Arizona Residents Shine Spotlight on Their Place in U.S. Mining Industry History

Many states can lay claim to a place in the development of the U.S. mining industry, but Arizona residents are doing something to ensure that their state's contribution is not forgotten.


High Street in Jerome, Arizona

First, small-town residents are working to ensure that former mining towns don't die out completely. In early May of 2015, Skip Descant of the Desert Sun wrote a stirring piece encouraging travelers and hikers to consider staying in the quaint hotels of Jerome, Arizona, while availing themselves of hikes on mining trails nearby.

After describing the city's rich mining history, the writer makes a serious case for investing in a visit:

[I]f you're looking for Starbucks and corporate brand hotels and restaurants, Jerome is not for you. Stick to Sedona. However, if you'd rather visit a place that somehow seemed to just skip the second half of the 20th century, Jerome is a terrific and still mostly authentic find. (Desert Sun)

But Arizona's small towns are not the only places investing attention in mining history. Phoenix residents have been working doggedly to have the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum reopened to the public since its untimely closing in 2011. The high support levels given to this project by area residents proves that they have a vested interest in keeping their place in the history of U.S. mining alive and well.

Since the growth of the mining industry was a direct cause of the development of many western states, we're glad to see more people taking an interest in preserving this important part of American history.

Remember that we carry a full complement of OTR tires for all of your mining needs. We routinely ship OTR tires to mines in all the western states. Please feel free to contact us for the best deals and lowest shipping costs!

Image credit: "High street Jerome, Arizona". Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Fresh Developments in Mexican Mining Industry's Interactions with Cartels

Throughout the spring months, we've been keeping you apprised of the Mexican mining industry's ongoing problems with drug cartels. In mid-April, we brought you the story of a sweeping crime wave involving theft, kidnapping, and murder. Then in early May came the heartening news that U.S. and Canadian-owned mines had begun taking steps to ramp up security at their facilities in Mexico, stating that the safety and security of their workers was a prime concern.

Now, fresh reports from Mexico, have proven troubling. On May 11, the Latin America Herald Tribune reported that specific mining firms within Mexico had decided to attempt cutting a deal with the cartels.

“We ask the mafia for permission, the organized crime groups, and we are able to (operate). Things get resolved because there are negotiations by the companies,” [said Manuel] Reyes, [president of AIMMGM]. (LAHT)

Dealing with the devil - Mining firms in Mexico negotiate with Mexican cartels.

Reyes further reports that while the negotiations have shown results in the areas of kidnapping and extortion, the robberies have continued unabated.

Whether or not negotiation is the best tactic in the long run still remains to be seen, but with all other means failing to make headway against the cartels, some within the Mexican-based mining industry feel that they have no other option.

Barring direct intervention from an unforeseen source, the situation in Mexico is unlikely to resolve itself any time soon. It's our hope, however, that Mexican law enforcement will soon prove itself effective in dealing with the cartels, leaving the Mexican mines ample opportunity to flourish.

Remember that we carry a full array of OTR tires for all of your mining needs. Please feel free to contact us for the best deals.

Image credit: Drug Money and weapons seized by the Mexican Police and the DEA - Drug Enforcement Administration via Wikimedia Commons

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Michelin Pushes the Envelope with New "Tweel" OTR Tires

For the past fifteen years, Michelin has been working to produce airless loader tires. Although the concept may sound surprising to some, the stated goal was to produce a heavy-duty tire that would never go flat.

In the end they succeeded, but the process wasn't cheap. According to Popular Science, the company spent fifty million dollars bringing their dream to life and building a factory dedicated to building the X Tweel. That may sound like a hefty price tag, but descriptions of the end product make it sound as if this was money well invested:

Unlike pneumatic tires, which cushion rides using a bed of pressurized air, the X Tweel uses a combination of deformable polyurethane spokes, a steel-and-rubber outer rim, and rigid metal hub. The outer rim—called a shear beam—carries most of the load. The spokes and hub distribute the load across different parts of the shear beam as the tire rolls over objects. (Popular Science)

A combination tire-and-wheel, the Tweel is not indestructible (it can still be bent and/or damaged by impact or obstacles), but the weight-saving advantages and the impossibility of going flat still combine to bring exciting new benefits to the world of loader tires.

The good news is that working equipment operators aren't the only ones who can benefit from this technology. Polaris now offers airless tires for ATVs, bringing buyers one step closer to building their very own "post-apocalyptic four-wheelers."

Remember that we carry a full range of OTR tires for all of your heavy equipment needs. Please feel free to contact us for the best deals.

Image credit: "MICHELIN X-Tweel on Skid Steer" by TweelTech - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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Australian Mining Industry's Upswing on the Horizon?

If you've been keeping up with global shifts in mining, then you're already aware that the Australian mining industry has been suffering for quite some time. With the end of Australia's mining boom have come concerns regarding how the entire country will be affected, and unfortunately, some of those concerns have already proven valid. Not only have small mining-centered towns been affected by shut-downs, but now even major cities such as Perth have also been negatively impacted.

Recently, Bradley Woods, the CEO of the Australian Hotels Association, expressed his concerns for Perth, revealing that occupancy levels in the city's hotels are down 3.1 per cent compared to the same time last year, a figure that parallels the mining slump.

"What we saw as a result of the mining peak in Western Australia was that there was huge demand from the corporate resources sector for accommodation in Perth. That drove up accommodation demand and price. There was a lot of additional business that came off that." (ABC)

While Woods is justified in expressing concerns, he may soon find the trend reversed. With further stabilization of the Chinese economy, Australia can be somewhat assured of its demand in the coming years, since in recent decades a steadily-growing Chinese economy equals a steadily-growing demand for Australian iron ore. According to the Guardian, although the relationship between the Chinese economy and the strength of the Australian mining industry isn't exactly a sure thing, it's enough to give a glimmer of hope.

And sometimes a little hope is just what's needed to hang on until things turn around.

Remember that we carry a full supply of OTR tires for all of your mining needs. Please feel free to contact us for the best deals.

Image credit: Pixabay.com

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Titan Expects Tire Sales Throughout the US Mining Industry to Improve Despite a Sales and Earnings Decline

Titan Tires has offered high-quality tires and wheels for the agriculture, forestry, construction and mining industries for years. In addition to site visits to consult decision-makers on the best product choices; Titan offers servicing for its line of products for extended periods after purchase. Changes in the agriculture industry have prompted Titan to focus more of its business efforts on the mining and construction sectors, as it expects agriculture industry sales to stay consistent or drop in the years ahead.

According to recent reports, Titan tires experienced significant drops in both sales and earnings in the quarter that ended on March 31, 2015; because there was more demand for a type of higher horsepower agricultural equipment, that Titan doesn't currently produce tires for. It's large agricultural sales were down 35% and Titan doesn't expect those sales to improve anytime soon.

Overall, company earnings fell 21.6% and sales fell 25.4%. However, Titan executives expect customer demand for new Titan products in other industries to improve sales and earnings throughout the remainder of the year and in coming years. Titan also experienced lower high margin tire sales as well.

In addition, Titan attributed part of the quarterly loss to Euro, Ruble, and Australian dollar currency weakness against a strengthening US dollar.

Titan's pre-tax operating income, however, was higher than expected, which is always good to see .

Positive Upcoming Changes that Affect the US Mining Industry

• Titan's mining business is expanding and the demand for its underground wheel and tire business is starting to grow.
• Titan is extending its Low Sidewall Technology, (LSW), line of products into the mining and construction industries; and is hoping for acceptance and an overall positive response.
• Titan is expecting improved sales in its ITM business. The ITM sector provides undercarriages for the mining, construction and earth moving industries.

Contact us to shop the entire line of Titan products. BuyBigTires.com sells the most in-demand mining tires at affordable prices.

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Makers of Mining Equipment Feeling the Pinch

There's no denying the fact that so far, 2015 hasn't proven the best one that the mining world has ever seen. As the global mining slump continues, makers of mining equipment have begun to feel the pinch.

Witness Caterpillar, Inc.'s recent announcement that they would be cutting one hundred and fifty full-time employees from their Decatur, Illinois, facility, citing the exigencies of supply and demand:

The mining industry continues to experience weak market conditions, the company said. The resource industries division, which includes Decatur-built mining trucks, reported last week profits of $85 million during the first quarter, a more than 40 percent collapse from $143 million earned in the first quarter of 2014 (Herald Review).

CAT employees aren't the only ones suffering the results of the weak global market, however. The Star Tribune reports that Caterpillar, Deere, Komatsu and Liebherr alike all expect difficulties in 2015 due to the slowdown, although they cite the softness in U.S. agriculture and a prolonged pause in oil production as other contributing factors.

But not all reports are dire. Recently, Mining Global used data from Research and Markets to predict that within the United States at least, the mining equipment market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.27 percent between now and 2019. While the global market as a whole may be suffering, the surge in U.S. mining will eventually overcome the temporary setbacks for producers of mining equipment.

Remember that we stock a full array of big OTR tires for all of your mining equipment needs. Feel free to contact us for the best deals.

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Will the Rock Creek Mining Project Boost Montana's Economy?

The US mining industry has been on a bit of an upswing in recent years, and recent news shows that the mini-boom is spreading to Montana.

Montana is home to the Rock Creek Mine project, thought to be one of the largest unmined silver deposits in the United States. In addition to 229 million ounces of silver, Rock Creek is believed to have 2 billion pounds of copper.

This has attracted the attention of Hecla Mining, a major player in the U.S. silver market. Hecla has recently announced plans to acquire Revett Mining, a mineral developer that owns the rights to the Rock Creek project.

Revett has been trying to develop the project for over 10 years, but has met with significant opposition and legal hurdles. Locals and environmentalists oppose any mining in the Cabinet Mountains, home to Rock Creek.

However, in 2011 an appeals court opened up the region to permitting, and it is thought that Hecla, with their superior resources, will have more luck advancing the project than Revett.

To that end, they've earmarked $20 million in stock towards the purchase of Revett and its claim - a 30% premium on recent evaluations. This is a significant vote of confidence in their ability to bring the project to life.

It's not the first time Hecla has invested in a controversial project. The company notes that they've been operating in an Alaskan national monument for nearly 20 years, referencing their silver mine in Greens Creek.

Regardless of the outcome of the Rock Creek project, Hecla's interest shows that there's still a strong interest in U.S. mining.

As the industry continues to grow, this will also lead to an increase in demand for mining supplies and equipment. To find out about our extensive inventory of OTR tires, contact us today. We'll help you choose the tires that best fit your needs and budget.

Image credit: Revett Mining

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Ongoing Safety Concerns for Workers in the Mexican Mining Industry

Because we routinely ship OTR tires to mines throughout Mexico, we have been keeping abreast of current safety concerns within the Mexican mining industry. As we told you recently, the country's drug cartels have been further complicating the mining situation. Reports of robberies, kidnappings, and murder have begun to occur with chilling regularity.

As U.S-and-Canadian-based news sources begin to express their concerns, top mining officials have made statements claiming that they're working to ensure the safety of all their employees:

“We are hopeful that this ongoing dialogue will result in better conditions for the industry as a whole,” said Tim Haldane, Agnico’s senior vice-president of U.S. and Latin American operations. “Fortunately, in the communities where we operate we have not observed any recent new security challenges” (The Globe and Mail).

That may be true for Agnico Eagle Mines, a Canadian-owned company currently operating in Mexico, but other corporations have not been so fortunate, such as Goldcorp and Torex, both of which have been the targets of serious crimes.

With crime on the rise (both cartel-related and otherwise), and little assistance available from local and national law enforcement, responsibility for the safety of mine employees falls squarely on the corporations themselves. Since many of these mines are owned by overseas companies, it's our hope that the decisions made offsite are made with a full understanding of the needs and safety concerns of the miners themselves.

Remember that we carry a full stock of OTR tires for all of your mining needs. Feel free to contact us for the best deals.

Image credit: dream2life on Flickr

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