How have you seen the Canadian mining landscape change since you first started with Liebherr in Canada? What are the main industry drivers and how is Liebherr-Canada Ltd. responding to these?
The single biggest change I’ve seen since arriving in Canada has been conversations about zero emission mining moving from the periphery to the core of discussions. You would be hard pressed to find a mining house or contractor not talking about the future of mining and zero emission solutions. This has presented an enormous opportunity for Liebherr Mining, driven predominantly by our core principles: being agnostic in both energy type and drive system and offering modular solutions to flatten the risk profile of transitioning to zero emission technologies.
Equally, the industry has recognised the advantages of our current ‘conventional’ products. For example, our Technology Products portfolio – which includes the Bucket Filling Assistant, and Truck Loading Assistant – have definitely raised some eyebrows. We anticipate being able to confirm the onsite benefits of these products with practical data in the very near term.
Is there a particular growth market that you identify for Liebherr-Canada Ltd. in the near future? Maybe a particular commodity, or class of machine? How is Liebherr-Canada Ltd. well positioned within this market?
All of Canada presents a growth opportunity for Liebherr in Canada. We’ve held our own in our traditional sectors while also taking graduated steps into new mining territories and commodities. For us, our dozers were the highlight of 2021–2022, with the fleet doubling during this time. We’ve also locked in orders for 2023–2024. I’ve been an avid believer in our dozers and – despite some early challenges – I feel we have a product that is more than a match for the competition. And it's only getting better!
The growth of Liebherr excavators in the Canadian market is also one to watch. Despite the challenges we face breaking into the market, we know that once you try a Liebherr excavator, nothing comes remotely close it! This fuels our team to dig deeper and push harder to break that barrier.
What else is important for people to know about Canadian Mining or Liebherr-Canada Ltd.?
The Canadian market is both highly lucrative and highly complex. The market is not dissimilar to other markets – Australia especially. And like Australia, global reputation only gets you so far. It’s results that seal the deal for customers. Liebherr-Canada Ltd. is staffed with an incredible team, supported in its endeavours by visionary managing directors and by the wider Liebherr group of companies. I definitely think the Canadian market is one to watch. Fortunes can change in an instant with mining, and I believe something incredibly positive is coming.
