Canada is a country with abundant natural resources, where mining is one of its major industries. AGNICO EAGLE is a senior Canadian gold mining company that owns the Canadian Malartic Mine, one of Canada's largest operating open-pit gold mines. Mine Maintenance Superintendent Steve and his colleagues work at the Canadian Malartic Mine site. With these men, who all say they love their jobs, Hitachi Construction Machinery's machines are working vigorously today.
Steve, whose father owned a hydraulic equipment company, grew up surrounded by machinery. His childhood was spent playing in the sandpit with toy machines, and he went on to study mechanical engineering, eventually helping his father with his business. “I did everything from cleaning parts and repairing pumps and engines, to installing them in equipment." Steve laughs as he explains that he inherited his passion for machines from his father. And this passion seems to have rubbed off on his own children. Last year, after touring the mine at a family event, his children were so proud of their father that they have now started thinking about following in his footsteps. “The mine is right next to the city, so there are a lot of people in the same profession here. Everyone on the team is both a colleague and a friend. That trust is one of our strengths. The mining business is like a big family that holds us together and supports us.”
Production Shovel Operator Yoan, Mine Operations Superintendent Nicholas and Marc-André, who is a Mine Maintenance General Foreman, also became interested in these professions because of the many people around them working in the mine and came to work at AGNICO EAGLE. So what do Hitachi Construction Machinery's machines mean to them? “We bought our first Hitachi Construction Machinery's excavator to help us meet our production goals. It performed better than we expected and we immediately bought a second one,” explains Marc-André concerning how the company came to rely on the Hitachi Construction Machinery brand. Nicholas adds, “In fact, the Hitachi Construction Machinery's excavators add operational flexibility to our fleets.” So what sets Hitachi Construction Machinery's machines apart from the rest? Yoan answered this question from an operator's point of view. “The biggest difference is that they are easy to operate. The hydraulic operation is smooth, and the control is very sensitive for such a large machine.” Patrick also gave his opinion as an engineer. “When drilling, we sometimes operate remotely. It is difficult to operate from a distance. That's why we choose the most reliable machines for the job.”
Another reason why they choose Hitachi Construction Machinery's machines, says Marc-André is thanks to the outstanding service of our Canadian authorized dealer, WAJAX. “We have monthly meetings with WAJAX. If we have any problems, they are quick to come up with solutions.” According to Luc at WAJAX, “We are able to provide high quality support because of Hitachi Construction Machinery's commitment to customer service." His colleague Jean-Philippe, elaborates further. “Thanks to a system that allows us to send images and video to communicate directly with Hitachi Construction Machinery's engineers, we are able to respond promptly to the concerns of our clients." In summary, Steve gives us his final thoughts on why Hitachi Construction Machinery is the brand of choice. “We're running machines 24/7 here. These machines need to be powerful enough to withstand such intensive use, robust enough to operate in harsh environments, reliable when operated remotely, and backed by rapid support. We need machines that can meet all of these requirements.”
Steve and his crew work amid the vastness of nature. Hitachi Construction Machinery's machines continue to operate strongly apace with the men who love their jobs.
