MINExpo A Hit in Las Vegas

More than 40,000 attendees converged on the Las Vegas Convention Center Sept. 26-28 for MINExpo International 2016, according to unofficial estimates received before the end of the show. The event is sponsored by the National Mining Association (NMA).

Attendance was lower than in 2012, when nearly 60,000 people turned out for MINExpo 2012, but higher than the 2008 show, when approximately 38,000 attended.

As an international show, MINExpo works closely with the U.S. Commercial Service, and this year it welcomed delegations from 31 countries. “This was a record number of international delegations for MINExpo,” said Moya Phelleps, senior vice president of member services at NMA.

MINExpo 2016 featured more than 840,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 12 indoor and outdoor halls and more than 1,900 companies showcasing equipment and technology for the mining and aggregates industry.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval; Denise Johnson, MINExpo chair and group president for resource industries at Caterpillar Inc.; Kevin Crutchfield, CEO of Contura Energy, Inc; Phillips S. Baker, president and CEO of Hecla Mining Co., Douglas Hardman, vice chairman, J.H. Fletcher & Co., and Hal Quinn, president and CEO of NMA, opened the show with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The show featured many technological innovations that created a buzz on the show floor, such as Komatsu’s Autonomous Haulage Vehicle; Caterpillar’s newest large mining truck, the 794 AC; and Liebherr’s 100-ton T 236 mining truck, which has applications for the quarry industry; among many others.

Coinciding with the show’s opening, NMA released a study on the economic impacts of the mining industry in the U.S.

“The 40,000 people participating in MINExpo this week are a testament to the significant role that mining plays in the U.S. and around the world,” said Quinn. “As the report details, the mining industry is comprised of more than 13,000 operations and hundreds of thousands of jobs in the U.S. alone. Most people outside of the industry don’t make the connection between these people and what they do, and the essential resources they provide nearly every industry and consumer product available.”

Key highlights from the report include:

• U.S. mining directly and indirectly generated nearly 1.7 million full-time and part-time jobs in 2015, including employees and the self-employed.
• U.S. mines accounted for more than 565,000 direct jobs.
• U.S. labor income associated with U.S. mining exceeded $100 billion in 2015.

Nineteen mining operations – six coal mines and 13 mineral/metal mines – were recipients of the National Mining Association’s “Sentinels of Safety” awards, presented at the show.

“These awards are a timely reminder of the importance of safety in the mining industry and of the further progress we are making to ensure every miner returns home safely after each and every shift,” said Quinn. “The companies we honor today are the true sentinels of safety, not only the safest mines in this country but among the safest mines in the world. The industry is inspired by the example they have set.”

Winners included the following aggregates operations.