The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development:

Session Enables Businesses to Target Opportunities in Mining Industry

With the value of mineral shipments expected to climb to $4.8 billion, exploration expenditures expected to increase to $127 million, and direct employment set to jump by more than 20 per cent, it is an incredibly exciting time in Newfoundland and Labrador’s mining industry.

This growth is giving rise to countless opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises. In Labrador West for example, companies such as Carol Lake Metal Works and Labrador Rewinding are strengthening their workforce so they can secure new business from local mines, and ultimately expand their operations.

As a government, a priority in our business and economic development agenda is to enable local companies to fully explore and realize benefits attached to our natural resources. We, quite simply, want to facilitate the growth of small and medium-sized businesses and create an environment where they can become more successful, more profitable, and employ more Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

To accelerate the growth of small and medium-sized businesses and enable them to target opportunities within the supply chain of mining and exploration companies, and for that matter, other large scale industrial projects, the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development delivers a Supplier Development Program.

Through the program, interactive information and networking sessions are held in communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador that help create awareness of bidding opportunities and purchasing practices of large procurers of goods and services.

For local businesses, this program serves as a platform to learn more about purchasing requirements and creates awareness of some of the vast opportunities that exist. For procurers, they are able to acquire greater insights into the depth of products and services that exist in the province. Most importantly, it helps build important linkages between vendors and procurers.

On Friday, June 10, the department, in cooperation with the Baie Verte and Area Chamber of Commerce, Emerald Zone Corporation, and College of the North Atlantic, is hosting a session titled Supplying the Mining Industry. Scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., the session, which is free of charge, coincides with the 24th annual mining conference in Baie Verte and is a must-attend for those looking to target opportunities within the rapidly expanding mining industry.

I encourage all interested participants to contact officials at the Department of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development to learn more about this valuable initiative.

2011 05 31             1:55 p.m.