Two Northern Ontario businesses working together
Eric Maag, General Manager of CoreLift (on the left) and Dave Rector, Owner of Rector Machine Works, (on the right) are all smiles about their work agreement regarding the production of Corelift’s flagship product.
Two participants in the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase credit their current working relationship to time spent together at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) annual convention. It was no coincidence that Eric Maag of CoreLift in Sudbury, and Dave Rector of Rector Machine Works in Sault Ste. Marie, were located across from one another in the 2023 pavilion. Partnerships, such as theirs, are one of the many benefits of participating in the international event.
“This event is the premier get together for the mining industry,” stated Eric Maag, General Manager, CoreLift. “With thirty thousand people, you are bound to meet up with people who have interests in all areas of mining and find the right people to talk about your product at a global level.”
“This is where you make everything happen,” added Dave Rector, Owner, Rector Machine Works Ltd. “I don’t have to drive four hours to Sudbury to meet somebody. I don’t have to drive to Toronto to meet somebody. Everybody is here at one time. It’s a whole relationship building process and a great networking opportunity.”
The pair first met at PDAC in 2008 and entered into a working agreement in September 2021 with Rector Machine Works becoming the manufacturer of CoreLift’s flagship product, a fully adjustable logging table designed for mining and mineral exploration companies. Like a standing desk, the mechanical table can be adjusted depending on the needs of the user, reducing health and safety risks while improving productivity by moving the core boxes faster, safer and easier.
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Eric Maag, Owner of CoreLift, demonstrates the benefits of his CoreLift bench using a scale model.
Through working with major mining companies, Eric and his team learned that about 30 per cent of workers moving core boxes — geologists, technicians, engineers — had experienced some form of injury. Their product is designed to address that problem.
“Eric did the legwork and all of the market research,” explained Rector. “Core shacks are something that haven’t evolved in 50-60 years. There are a lot of manual labour injuries associated with lifting in the mining industry. We believe in this product and believe that demand will grow.”
Demonstrating how the Corelift bench works using a scale model at PDAC was a key first step in raising awareness about the product and its benefits.
“Sales don’t happen in one shot,” revealed Maag. “They happen through an aggregate of activities.”
Maag said that’s why the FedNor-supported Northern Ontario Mining Showcase is so important for businesses across the region. It enables participants to establish and build relationships that will pay off down the road.