SAMSSA meeting elects new board for two-year term
By: Northern Ontario Business Staff
The Sudbury Area Mining Supply and Services Association (SAMSSA) honoured two of its own luminaries and welcomed a new board of directors during its annual general meeting on Friday.
Bruce Diplock of Dixon Electric and Mark Andrews of Carriere Industrial Supply Ltd. (CIS), who have dedicated a combined 70-plus years to the industry, were inducted into SAMSSA’s Hall of Fame before a crowd of more than 100 at the morning event held at Sudbury’s Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel.
SAMSSA executive director Dick DeStefano said it’s important to have success stories from the industry to acknowledge the hard work being done every day.
“It’s a recognition of those who have contributed to the success of this industry, have identified with it, have created real jobs and real wealth,” DeStefano said. “I thank the two honourees for accepting.”
Diplock, a graduate of Humber College, has been in the industry for more than 40 years, 27 of which have been with Dixon Electric. During his tenure with the Sudbury-based company, he has built the staff from nine to more than 50, expanded from one branch to four across the North, and has grown it to an integrated electrical solutions company.
During that time, charity work has been a strong focus for Diplock, who has been involved with the Walk for Juvenile Diabetes and the building of schools in Haiti and Ethiopia, among other causes.
“It’s quite an honour to be here under these circumstances and accept an award of this nature,” said a humble Diplock. “No person really gets to this point of time in their life without a lot of other people that they’ve been with along the way. There are so many people that influence you in business and vice versa.”
Andrews, who recently retired after a 33-year career at CIS, which provides wear solutions for the mining industry, started working for his family’s Yamaha motorcycle and snowmobile business in Kenora before moving on to Noranda’s Mattabi Mines.
His career in sales at CIS began in 1979 in Cobalt, and he has since assisted in enhancing sales, as well as developing and implementing unique value-added products and services, including Linerwear, CIS’s inventory and wear liner management system, and the concept of cost-per-ton buckets for the mining industry.
Despite his recent retirement, Andrews is keeping his toe in the industry, recently forming Wearwise Consulting, and he has been recognized as a founding patron of SAMSSA.
“I appreciate the honour, everybody,” Andrews said. “It’s been a great career—almost 40 years of working. I’m looking forward to my retirement.”
SAMSSA ended the year on a positive note financially, although it was noted that expenses will go up in 2012 as the organization looks to overhaul its web presence with a more accessible, comprehensive website, a process that is currently underway.
Outgoing president Marc Boudreau of Bestech finished up his two-year term, passing the torch to incoming president Kirk Petroski, president and CEO of Symboticware.
Petroski joins returning board members vice-president Tom Palangio, of WipWare in North Bay; secretary André Ruest, general manager of B&D Manufacturing in Sudbury; and treasurer Mike Mayhew, director of global business services, mining at Stantec in Sudbury. Also joining the board is David Rector, of Rector Machine Works in Sault Ste. Marie.
The new board will be in place for two years.
The meeting ended with a presentation from Liberty Mines president and CEO Chris Stewart, who spoke of the company’s efforts to relaunch its nickel-exploration operations in Timmins.
This article was written by Lindsay Kelly, a reporter at Northern Life’s sister company, Northern Ontario Business. For more information, visit www.nob.on.ca.<