A delivery truck takes the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road to the Diavik Diamond Mine. - photo courtesy of Diavik |
De Beers opens up to new suppliers
Mining office of diamond company invited NWT businesses to discuss services
Karen K. Ho
Northern News Services
Monday, May 4, 2015
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
De Beers is open for business. That was the sentiment expressed in advertisements the mining and diamond company put out for new suppliers in the territory.
The company's director of external and corporate affairs, Tom Ormsby, told News/North that the meetings went very well.
"All available time slots were spoken for and we had to turn some businesses away," he said.
"Every company had an opportunity to present information about what they do followed by a question and answer session with the supply chain and business development team members."
The company met with a number of different businesses including construction companies, communications firms and industrial suppliers from Yellowknife and Hay River.
Ormsby said De Beers has spent close to $1.6 billion with businesses and joint ventures in the territory to build and operate its Snap Lake Mine in the last 10 years.
"We have a good idea of what the local business community is capable of," he said, calling the project a great way to improve De Beers' understanding of the capacity and capabilities of the NWT business community.
The call for more suppliers was part of the company's efforts to maximize the participation of operators from within the territory in De Beers' annual procurement program. Ormsby said 69 per cent of Snap Lake spending was with NWT companies and joint ventures in 2014.
As to whether De Beers plans on arranging specific appointments to find new NWT businesses to work with again in the future, Ormsby said the company's supply chain and business development teams were still assessing the event and reviewing the survey results, comments and suggestions from the companies that attended.
For NWT companies that didn't get to participate in this series of appointments, Ormsby said De Beers does have a business development manager based in their Yellowknife office and are encouraged to register on their online business registry.
De Beers also holds a business opportunities breakfast every year during the annual Geoscience Forum in Yellowknife.
