobile unit operating in Sudbury.
BESTECH's role is a third-party collector, monitor and reporter of company emissions data. The fixed stations collect ambient SO2 concentration data, solar
radiation, surface and air temperatures at various elevations and the speed and direction of the wind. This information is delivered consistently through a
Web-based platform to the Ministry of Environment and the mining companies.
Vale Inco's environment air manager, Frank Javor, said that using BESTECH as an independent third-party provides a higher degree of assurance to all stakeholders.
The AQM System provides Xstrata Nickel's smelting operations with real-time data, which allows the company to react and adjust production levels, ensuring
legislative emission compliance. Data from the AQM System is fed directly into Xstrata's smelter SO2 modelling systems. This allows the company to accurately
predict its emission levels.
"The ability to rely on the real-time data and know that it's accurate, reliable and that we can increase or reduce output at different times of the day's production is very valuable," said Xstrata's environment superintendent Marc Butler.
A solid-state PLC collection solution makes the system durable to power interruptions and fluctuations. It also has multi-level security access and several data redundancy levels to provide 98 per cent data collection and retrieval 24/7.
It can channel data through cable Ethernet, wireless, dial up or RFH networks managed by BESTECH servers. All data is archived using three types of recording media. If a company exceeds an emission level, the AQM System can alert stakeholders instantly via email, telephone or Short Message Service (texting).
In addition to mine smelter sites, municipalities operating waste disposal facilities are interested in the AQM System, which can also track data collection for waste water meter flows, piezometer fluctuations and land and geophysics data.
This system also plays a role with another BESTECH energy management system that helps collect and report air quality data within mines for ventilation-on-demand, another energy-saving product that is being developed for mines to reduce operating costs.
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SUDBURY BUSINESSMAN TAKES HOME AWARD June 15, 2010
By Sudbury Northern Life Staff
Adam Tonnos, sales manager at the Sudbury-based BESTECH, has been recognized on the national stage, having been awarded the Canadian Institute of
Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM)'s prestigious Past Presidents' Memorial Medal.
Given out at the CIM's annual conference and exhibition in Vancouver in early May, the award recognizes someone under 45 years of age whose accomplishments set an
outstanding example to young CIM members and youth interested in a career in the minerals industry.
Tonnos joined CIM in 2003, becoming the organization's youngest member. He has since participated in a number of boards and committees at the local and national
levels.
He now serves as chair of the CIM Sudbury Branch, and is assisting with the organization of the Maintenance Engineering and Mine Operators' (MEMO) October 2010
Conference in the city.
Past recipients of the Past Presidents' Memorial Medial include Eira Thomas, executive chairman and director of Stornoway Diamond Corporation, and Anne Marie Toutant,
vice-president of Suncor Energy.
CIM is made up of 11,000 members from across Canada, spread across industry, government and academia and dedicated to the discovery, production, use and economics of
minerals, metals and petroleum.
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VENTILATION-ON-DEMAND PATENT SPARKS CONTRAVERSY June 14, 2010
By Norm Tollinsky
Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal
The patent awarded to Simsmart Technologies for its Optimized Mine Ventilation on Demand (OMVOD) technology has caused an uproar in the mining community in advance of an international symposium on mine ventilation in Sudbury June 13 to 18.
Simsmart, a company based in Brossard, Quebec, has sold its ventilation-on-demand (VOD) system to Xstrata's Nickel Rim South Mine and to Vale Inco's Totten Mine, according to Mark Anderson, Simsmart's director of mining, but other developers of VOD systems are up in arms, fearing the patent, if not successfully challenged, could preclude them from marketing their technology.
Another ventilation-on-demand developer, Sudbury-based BESTECH, is in the process of commissioning its NRG1-ECO system at two mines in the Sudbury area: Vale Inco's Coleman Mine and Xstrata Nickel's Fraser Mine.
"Both companies have technologies that provide value for our clients in terms of reducing their operating costs and improving health and safety, but we do it differently," said Bestech president and CEO Marc Boudreau. "BESTECH didn't invent ventilation-on-demand and neither did Simsmart. The concept of ventilation-on-demand has been around for 15 years. A lot of companies have developed various versions of it."
Boliden and LKAB, two Swedish mining companies, have ventilation-on-demand systems operating in their mines, as do some Finnish and Norwegian mines, said Cheryl Allen, Vale Inco's chief ventilation engineer.
Simsmart president Michel Massé has publicly stated that the patent doesn't cover the general concept of VOD, "but rather a method and system that optimize the air demand calculation and distribution at a minimum operating cost."
Boudreau insists it goes too far, notwithstanding Massé's reassurance, and has filed a request for re-examination of the patent with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
"The mining ventilation community is not accepting it," he said. "It's not just BESTECH. I understand they have a sophisticated ventilation simulation-modelling tool. If they want a patent, maybe they can patent that. I don't know."
BESTECH has been developing VOD systems long before Simsmart even realized there was an application for its technology in the underground mining industry. It released the first version of NRG-1 in 2003 and has released several enhancements to the product since then.
Energy Management
"NRG-1 is an energy management system," explained Boudreau. "It controls any energy-consuming device - not just ventilation. That's one of the big differences between our technology and Simsmart's technology. They have a system that models ventilation systems and they attempt to control ventilation systems with their model, whereas we have a system that controls any type of asset, including pumps, compressors and material handling systems."
The first release of NRG-1 was a scheduler. Version 2, however, allowed for ventilation control in real-time and dynamically by event, such as a loader entering a zone or a deficiency in air quality.
BESTECH's newest version, called NRG1-ECO, includes "a whole architecture underground with hardware and a very elegant 3-D interface," said Boudreau.
The deployment of NRG1-ECO at Coleman and Fraser mines is part of a $4.5 million proof of concept project called the Mines Emission Reduction Initiative (MERI) funded by Vale Inco, Xstrata Nickel, the Centre for Excellence in Mining and the Sustainable Development Technology Corporation (SDTC), a foundation created by the Canadian government to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies.
The $1.4 million allocation by the SDTC was awarded in 2006 to Quebec-based Green Canal Holdings, a developer of energy-efficient technologies, but it had a hard time putting together a consortium of technology partners and mining companies as required. It first attempted to work with Delta Remote Control Systems of Norway, then connected with Simsmart, which until then had focused primarily on training, simulation and tracking systems for the naval military sector and the U.S. Navy in particular.
Xstrata came to the table at that point, following which Simsmart opted to terminate its relationship with Green Canal and work directly with Xstrata in Sudbury. Left with $1.4 million in approved funding, but no partners, Green Canal connected with BESTECH, which had no trouble establishing a consortium and getting commitments of several million dollars for a proof of concept deployment of NRG1-ECO.
BESTECH's technology has been installed on one level at both Fraser and Coleman. At Vale Inco's Coleman Mine, however, the plan is to extend the system to five other levels "once we get it up and running and they're happy with it," said Boudreau.
$8.5 million CAF study
A concurrent $8.5 million CEMI-led ventilation-on-demand study funded to the tune of $4.25 million by the federal government's Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) with matching dollars from industry, "will install, test and measure the efficacy of novel ventilation-on-demand technologies to decrease energy costs and increase productivity," according to CEMI's 2009 annual report.
Solution team members for the CAF study include BESTECH, Vale Inco, Xstrata Nickel, CANMET/Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Mining Innovation Council.
Approved in August 2009 as part of a two-year, $1 billion economic stimulus initiative to address the short-term needs of Canadian communities impacted by the global recession, the CAF project will study the impact of mobile equipment emissions and ventilation-on-demand on underground air quality. One objective, said Boudreau, is to set the stage for a re-examination of provincial government regulations that dictate ventilation requirements.
Currently, the regulations are based on engine size, whether the vehicles are running or not and regardless of the type of fuel or diesel particulate emissions released.
"We're hoping to get to a quality of air model that will hopefully be able to reduce the amount of ventilation that's required," said Boudreau. "To have a chance of changing those regulations, we need to have a much broader base of information from the mine, correlated to what's in the zones and to the activities in the zone. We also want to know how quickly the ventilation changes the air quality when it comes on."
The growing interest in ventilation-on-demand by the mining industry isn't surprising, considering that between 40 and 60 per cent of an underground mine's energy costs are related to ventilation.
Savings
At Xstrata's Nickel Rim South Mine, according to Simsmart's Andersen, "energy savings from ventilation-on-demand will be about 59 per cent, or $2.5 million per year, so we're looking at paybacks of not much more than a year or a year and a half."
At Xstrata Copper's Kidd Mine in Timmins, he added, "the ventilation energy bill is $20 million a year."
With ventilation-on-demand technology, said Andersen, Xstrata "can redirect air that's available to where it's required as opposed to mass ventilating a mine." Furthermore, as a mine goes deeper and wider, it may not be necessary to spend money to boost ventilation capacity.
Both the BESTECH and Simsmart systems are designed to control ventilation automatically by tracking personnel and the location and operating status of underground mobile equipment using RFID tags and tag readers.
Neither system, however, has been fully deployed and tested, and claims related to energy savings have yet to be validated.
If Simsmart's patent stands, there are concerns that costs will go up and development of the technology will suffer.
"This isn't about BESTECH or Simsmart or any other manufacturer of ventilation-on-demand type technology," said Boudreau. "It's the mining industry
that has to win here. They have to have the flexibility to select a solution that's best for them."
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NATIONAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING MEMORIAL MEDAL AWARDED TO BESTECH SALES MANAGER June 3, 2010
The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), held their annual Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver, BC. in May of this year. CIM is the leading technical society of professionals associated with the Canadian minerals and materials industry and includes a membership of 11,000 proactive thinkers and innovators from industry, government and academia who are dedicated to the discovery, production, utilization and economics of minerals, metals and petroleum. Every year CIM awards the industry’s most notable with its prestigious Medals of Honor.
CIM’s prestigious Past Presidents’ Memorial Medal was awarded to BESTECH’s Sales Manager Adam Tonnos this year. The Past Presidents’ Memorial Medal is presented to a member under 45 years of age, who, by his or her accomplishments has set an outstanding example to young members of the Institute and to young men and women contemplating a career in the minerals industry. Past recipients of this award include Eira Thomas, the Executive Chairman and a Director of Stornoway Diamond Corporation and Anne Marie Toutant, Vice President of Suncor Energy.
“I am honored to be acknowledged for work with CIM and I am proud that the industry shows its appreciation for people willing to contribute to enhancing the mining, metals and oil industries through volunteering,” said Adam Tonnos.
CIM Past Presidents William E. Stanley (right) and Michael J. Allan (left) presenting the CIM Award to BESTECH Sales Manager Adam Tonnos (middle). Photographer: Normand Huberdeau
“BESTECH is very proud of Adam’s accomplishments and his recognition with CIM. Adam exemplifies the BESTECH culture of excellence, continuous improvement, and community involvement,” says Marc Boudreau, CEO of BESTECH a leader in engineering, automation, software development and environmental monitoring firm in Sudbury.
Adam joined the CIM in 2003. At that time, he was the organization’s youngest member. John Sagman, Senior Project Manager, Vale Inco Ltd, indicates, “The sourcing of 10 CIM members to authorize the nomination form was very quick since all of us recognized his dedication to the CIM and the mining industry. When Adam initially joined the Executive Committee he immediately became involved in all aspects of the local CIM from Accounting to the Social Committee and then with the Maintenance Engineering and Operators Conference. Throughout this process he constantly encouraged young men and women to pursue the benefits of being involved with the CIM at both a local and national level. It is great to see some of these young men and women now volunteering their time on our various committees.”
Adam has recently taken on the role of Chair of the CIM Sudbury Branch and has participated at the local and national levels. He is active in leading the social media committee and is presently assisting in the organizing of the Maintenance Engineering and Mine Operators’(MEMO) October 2010 Conference in Sudbury.
For more information on Adam Tonnos’ award please click here,or for the complete 2010 CIM award winners list, please click here.
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CIM VANCOUVER - PRACTICAL VENTILATION CONTROL IMPLEMENTATION PRESENTATION May 7, 2010
BESTECH would like to invite you to visit us at our booth #1401 at the 2010 CIM Conference and Exhibition in Vancouver, BC from May 9th to May 12th.
Speak with our experts on how you can save your mine millions of dollars with our latest mine-wide energy management solution: NRG1-ECO. Attend our presentation on Practical Ventilation Control Implementation on Wednesday, May 12th in Room 118.
Think you might miss our Practical Ventilation Control Implementation presentation? Click here and we will send you a video of the presentation.
Click here to get more information on NRG1-ECO.
Located in Sudbury, Ontario, BESTECH was created to address the need for a group dedicated to system integration and industrial automation. The company has established a solid reputation in the world of engineering, software development and environmental monitoring. Its philosophy revolves around delivering QUALITY services and INNOVATIVE products - on time, on budget and on spec.
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A CONSORTIUM, NEW CONSTRUCTION AND AN EXPANSION IN MEXICO: BESTECH CONTINUES TO GROW March 29, 2010
From its headquarters on Lorne Street, BESTECH provides world-class products, services and ongoing support in order to meet the needs of individual clients from a diverse range of industries.
Leading the way to energy savings
Bringing its fresh and innovative approach to industry concerns, BESTECH is currently leading an international consortium to develop new technologies
designed to make the most efficient use of energy consumption.
This group, comprised of Vale Inco, Xstrata Nickel and the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), along with BESTECH, has developed new
innovative technologies that are being assessed at two local mine sites to demonstrate its conceptual ideas, according to André Dumais, Manager,
Corporate Services. The project is funded by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), an arm’s-length, not-for-profit corporation created by the
Government of Canada.
Dumais says since ventilation can be up to 60% of a mine’s energy consumption, it’s the group’s targeted system.
Through a process called “Ventilation-On-Demand (VOD),” tracking systems, environmental monitoring systems, ventilation modeling, and sophisticated
computer programming are used to determine what areas of a mine should receive ventilation based on requirements and demand.
This project, up and running by the spring, is targeted to end September 2010. The idea is to analyze our successes for six months, in order to collect
enough data to demonstrate what energy savings can be gained through the installation of the VOD system.
Offering end-to-end solutions for clients
Dumais is confident that the customers will benefit ten- fold by having one solution provider and reducing the communication and work flow challenges that occur with multiple contractors. The option to provide this service came as a result of the recession from last year and a demand from our existing clients. Now, communication barriers are eliminated, since the person who designed the system is working two cubicles away from the person who’s installing it. |
Electrial Shop: (left to right) Paul Horlings, Jim Pilon, Guy Faubert, Glen Dagenais, Doug Sarvas and Justin Charbonneau. |
“The idea is that we can offer an end-to-end solution to our clients,” he says, adding this capability also provides a savings for the client.
Traditionally in this type of business, you would hire one firm to do the design and engineering. That project ends and a couple of weeks are spent
putting together a scope of work, and they go out to tender for construction. They stop that project and go out to tender again for the installation.
Nine people have been hired for the new service, according to Dumais, including highly experienced electricians, electrical apprentices, superintendents,
and foremen.
A reason to celebrate
February marked the first anniversary of the opening of BESTECH’s third office, located in Timmins. Currently managed by the firm’s Sudbury group, a local
manager is being hired to focus on that office.
Dumais says BESTECH has a lot of opportunities for growth and expansion of its workforce. Therefore, the company is looking into other geographical
markets.
Untapped resources in Mexico
“We are currently developing a business plan to open an office in Mexico to service a brilliant, yet under-serviced market,” says Dumais.
The firm`s market research shows a big demand for its types of expertise in the Latin-American country, and Dumais says clients are very open to them
coming in.
“BESTECH has already secured some very substantial contracts.”
This new office will use both local and Sudbury talent. For instance, project managers and project leaders from Sudbury would be seconded to the Mexico
office for a few weeks at a time to develop the expertise needed there.
Additionally, BESTECH will hire engineers, developers and programmers from Mexico, since the country graduates about 900,000 engineers and technicians each
year, according to Dumais.
A Recognized Leader in Economic Development
Honouring individuals, this award is shared by Marc Boudreau, CEO and president, and Denis Pitre, vice president - two local engineers who founded BESTECH in 1995.
This award comes on the heels of another recent win: the Best Place to Work for Young Professionals Award, in November 2009, from the local Young Professionals Association.
In summing up this latest award, Dumais says, "In |
Holding Community Builders Award for Ecomonic Development: Marc Boudreau (President & CEO) and Amy Fortier (Marketing Coordinator). |
a nutshell, it went from two guys with a vision, to now supporting 80 local families.”
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OUTLOOK: CHAMBER'S MANDATE TO SERVE LOCAL BUSINESSES March 29, 2010
Andre Dumais is first vice-chairman of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce.
1. Has the chamber membership fallen over the last 18 months because of the recession?
"It hasn't actually...We have hit all of our targets for new client acquisition. As a matter of fact, at the beginning, when the recession first hit, the board of directors approved an increase in our KPI -- Key Performance Indicator -- based on our retention rate. We expected a decrease in our retention rate. As a matter of fact, although it has gone down a little, it has not gone down as drastically as we expected. It's 5%. We have a little over a thousand members right now."
2. Does the chamber have any big plans or projects on the go in 2010?
"The major plan we have for 2010 is our renewing of our strategic plan. The development of our new strategic plan should be getting underway in the coming months. The plan will take us over the next three to five years."
3. It started July 13. How deep an impact do you think the Vale Inco/Local 6500 strike has had an impact on the city's business community?
"The impact of the strike really depends on the nature of the industry. Obviously, it has had an impact on the local (mining) service and supply sector, but the impact on the retail, commercial sector has been relatively minimal. Now, the feedback we are getting is that people are still doing rather well. Whether that is in proportion to what they expected the strike to have an impact on, or whether it's an absolute, by all accounts commerce and industry are still moving forward at a good pace."
4. Several thousand jobs have been lost in the local mining and mining supply and services sector over the past 18 months. How can the city make up that lost income and spending?
"Attracting new businesses is always something that is a mandate of the chamber and should be a mandate of the city's development corporation, but I don't think that I'm convinced that there has been significant loss in spending. There have probably been a few exceptions of people who work specifically for the mining sector, and, even at that, most employers involved in the service and supply sector are doing okay unless their primary client is Vale Inco. I think it's important to note that. A lot of these job losses are as a result of people who have had all of their eggs in one basket. Once that basket starts to improve again, I think it will start to replenish ... Quite frankly, it's given us an opportunity to streamline. It's really encouraged a lot of companies like ours, in particular, to expand, to look outside, and stop the reliance on the city. There are a lot of companies that are taking their business international. SAMSSA (the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association) has done a great job in encouraging people to do that."
5. Will the city finally land some kind of large manufacturing plant?
"I would love to think so, but I don't know of any that are in the works or anything that is coming down the pipe from anywhere. The chamber would be more than happy to work with the city on it. We have struck a task force, a Red Tape task force, at the chamber to help work with the city to identify some of the areas where there might be some red tape, some obstacles to discourage new businesses from coming to town. We're hoping to work with the city to streamline some of those processes."
6. Is Greater Sudbury destined to become another Elliot Lake: a city of retirees?
"Absolutely not. Sudbury has diversified well beyond mining. The Vale Inco strike has dragged on for eight months and you don't see a lot of businesses looking to close. As for getting older, I don't think so. I think that the efforts that have been done by the city and a lot of our employers are repatriating and encouraging people to stick around. I look at our workforce (at BESTECH) and our average age is probably well under 30. At least in my organizaton, it's not very old. I don't think so."
7. Will the development of the new SmartCentre in the south end, which includes the new Walmart, impact on the New Sudbury area? The downtown?
"I'm not an expert in retail, but my first instinct is that the SmartCentre in the south end should not impact on New Sudbury. If anything, it's going to ease some of the traffic through the centre of the core of the city. Now, the people in the south end are going to start having options rather than having to go to New Sudbury. The population in New Sudbury is more than sufficient to sustain the shopping that's out there. As for the downtown, it's very niche, very specific boutique, they cater to a special group of people. That's been their business plan for a number of years - different types of restaurants, different types of stores. I don't think they are in direct competition."
8. Do you think the proposed Northern Ontario School of Architecture will become a reality in 2010? Where could it be located?
"2010, I think, might be a little ambitious to actually have bricks and mortar. I know that the university has a plan for temporary locations, sort of get the classes running before they start the development. I think it's a couple of years before we actually start to welcome it. I have seen a couple of different options. It's my personal opinion, not that of the chamber, if it's going to be a school of architecture, it really should reflect an architectural theme of some sort. It should be something that is recognizable and distinct in the city. It wouldn't work in an office building with square walls."
9. Will the downtown rail lands finally be transformed into something else?
"I think it's inevitable and it will happen, but I don't see it happening in the short term. That land is still too precious to the rail companies. It would be a great opportunity for a bridge from the downtown to the rest of the city."
10. Has the opening of that first 20-kilometre section of four-laned Highway 69 South made a difference yet on the city's business sector?
"I can't say that it's had an effect on the business sector yet. Having driven it personally, it's obviously safer and it shaves a few minutes off the trip. But, until the whole thing is complete, I don't think we will see an impact on business."
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Adapting to challenges, developing new products, and finding new markets have been the keys to BESTECH’s success
By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff
Editor’s Note: BESTECH was the recipient of a Community Builders Award of Excellence for Economic Development. The award was presented at a gala event Feb. 18, hosted by Laurentian Media, parent company of Northern Life. To read more inspiring stories about this year’s winners, go to www.cbawards.ca.
“We expect 100 per cent growth over the next five years,” Boudreau, president and CEO of the company, said. BESTECH specializes in
industrial automation, engineering, software development, power systems and environmental monitoring.
Only a year ago, Boudreau and Pitre, vice-president and chief technical officer, were making difficult decisions about how to survive the worst downturn in
the economy since the Depression. It was the first major curveball they had to dodge since they quit their jobs at Falconbridge Ltd. in 1995 to start their
own industrial automation company.
Adapting to challenges, developing new products, and finding new markets have been the keys to the success of BESTECH. Its strength is the numerous
services (10 divisions) it offers for clients in diverse industries, such as mining, pulp and paper, forestry, oil and gas, automotive, manufacturing,
insurance, and the public sector.
Boudreau and Pitre’s goals in 2009 “were to keep the team together, diversify to create new business, and come out of the recession even
stronger than before ... BESTECH has received several new large contracts, expanded to new markets, and new employees are being hired to meet client
demand,” Amy Fortier, marketing co-ordinator, said.
BESTECH employs 70 people: engineers, software designers, automation specialists, project managers and support staff. Boudreau and Pitre credit their
“amazing staff and managers” for their success.
In 2009, BESTECH opened a branch office in Timmins, and there is a sales office in Toronto. The doors will soon open to its new Electrical Construction
Shop in Sudbury, and plans are in the works to open an office in Mexico. BESTECH’s flagship office is located on Lorne Street.
BESTECH has won numerous awards including The Best Place to Work Award, 2009 (Young Professionals Association); Company of the Year, 2008 (Greater
Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards ); Innovation Award, 2000 (Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards); and
The Innovation Award, 2000 (Northern Ontario Business Awards).
Boudreau is the current president of the Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Service Association (SAMSSA) and a director with MIRARCO. Pitre is the president
of the Sudbury Sprinters Speed Skating Club. Community involvement is something they encourage among their employees. BESTECH won the 2005 Make It Real
Award for community involvement. Employees participate in the Easter Seals street hockey for tournament, and they support organizations such as the
Arthritis Society, the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life, United Way Centraide Sudbury, and the Sudbury Food Bank.
Boudreau and Pitre, both 44, grew up on the same street in Hanmer and have been friends since before kindergarten. They kept in touch in high school, but
“it’s a fluke that we ended up in the same place, at the same time, doing the same thing,” Pitre said. “We never talked about being engineers....we took
the same courses and everything without talking to each other.”
Pitre didn’t expect to come back to Sudbury when he graduated from engineering, but soon found himself working at Falconbridge with his best friend. They
talked about starting their own consulting business for several years before taking the leap shortly before their 30th birthdays.
They say they don’t always agree, but they’ve never had an argument. “We have a culture based in trust,” Boudreau said. Pitre adds: “We don’t sweat the
small stuff.”
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HONOURING OUR COMMUNITY BUILDERSMarch 2, 2010
By: Sudbury Northern Life Staff
Denis Pitre (Vice President & CTO) and Marc Boudreau (President & CEO)
Winners of this year’s Community Builders Awards expressed amazement and emotion at being recognized for their service to
their community.
“I was really surprised,” Oryst Sawchuk said. “I want to thank Narasim Katary for initiating this nomination.”
Sawchuk, who won the arts award, is a local artist, sculptor, and architect. He participates in many community committees and organizations. His award was
sponsored by GijimaAst.
Marc Boudreau and Denis Pitre accepted the economic development award for Bestech, a member of the local mining supply and service
cluster of industries (SAMSSA).
“We contribute to helping to diversify the economy of this city. That makes it sustainable,” Boudreau said upon accepting the award. He is president of the
company.
Boudreau is also current president of SAMSSA, and is a director with MIRARCO, a research organization associated with Laurentian University. Ontrak Control
Systems sponsored the award.
Retired teacher Anna Maria Barsanti was presented with the education award.
“I am humbled,” Barsanti said. She was noted by the judges for her taking-to-heart the credo that it takes a whole village to raise a child. Jean Hanson,
director of the Rainbow District School Board applauded her dedication to teaching over her career. Vale Inco was the sponsor of her award.
Winner of the environmental award was the Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit. They are a group of local researchers, affiliated with Laurentian
University, who for 20 years have been researching the ability of local lakes to bounce back after being subject to pollution.
Accepting the award were scientists Dr. John Gunn, Bill Keller and Tom Johnston. The award was sponsored by Sandvik.
“The natural resources of this community, our lakes, are as important to this community as are the nickel resources,” Gunn said.
Léo Therrien was recipient of the health care award. He is executive director of the Maison Vale Inco Hospice, which houses the terminally ill.
“(The hospice) is all about kindness and compassion,” Therrien noted. McQueen’s Furniture was the sponsor of the award.
Chris Gore, Greater Sudbury manager of community partnerships, accepted the sport and recreation Community Builders Award, sponsored by Akfit Fitness
Super Store. He has been responsible for championing Adanac Ski Hill, Rainbow Routes Association’s trail building efforts, the revitalization of the
Laurentian track and the James Jerome Sports Complex. He noted the contribution of his family, including his mother, who was present for his success.
Candice Kirkbride won the young leader award, sponsored by Fortin Foundation.
When she was 15, she was hit by an impaired driver and suffered brain damage as a result. Despite this severe injury she has bounced back and gives talks
to local schools about the perils of drinking and driving.
“I am so grateful,” she said.
Businessman Risto Laamanen, who died six months ago, was given the hall of fame award. His children accepted the award, sponsored by Mining Technologies
International.
“He was such a humble person,” Kris, his son, said. “I once asked him how he could find the time to participate in so many committees apart from his
business. He said he did it because it was important.”
For more information about the Community Builder Awards and the winners in each category, go to www.cbawards.ca.
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ACTION BASE SELECTED AS A FINALIST FOR STRATEGICRISK AWARDS 2010 February 23, 2010
ActionBase, a pioneer in Human Process Management Solutions (HPMS), today announced its product, Audit.Tracker, was named as a finalist for the StrategicRISK Awards 2010 in the Risk Management Product of the Year category. The award winners will be announced on April 22, 2010, in London, to recognize and reward risk management achievement across Europe.
BESTECH would like to congratulate their partner ActionBase in this prestigious nomination.
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COMMUNITY BUILDERS HONOURED AT AWARDS CELEBRATIONFebruary 22, 2010
By Bill Bradley
The winners for this year's Community Builder Awards are, (front row, from left) Candice Kirkbride, Sara Laamanen, Karli Laamanen, Melissa Laamanen, Kris Laamanen and Chris Gore. (Back row, from left) Anna Maria Barsanti, Dr. John Gunn, Léo Therrien, Denis Pitre, Oryst Sawchuck, Bill Keller, Marc Boudreau and Tom Johnston. Photo By Marg Seregelyi.
On Feb. 18, hundreds of community members gathered at the Radisson Hotel to honour those who go above and beyond to help Greater Sudbury's communities.
The annual Community Builder Awards are about building Greater Sudbury, a theme shared not only by award sponsors Laurentian Media, parent company of Northern Life, but others who spoke at the event.
“Our motto in this city is 'Let Us Build Together,'” Mayor John Rodriguez said, in his opening speech.
He said those who win these awards each year are "those who steer by the stars in the darkest nights.
“Over the past seven years the Community Builders Awards have been the mechanism for recognizing those who have created positive change in our community.”
Awards in seven categories are presented during the Community Builders ceremony: arts, economic development, environment, education, health care, sports and recreation, young leader and hall of fame. Winners in each category are selected by a panel of judges. This year the judges were Dana Jennings, David Courtemanche, David Robinson, Doug Nadorozny, Dr. Mike Staffen, Norm Lavallee, Paddy O'Sullivan and Stephen Monet.
Rodriguez gave credit to the president of Laurentian Media the creator of the awards, Michael Atkins. "Michael Atkins is the ultimate community builder.”
Winners of the awards this year are Oryst Sawchuk (arts), Bestech (economic development), Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit (environment), Anna Maria Barsanti (education), Leo Thérrien (health care), Chris Gore (sports and recreation), Candice Kirkbride (young leader), and Risto Laamanen (hall of fame).
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BESTECH CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY IN TIMMINS February 16, 2010
February, 2010 marked a significant milestone in BESTECH’s history, as they celebrated their first anniversary in Timmins.
BESTECH, a Northern-Ontario firm specializing in numerous industrial services and innovative products opened the office to provide superior service to their Timmins clients. “We have a history of strong relationships with a number of Timmins companies and saw an opportunity to further meet the needs of our clients,” explains Andre Dumais, Manager of Corporate Services for BESTECH.
Recent closure announcements have not deterred BESTECH from its commitment to the community. “There are enormous opportunities in Timmins. Gold mines are still booming and exploration efforts are ongoing. The renewed interest in nickel is also encouraging,” said Dumais.
The Timmins office focuses on building and developing relationships with clients in the area. BESTECH has recently hired a new office manager and plans on growing the Timmins team. “Timmins is ideally suited to our diversified approach of supporting clients” continued Dumais, “We have made significant in-roads in industries other than mining. We are developing strong relationships with the post-secondary institutions.” BESTECH’s software development services are applicable to a large number of sectors.
The BESTECH team is stronger than ever, proudly celebrating their continued success and look forward to the future of new opportunities and further expansion.
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BESTECH PRESIDENT AND CEO APPOINTED AS NEW SAMSSA PRESIDENT December 23, 2009
SAMSSA members gathered at the Howard Johnson Hotel on December 9th, 2009 for the annual general meeting where Marc Boudreau, BESTECH’s President and CEO was appointed as the association’s new President.
Formally in the role of Treasurer, Marc Boudreau will be replacing former President Jeff Fuller of Fuller Industrial for a two year term. Boudreau is happy about his new role and extremely excited to put his ideas and plans into place.
Marc Boudreau, SAMSSA's New President
As new President, Boudreau plans on developing and leveraging working relationships between members. He believes Northern Ontario has a multitude of strengths that are valuable in the global delivery of members’ services and products.
“First, the use of “Sudbury” in our association’s name is a strategy that is meant to leverage the global recognition of the name and is not meant to exclude other great Northern Ontario centers. Secondly, as suppliers, we are an integral part of the value chain that helps our industrial clients succeed in their business objectives. We need to proactively work with clients that have a global reach in order to succeed in our mandate of expanding to worldwide markets. Thirdly, we need to work with all levels of government and take advantage of their business development programs and initiatives. Lastly, we must also understand the role we play in bringing to market the great research and intellectual property that is developed within our colleges, universities, and centers of excellence,” says Boudreau. His personal goal is to help support members by leveraging these strengths. Assisting SAMSSA members and furthering his understanding, Boudreau has also joined MIRARCO ’s (Laurentian University) board of directors and is actively working with CEMI to execute key projects and marketing activities.
SAMSSA’s mission is to “provide the most innovative and highest quality mining supply/products/services for domestic and worldwide markets.” For more information on SAMSSA and its activities, please go to www.samssa.ca.
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BESTECH EMPLOYEES REWARDED FOR THEIR DEDICATION December 8, 2009
During the bi-annual staff meeting on November 26, 2009, five BESTECH employees were rewarded for their dedication, hard-work and loyalty to BESTECH.
André Dumais, Mark Peters, Gilles Valade, Terry Jansen and Edgar Lajambe.
André Dumais (Manager, Corporate Services), Mark Peters (Electrical, P.Eng.), Gilles Valade (Computer, P.Eng.), Terry Jansen (Engineering Supervisor, P.Eng.) and Edgar Lajambe (Project Manager & Senior Electrical Specialist) were each presented with BESTECH’s Five Year Award recognizing their continued devotion to the company.
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BESTECH EMPLOYEES DONATE TO THE SUDBURY FOOD BANK December 1, 2009
BESTECH employees once again demonstrated their dedication to the community by presenting a cheque for $725.00 to the Sudbury Food Bank during the bi-annual BESTECH staff meeting on November 26, 2009.
Employees raised the money through weekly BBQs during the summer months and a competitive hockey pool. All profits from these employee organized events were donated to this year’s charity of choice: the Sudbury Food Bank.
Daniel Xilon (Sudbury Food Bank), Paul Huffels (BESTECH) & Bernie Lafreniere (BESTECH)
Bank. Mr. Xilon accepted the cheque and made a presentation to employees on how they can help get involved with the Sudbury Food Bank. Non-perishable food items were also collected by staff and donated to the Sudbury Food Bank.
For more information on the Sudbury Food Bank, please visit their website at www.sudburyfoodbank.ca.
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BESTECH WINS YPA'S BEST PLACE TO WORK AWARDNovember 17, 2009
On November 13, 2009, BESTECH was recognized for its outstanding commitment and dedication to young professionals by winning Sudbury’s Young Professionals Association’s Best Place to Work Award.
André Dumais, Manager of Corporate Services and Amy Fortier, Marketing Coordinator and also a YPA member, accepted the award sponsored by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce at the YPA Award Gala at the Howard Johnson Hotel.
André Dumais (BESTECH), Jonathan Laderoute (Chamber of Commerce) & Amy Fortier (BESTECH)
With more than half of BESTECH employees under the age of 35, BESTECH is definitely an attractive employer for young professionals. “We are thrilled to be recognized as the YPA’s 2009 Best Place to Work,” said Amy Fortier. “BESTECH is truly a great place to work. We have an excellent team environment, competitive salaries, strong community involvement, multiple opportunities for professional and personal development and advancement, numerous events and benefits, including a company gym… who wouldn’t want to work here!"
The Young Professionals Association (YPA) of Sudbury is an organization for young professionals between the ages of 20 to 35 years looking to network and build relationships with their peers. For more information please visit www.ypasudbury.ca.
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POWER PLAY EXCEEDS FUNDRAISING GOALOctober 19, 2009
BESTECH is proud to announce that this year’s Easter Seals Power Play was a true success by exceeding this year’s goal and raising $20,735.00 for Easter Seals Kids!
On September 19th, 2009, 16 teams faced-off in a 4-on-4 ball hockey tournament in the Don Cherry’s parking lot. As the main sponsor, BESTECH supported the event not only financially but also by donating prizes and entering a team of their own.
BESTECH Power Play Team.
Left to Right: Paul Huffels, Mark Peters, Tilak Wickramasinghe, Andrew Schinkel, Edgar Lajambe & Bernie Lafreniere.
The BESTECH employee hockey team enjoyed a great day of hockey and raised a total of $1,243.00. Edgar Lajambe, a long time employee with BESTECH was this year’s 2nd top fundraiser with a total of $653.00.
The money raised in the Power Play will help support Easter Seals Kids in the Sudbury community.
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ACTIONBASE - BESTECH, REMOVING INFORMATION OVERLOADOctober 2, 2009
BESTECH, is continually trying to position itself in order to meet the changing needs of its client base. One of the needs right now is trying to manage emails and document notes that swamp most email or Microsoft Office users. Those notes, documents and emails are usually part of processes that require follow up and tracking. A partnership has been formed with ActionBase who offers a Human Process Management solution to meet this challenge and we are proud to be representing ActionBase in North and South America. The ActionBase solution integrates with the applications you are already accustomed to using such as MS Outlook and MS Word. It lets you assign tasks, track progress of your processes and report on overall statistics without having the overhead of another stand alone application. There are specific solutions for several human processes such as Audit.Tracker, Decision.Tracker and Action.Tracker that will empower you to fast track an already streamlined integration process to have you up and running with ActionBase in less than 1 week. Stop searching through endless emails and document versions for that task you had delegated or committed to doing. Let BESTECH and ActionBase be your gateway to a new level of productivity and effectiveness. Call BESTECH today at 1-877-675-7720 x 208, we look forward to working with you.
About BESTECH
BESTECH is an engineering and technology company providing a unique combination of services and products to help our clients operate in cost- and time-effective
ways. We service clients in North and South America and have channel partners throughout Latin America. BESTECH is headquartered in Ontario, Canada.
About ActionBase
ActionBase is a leading provider of Human Process Management Solutions that enable businesses – over 150 Fortune 100 to Fortune 500 organizations worldwide – to
manage their business critical processes. The company supports an ad-hoc and dynamic working environment by providing full visibility and control over unstructured processes that were previously managed via plain documents and
e-mail correspondence. ActionBase works with global IT leaders including BG group, Orange, Texas Instruments and Amdocs, and specializes in complex industries such
as Oil and Gas, Utility and Telecom. The company is headquartered in Israel with offices in the United States and United Kingdom. For more information, please visit www.actionbase.com.
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FULL SPEED AHEAD AT TOTTEN MINESeptember 1, 2009
By Norm Tollinsky
Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal
Vale Inco operations in the Sudbury Basin were idled all summer – first by a production shutdown that was to last from June 1 to July 27, and then by a strike that began July 12th – but 35 kilometres west of Sudbury, the company is moving full speed ahead on its $450 million Totten Mine development project.
Totten, Vale Inco’s first new mine in the Sudbury Basin in 35 years, is on schedule for completion by the second quarter of 2011.
Inco sank two shafts at Totten Mine beginning in 1966, but never did any level development and mothballed the property because of low nickel prices in 1972, said John Sagman, project manager.
The company contracted AMEC’s Vancouver office to build a water treatment plant, pumped out 105 million gallons of water from the mine, demolished all of the surface infrastructure and installed a new hoist and headframe.
“AMEC is known around the world for their expertise with respect to designing water treatment plants,” said Sagman. “It’s a very efficient, state-of-the-art system.”
Once the mine is operational, 95 per cent of the treated water will be recycled for use underground. AMEC’s Sudbury office designed the earthworks.
A new 16.5-foot double drum Davey-Markham hoist has the capacity to lift 3,900 tonnes per 10.5-hour shift. One drum has a 17-tonne skip, the other a 15-tonne skip with an underslung cage.
Raises
Cementation Canada Inc., one of the principal contractors on site, was contracted to rehabilitate the shaft and sink two fresh air raises. An 18-foot diameter raise from 1850 Level to surface is the largest diameter raise bore hole in the Sudbury mining camp, and an eight-foot diameter raise descending 2,750 feet from the 1250 Level is the longest raise bore hole in the company’s history, said Sagman.
Both raises were constructed using the self-steering MICON Rotary-Vertical Drilling System (RVDS) that minimizes deviation in very long drill holes.
“When you’re drilling a long hole, it can wander 150 feet by the time it gets down to the bottom,” said Sagman. “With this technology, you might get eight inches of deviation. You can have $1 million worth of rods in the ground, and if you break them, that’s a lot of money, so you want the hole to be as vertical as possible. One hundred and fifty feet of deviation puts tremendous stress on your rods. The threads can snap on you pretty quick if they’re at a bad angle.”
The RVDS technology has been used before in Canada, but not by Vale Inco, said Sagman.
Lateral development
Cementation will wrap up the shaft rehabilitation work and loading pocket construction by October, at which time lateral development work will commence. Approximately 36,000 feet of lateral development is scheduled to be completed by May 2011.
Another major supplier, ABB, is providing a minewide, standardized power and automation solution, including a 69kV surface substation, switchgear and PLC systems.
According to Sagman, several new technologies are being considered for Totten Mine, including ventilation on demand, a rail-veyor material handling system and a cutting-edge through-the-earth voice and data communication system developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Distributed in Sudbury by KPI Industrial, the so-called Vital Alert two-way radio technology has been successfully tested in underground coal mines, but never deployed in hard rock mining operations.
Sagman is planning to test the system at Totten Mine before the end of the year and has engaged Bestech, a Sudbury based system integration and industrial automation company, to study the potential use of the Vital Alert system for other communication applications, including asset tracking and ventilation on demand.
The 2,200-tonne per day operation will create 150 jobs and has a projected mine life of 20 years.
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BESTECH - PROUD 2009 EASTER SEALS POWER PLAY PRESENTING SPONSOR August 18, 2009
SUDBURY, ON – BESTECH is proud to be the presenting sponsor of the 10th Annual Power Play for Easter Seals Kids on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Don Cherry’s. As the presenting sponsor BESTECH will take on many of the costs associated with such an amazing event. Amy Fortier, Marketing Coordinator for BESTECH and Easter Seals volunteer says, “We invite and are encouraging companies to put together a team and come out for a great day of fun and support Easter Seals Kids.”
With a minimum pledge of $100/person your company will be showcased as a contributer to the community and the lives of Easter Seals Kids.
It’s a fun day with fast action ball hockey and great prizes. Register your team today! Don’t have a team to register? Why not sponsor a rink board for $250.00 or donate a prize(s)?
This 4-on-4 ball hockey tournament is open to anyone 18 years or older who wants to play hard for children with physical disabilities. Teams of six come dressed in team themed costumes to enjoy a complimentary lunch, dinner, great fundraising prizes, skills contests and a great day of ball hockey all in support of Easter Seals Kids. As presenting sponsor of Power Play, BESTECH invites you to join us as we support over 130 children in the community who require financial assistance for mobility and communication devices.
To register your team of six, please call Easter Seals at 566-8858 or email Lisa Lounsbury at llounsbury@easterseals.org and visit www.easterseals.org for more information.
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BESTECH IN SUDBURY, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH "BESTECH ACADEMY"July 16, 2009
SUDBURY, ON – BESTECH, a company specializing in industrial services would like to clarify that they are in no way associated or have any affiliation with the unregistered college named “Bestech Academy” and the news releases that have been recently reported.
“We are in no way associated with the Stoney Creek and St. Catharines Bestech Academy. BESTECH has an excellent reputation; we provide innovative services in engineering, automation, environmental monitoring and software development. We are also heavily involved with the Sudbury community through charitable organizations and event sponsorships,” said Amy Fortier, Marketing Coordinator for BESTECH.
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BESTECH LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITEJune 29, 2009
BESTECH, Northern Ontario’s leader in industrial services and products, launched a new client-focused website with an easier navigation interface.
The website was re-designed with a cleaner and more modern appearance. The fresh new look showcases BESTECH’s latest innovative services including Business Process Management, Electrical/Instrumentation Construction, Electrical Safety and Power Systems.
BESTECH is continuing to offer the great products (NRG-1, PORTAULS® and AQM) and services they are known for, such as: Automation, Engineering, Environmental, EPCM, Fire Investigations, Six Sigma and Software Development.
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SCIENCE NORTH LAUNCHES EXHIBITJune 3, 2009
By John Lappa
Greater Sudbury residents had a couple of reasons to celebrate National Clean Air Day on Wednesday.
The first was the launch of a new exhibit at Science North that lets visitors view up-to-the-minute air = quality information from 17 different sulphur dioxide monitoring stations across Greater Sudbury.
One of the stations is on top of the science centre.
The second was the release of Clearing the Air, a report on air quality trends in Sudbury from 1998 to 2007. The report was done by Clean Air Sudbury.
"The major finding overall is that we have improved our air quality considerably. We actually have much to celebrate in Sudbury for that," said Laura Mucklow, co-ordinator at Clean Air Sudbury.
"We still have some exceedances of the one-hour criteria for sulphur dioxide. They are fairly infrequent and our analysis showed that it was 0.03 % of the time, but still, there is room for improvement there."
The annual average sulphur dioxide concentrations were about 5.5 parts per billion in 1998. That number had dropped to about 2.5 by 2007.
The report also answers the question: Is Sudbury's air quality better or worse than air quality in southern Ontario. "What this shows is our air quality is better than it is in Toronto, Windsor, Hamilton and other large cities in southern Ontario," Mucklow said. The report is a collection of information from air monitoring stations throughout the city.
"We took that information and then we summarized it into graphs and tables and tried to make it more understandable for the public," Mucklow said. "We want to do these reports because this information is collected and it just goes into these databases and nobody ever sees it." |
Pat Dubreuil, Manager of Technical Support poses in front of BESTECH, Vale Inco and Xstrata's Sulfur Dioxide Monitoring Station located at Science North, Sudbury, ON. |
One of the organization's mandates is to collect this data and put it in a form that can be distributed to the public.
"Air quality contributes to our quality of life," Mucklow added.
The Science North exhibit is centred around one of the sulphur dioxide monitoring stations. It has been at Science North for a number of years.
"It was in a closed-in glass room. It just wasn't very dynamic," said Amy Henson, staff scientist at Science North.
"We've totally renovated the space and built an exhibit to explain the science."
Vale Inco and Xstrata Nickel sponsored the exhibit, along with Bestech. Bestech helps the two mining companies monitor sulphur dioxide levels.
"Bestech built us a great computer interface that allows visitors to interact with all the different stations around the city," Henson said.
It also has weather information.
"People can co-relate what is going on with the weather, as well as what is going on in terms of emissions," Henson said.
Frank Javor, manager environment -air at Vale Inco, was at the launch of the exhibit on Wednesday morning.
"We were very glad to be able to participate in turning this SO2 monitoring station, which has actually been here at Science North for decades, into an exhibit," he said.
He explained how Vale Inco has reduced its emissions from about two million tonnes a year in the 1970s to being under 150,000 tonnes per year.
"Our target is to get down to 66,000 tonnes per year by 2015," Javor said.
When Vale Inco is operating, the company has an elaborate emission reduction program.
The program operator looks at metrological forecasts and weather data from Environment Canada.
"He actually flies a weather balloon, then runs dispersion models that will determine at what emission rate we will get into ground level concentration issues," Javor explained.
"He runs this model and actually establishes a cutback limit in the smelter in the nickel refinery and then operates the day controlling the smelting vessels to be below that limit."
The company also has high-tech video cameras to look at the Superstack's plume.
"We also have a mobile monitoring vehicle with an SO2 monitor in it that roams chasing the plume where there isn't a (monitoring) station," Javor said.
To obtain a copy of the Clean Air Sudbury report, visit www.cleanairsudbury.ca.
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BESTECH DIVERSIFIES ITS CUSTOMER BASEJune 1, 2009
By Adelle Larmour
Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal
Bestech, a Sudbury-based systems integration, engineering and industrial automation company, is responding to the current economic downturn by diversifying its client base and establishing a branch office in Timmins.
“We’ve been working in Timmins for a number of years,” said Andre Dumais, Bestech’s manager of corporate
services. However, one of the comments received from a new client was that they preferred to work with local
people, “so we took it to heart.”
Originally an electrical engineering and automation firm, Bestech has expanded its scope to include civil
and mechanical engineering. By 2005, the company’s portfolio of services grew to include systems
integration, software development and environmental monitoring.
With this wide array of services, a decision was made in early January to establish a local presence in
Timmins. By February 17, the company had secured an 800-square foot office space in the downtown core.
Currently, two permanent staff work in Timmins, although there are often four people present at any given
time.
Although the company had to lay off nine employees last fall, it still stands strong with a workforce of 62.
Two engineers were transferred to Timmins, which reduced travel expenses.
“We’re on an equal footing with competition in Timmins and now we can let our name and brand stand for itself,” said Dumais.
The Timmins office is focussed primarily on the mining sector. However, the branch also offers a full
spectrum of services.
“Timmins is a great market,” Dumais said. “We’ve been aggressive about approaching municipalities. Our services lend themselves very well to water treatment, displacement and effluent.”
During the past four years, Bestech experienced 30 per cent growth annually by diversifying to include
software development, environmental monitoring and consulting services. On the information technology side
of the business, many of its clients are from sectors other than resourcebased industries, creating a more
diverse market and less reliance on mining.
“We’re getting involved with school boards, municipalities, and the provincial and federal government,”
Dumais said, explaining there is a lot of opportunity when dealing with information systems. Running at 100
per cent capacity, the company is currently hiring computer programmers.
Bestech is also expanding into power engineering and electrical construction. The intent is to consolidate
services for the client.
The company has always designed electrical panels, but is now converting part of its Sudbury office space
into a shop to construct them as well.
“We can improve quality control because the engineer who designs the panel and constructor who builds it
work under the same roof,” said Dumais. “If any questions come up, we can go straight to the engineer or
constructor.”
The addition of a veteran electrical engineer last August with expertise in high voltage power engineering
has opened doors for larger projects like electrical substations and power lines.
Bestech also provides consulting services to help companies comply with the new electrical safety standard –
CSA-Z462 - to be deployed nationally in 2011.
“Our ultimate strategy is to be in the best competitive position when things turn around,” Dumais said. “We
want to be there ready to take on that work when the markets improve and capital projects come on line.”
While the company has installations of its software in other countries and distributors throughout South
America, it sees opportunities for continued expansion into international markets.
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BESTECH DIVERSIFIES FOR MARKET SHARE
Despite the tough economic climate Sudbury-based Bestech forges aheadMay, 2009
By James Neeley
In these uncertain economic times, a financial planner is probably preaching
diversification and one Sudbury-based company is using that principle to not only weather the storm but expand
in spite of it.
Over the past five-to-seven years, Bestech has worked hard to diversify their once exclusively engineering
and automation business, said Andre Dumais, manager of corporate services for Bestech.
“That diversification has paid major dividends for us.”
When the downturn hit, Bestech lost a lot of mining work, he said, “but we are now selling our services in different markets like the federal and provincial governments, insurance companies, municipalities and schools.”
The Sudbury-based company was founded in 1995 as an engineering, and
industrial automation group. But in 1999 Bestech developed their own software division, Dumais said.
As the company continued to grow from 24 employees in 2004 to the 69 people today, “the goal was to diversify our services,” he said. “Let’s do the work while times are good,” Dumais said.
“We knew it wasn’t going to last and we needed to start marketing
ourselves better,” adding that was when they hired a marketing coordinator and recruiter.
In spite of the downturn, Bestech has expanded into Timmins Feb. 17. |
Paul Horlings a senior electrical specialist (front) at Bestech and Glen Dagenais, a principal engineer (back) pose while going over the design of a Bestech electrical panel in their shop on Lorne Street. |
In their flagship office on Lorne Street, renovations are taking place.
“A lot of the work our engineers do is designing electrical panels for industry,” Dumais said. “We know our
clients are looking for cost efficiencies and we said, ‘Where can we provide them with cost savings?’”
What they came up with is the development of a new electrical panel shop at the Lorne Street office.
“Now the engineers can design the electrical panels and have them built inhouse,” Dumais said.
Another now surging division developed from the diversification efforts is the environmental group.
“Right now the software and environmental teams are going full bore. And this has allowed us to maintain the
engineering division,” he said.
This is not to say Bestech hasn’t been affected by the economic downturn.
The company has laid off nine employees trimming their overall staff from 78 to 69, Dumais said.
“Some of the cuts were administrative ... we also had some casualties in the engineering division, five or
six positions.
“We were gearing up for growth, but when things got tough we had to scale back,” he said, “but we are still
hiring in our other divisions.”
“One thing this economic crisis has made us do is diversify within our client base,” Dumais said. "Because
of this diversification “absolutely, undeniably we will come out of this economic downturn stronger.”
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BESTECH OPENS NEW TIMMINS OFFICEApril 25, 2009
BESTECH has opened the doors to a new office in Timmins. With a history of strong relationships with a number of Timmins-based firms, the new office will enable BESTECH to better serve existing and potential clients in the area.
As part of a strategy to provide services to a wider and more diverse market, BESTECH had identified Timmins as a region with the potential for further growth. Existing clients in the area have expressed an increasing demand for BESTECH to provide services and offerings in the region. It is also expected that as the new location develops, there will be additional jobs brought to the community.
“We are very excited at the opportunity to expand our operations in Timmins” said Marc Boudreau, President and CEO of BESTECH. “We have been exploring ways to increase our presence in Timmins for several years now, and we feel that this new office is the best way to meet the needs of our clients and BESTECH.”
BESTECH, a trusted team of professionals offering services in engineering, automation, software development and environmental monitoring, will be settling into their new location in the Timmins downtown core.
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BESTECH SUPPORTS THEATRE CAMBRIAN April 22, 2009
Love, Magic, Dancing, Infidelities, Laughs and Rock & Roll Encompass Theatre Cambrian’s 25th Anniversary
Sudbury, ON – Theatre Cambrian announced today its plans for the Theatre’s 2009-2010, 25th Anniversary Season. “So far, 2008-2009 has been a very productive season for the Theatre,” stated Mark Mannisto, executive director of the organization. “With the introduction of the company’s children’s theatre company, Kids’ Curtain, and their production of the Dr. Seuss musical, Seussical, Theatre Cambrian expanded its season to eight productions, the most in Theatre Cambrian’s history.” The success of our current season would not have been possible if it were not for our corporate sponsors: Bestech, Xstrata Nickel and Vale INCO; our media sponsors: The Northern Life, CTV, The Amazing Persona and The Sudbury Star, and, most definitely, our government partners: the Ministry of Culture, Human Resources Development Canada, Service Canada, and the City of Greater Sudbury.
For more information please click here.
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BESTECH ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR EASTER SEALS KIDSOctober 20, 2008
Sudbury, ON – On Saturday September 27th at Don Cherry’s, the site of the 2008 Power Play event, Andre Dumais of Bestech announced that Bestech will be the 2009 Presenting Sponsor for the annual signature event, Power Play for Easter Seals Kids. Power Play is a 4 on 4 ball hockey tournament, where teams of six players come dressed in team themed costumes, to play a fun sport and raise funds to help support children and youth with physical disabilities. Every year approximately 20 teams participate in this high-spirited event raising an amazing $20,000 each year. Bestech will be presenting the 9th Annual Power Play for Easter Seals Kids in September 2009 at a new location.
Lisa Lounsbury, Development Manager of Easter Seals says, “We are thrilled to have this tremendous support from such a compassionate company and are looking forward to an exciting and revitalized event for 2009”
Proceeds raised from this event will help support Easter Seals Kids in the community. Easter Seals of Ontario began in 1922 as a vision to create a better life for children with physical disabilities. Today, Easter Seals continues to offer programs and services to help these children achieve a greater level of acceptance and independence. Families rely on Easter Seals to help purchase expensive equipment needed for mobility and communication, send kids to camp and other recreational programs, and provide access to information and resources.
For media inquiries, contact:
Lisa Lounsbury, District Manager
Easter Seals Ontario
llounsbury@easterseals.org
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BESTECH HELPS RAISE OVER $36,000 FOR THE SUDBURY FOOD BANK June 23, 2008
Bestech was proud to present the “Bestech Choice Vehicle Award” to Jim McDonald,
owner of a 2004 yellow corvette C5 coupe.
Bestech was among the sponsors for the 2008 Cruisin’ for Food. The event was hosted by the Sudbury Corvette Club and raised over $36,000; an increase of over $10,000 from last year’s event. All proceeds raised from the event went to the Sudbury Food Bank, helping families in need.
Crusin’ for Food is Northern Ontario’s largest car show displaying over 400 cars and bikes, attracting over 3,000 spectators.
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CAMBRIAN COLLEGE ANNOUNCED A CONTRIBUTION OF CUSTOMIZED MINING SOFTWARE FROM BESTECH THIS WEEKMay 1, 2008
It will be used to enhance the educational experience for students in the mining, automation, and instrumentation programs.
The NRG-1 software is a web-based control system that is currently used by the mining industry for underground mine and plant ventilation control, stated a Cambrian news release. The software provides optimum control of assets and helps reduce energy costs, increase revenue and enhance safety.
"Cambrian College takes great pride in its 40-year track record of successful partnerships with business and industry," said Cambrian President Sylvia Barnard in the release. "Our goal is to continue to provide skilled, workforce-ready graduates for a global economy. We are very pleased to add BESTECH to our growing list of industry partners, and I would like to thank BESTECH for sharing our vision and investing in Cambrian students, in the college system, and in the future of our economy."
"Supporting Cambrian College's learning environment with industry-standard software is a key component of our community investment," said Denis Pitre, Vice-President and COO of BESTECH in the news release. "Students in the mining, instrumentation and automation programs will work with NRG-1 as part of their studies. They will also test and challenge the software, ensuring a better product for BESTECH customers." The partnership will also involve corporate training and research opportunities.
About BESTECH:
Founded in 1995, the company has established itself as a leader in innovative technologies dedicated to
system integration and industrial automation, according to the release. Recognized leaders in the field, the
company has worked extensively in the mining, pulp and paper, forestry, oil and gas, automotive,
manufacturing and municipal sectors. BESTECH was the recipient of Northern Ontario Business and Greater
Sudbury Chamber of Commerce Award for Innovation in 2000, and was recently recognized as the 2008 Bell
Business Excellence Award for Company
of the Year.
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BESTECH NAMED GREATER SUDBURY'S COMPANY OF THE YEARMay 15, 2008
BESTECH was awarded with the prestigious Company of the Year award at the
2008 Bell Business Excellence Awards on May 13th, 2008.
Presented by Bell and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, these annual awards recognize the achievements
of community businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Company of the Year award is awarded each year to an organization " that has demonstrated significant business achievement and sustainable financial performance, outstanding growth and success and has a significant impact on the area's econo ".
BESTECH's President & CEO, Marc Boudreau, was thrilled to receive the award. "We are extremely honoured and excited to be recognized as 2008's Company of the Year," said Boudreau, who founded BESTECH in 1995.
"This award represents a significant milestone for BESTECH, and we would like to sincerely thank all of our employees for their contributions over the years, as well as the sponsors, judges and the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce for recognizing us".
Founded in 1995, BESTECH is a trusted team of industry professionals delivering services in electrical and mechanical engineering, automation, environmental monitoring and software, as well as software product development.
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BESTECH PRESENTS AT 12TH US/NORTH AMERICAN MINE VENTILATION SYMPOSIUM IN RENO, NEVADA June, 2008
BESTECH's international presence continues to grow, as representatives are playing a prominent role at the 12th US/North American Mine Ventilation Symposium in Reno, Nevada.
As an innovator in the industry, BESTECH introduced and exhibited their products and services. NRG-1, advanced web-based energy management software was described, detailed (in more than three technical papers) and presented at the conference by such organizations as Vale Inco and Barrick.
The Mine Ventilation Symposium is an excellent opportunity for industry leaders to showcase their company, exchange valuable information and create long lasting business relationships.
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CORE OF MINING VENTILATION-ON-DEMAND TECHNOLOGIES
October 20, 2007
At 7:00am Pacific Time on Friday October 19th 2007, Barrick Goldstrike's Underground Division handed over control of their auxiliary mine ventilation system to BESTECH's NRG-1 software application.
"This is the core for all of our ventilation-on-demand technologies and I expect NRG-1 to be used way beyond ventilation here at Goldstrike Underground." explained Anton Meyer, Senior Engineer for Barrick Goldstrike underground operations in Nevada. NRG-1 successfully controlled 165 fans during the first official "running of modes".
The expert collaboration between Barrick and BESTECH in preparation for and during the installation led to the seamless integration with their existing automation infrastructure. Peter Bauer and Sarah Paajanen provided on-going support from Sudbury with rapid fix deployments and a positive let's-make-this-a-success attitude throughout.
Paul Horlings and Adam Tonnos were at the Meikle mine site, located an hour outside of Elko, and bunked down for the week in the server room. Planning sessions for the day's work ahead were held every morning and a review of the results to cap of the day kept the installation running smooth.
Mr. Meyer will be presenting the results of the installation and his excitement about the product during a Barrick North America technical conference being held the week of October 22nd in Salt Lake City, Utah. Employees from Barrick's global operations assemble annually to share their experiences with new technologies and processes.
The success of this installation illustrates what team work can accomplish
when we-employees, our company and our clients-are driving toward a common goal. We wish to thank all those
Contact: Adam Tonnos - Manager of Sales
adam_tonnos@bestech.com
Toll Free: 1-877-675-7720 x 211
_____________________________________________________________________________________CANADIAN CURLING CHAMPION GLEN HOWARD AT BESTECH EVENT
The champion was in Sudbury to attend a local event sponsored by BESTECH and Tim Horton's. Glen was showing his support to a local curling team.
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BESTECH OPENS DOOR TO GLOBAL MARKET
September 9, 2006
From the Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal (Sept 06)
Sudbury-based Bestech, an industrial automation and software development
company, has partnered with OSIsoft, Inc. of San Leandro, California, to fuel sales of its asset utilization
and energy management applications.
Integration of Bestech's products with OSIsoft's PI System and Real-time Performance Management Platform
allows mining companies already using OSIsoft solutions to leverage their existing IT investments.
The partnership with OSIsoft is a "milestone and a validation of our software products" said Adam
Tonnos, Bestech product development manager. "Building on top of a platform that's recognized globally
will help us introduce our products to a larger market.
"
Bestech's Portauls product is designed to analyze and report on the utilization of production assets to
optimize performance. A hoisting module, for example, installed at Falconbridge's Craig, Fraser and Thayer
Lindsley mines in Sudbury, helps mine management identify opportunities to reduce cycle times and maximize
hoisting capacity.
Citing an example from one mine, Tonnos claims that shaving a mere second off the skipping cycle time could
free up 150,000 seconds, or 41.7 hours annually. Taking advantage of the additional availability would permit
another 833 skips per year and close to $2 million worth of additional production.
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OSISOFT PARTNERSHIP WITH BESTECH INTRODUCED TO THE MINING INDUSTRYJune, 2006
Helping the mining industry achieve superior Operational performance.
San Leandro, CA - An August 9th webinar will introduce the
OEM partnership of OSIsoft, the leader in performance management software, and BESTECH, an industry leader in
mining asset management software. The event showcases BHP Billiton's use of the OSIsoft PI System for Six
Sigma integration into their processes, as well as BESTECH's PORTAULS® process optimization software
leveraging the OSIsoft Real-time Performance Management (RtPM) platform and its application to a mature Six
Sigma organization.
The strategic OEM partnership between OSIsoft and BESTECH is being widely welcomed by experts responsible for
Six Sigma and IT development in the metals and mining industry. "BESTECH has been and will continue to be
a partner of choice in our commitment to the Six Sigma business methodology. This side-by-side working
relationship has enabled value creation through our mutual development and use of OSIsoft technologies. We
look forward to many more successful endeavors with them, "commented Paul Roos, Six Sigma Master Black
Belt for Business Performance at the Falconbridge Canadian Copper & Recycling Business Unit. BESTECH has
two web-based software applications developed specifically to serve the mining industry:
NRG-1, an application proven to be a cost effective means for achieving energy management
that continuously improves the bottom line. This application schedules and executes operation of energy
intensive assets such as mine ventilation fans, compressors and dewatering pumps.
PORTAULS®, a modular application capable of analyzing industrial systems to automatically
identify opportunities to improve a clients process. These systems include a hoisting module, a generic asset
management module for flexibility and an energy management module.
The mining industry can now harness the power of the OSIsoft PI system in two out-of-the-box applications
tailor made to meet their needs in an ever changing industrial environment. The partners have the strength and
experience in software, automation and mining to help clients in their quest to realize substantial operating
efficiencies and lower operating costs whether it is through individual site projects or corporate wide
continuous improvement initiatives. Real time knowledge creation focused on improving processes is a win-win
approach for all parties involved.
Adam Tonnos, Manager of Product Development at BESTECH, said, "The OSIsoft PI System was a perfect fit
for our new software packages. OSIsoft's data archiving, presentation and calculation engines combined with
our knowledge of the mining industry's processes makes our joint offering an unbeatable combination."
"The metals, materials and mining industries are characterized by remote site operations, large capital
investments, ever tightening environmental regulations and large numbers of plants with diverse information,
" noted Bernard Morneau, Executive Vice President of OSIsoft. "Driven by stringent quality demands,
globalization and the pressure to improve margins, the complexity of the industry's operating environment
requires electronic information management tools.
This underscores the need for a unified real-time and historical database with a rich toolset for information
visualization, analysis and connectivity, which is what the PI System brings to this partnership."
Attendance at the joint August 9th webinar requires advance registration at www.osisoft.com.
About BESTECH
Founded in 1995, BESTECH was created to address the mining industry's need for a group dedicated to system
integration and industrial automation. By developing a very specialized skill set, BESTECH quickly gained
recognition as a leader in this domain. After several strong and successful years the company has grown into a
dynamic team of engineers, technologists, six sigma professionals, programmers and support staff. For more
About OSIsoft
OSIsoft, Inc. (www.osisoft.com) delivers performance management software to the world's leading process manufacturing, metals and mining, life sciences, and utility companies-anywhere real-time operational metrics fuel performance. With more than 10,000 installations worldwide, OSIsoft's real-time data platform crosses IT and process boundaries to incorporate and display operational information. Providing comprehensive visibility into operations, the OSIsoft platform unlocks the potential for timely analysis and the ability to make critical, informed and profitable decisions. Founded in 1980, OSIsoft is headquartered in San Leandro, CA, with operations worldwide and is privately-held.
