Sep 27 2016
The world's largest mining equipment, products and services exhibition begins today at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Sponsored by the National Mining Association (NMA), MINExpo INTERNATIONAL® 2016 is a sprawling 840,000 ft.+ showcase of the latest mining equipment and technology from around the world. Held every four years, MINExpo begins its three-day run today, welcoming more than 1,900 exhibitors and an anticipated 40,000-plus attendees from more than 130 countries, including the U.S.
Day one activities
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval; Denise Johnson, MINExpo chair and group president for resource industries at Caterpillar Inc.; Kevin Crutchfield, chairman 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, will open the show with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
Also scheduled for day one is an opening session moderated by Nina Easton, Fox News analyst and chair of Fortune's Most Powerful Women International. The session will feature top mining executives discussing the global outlook for mining equipment, coal and minerals production and the public policy environment for mining.
New report and new website
Coinciding with the show's opening, NMA today released a study on the economic impacts of the mining industry in the U.S., and launched a new website for the association.
"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.
The association today also launched a new website, accessible at www.nma.org, which features an interactive map that allows users to view the economic impacts of mining in their state. The full report can be accessed here and a summary fact sheet is available here.
Environmental and safety awards
At an awards luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 20 U.S. mining operations will be recognized as winners of NMA's annual Sentinels of Safety award for outstanding safety performance in 2015, and three companies will be recognized by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for achievements in mine safety and health technology innovations.
At a luncheon the following day, seven U.S. mineral and coal mines will be awarded the annual Sustainable Development, Environmental and Reclamation Awards sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior for exemplary sustainable mining practices in 2016.
Source: http://www.nma.org/