Service and safety in underground mining
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DSI Underground: Reinforcing Progress WRIT TEN BY
DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY
RICHARD DE ANE
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DSI UNDERGROUND
Carlos Leigh, Regional Chief Executive Officer, DSI Underground LATAM, discusses how DSI Underground brings international expertise to underground mining
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n today’s mining industry, key traits required to succeed are service, safety, competitive cost and quality.
DSI Underground Group CEO, Michael Reich, understands this and drives it across the 04
company’s global operations. “At DSI Underground, we aim for excellence, leadership and profitable development in our underground markets around the world. We are committed to conducting our business with integrity everywhere,” he says. Founded in Germany in 1865, DSI Underground Group has firmly established itself as a global market leader, providing ground support products and systems for underground mining and tunnelling customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. The company has more than 1,700 specialised and experienced employees that work with customers to provide next-level services and support. “We approach every customer in every market with the same mindset: local presence combined with global
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘DSI UNDERGROUND TUNNELING’ 07 competence,” explains Carlos Leigh,
Leigh notes that underground tunnel-
the company’s Regional Chief Executive
ling is currently a growing market,
Officer. “We’ve been successful in this
meaning that it has quickly become
approach and as we increase our service
a crowded marketplace for companies
support, we have created trust with our
like DSI. This is where the company’s
customers. They trust in DSI and the
approach to support services makes
support we provide with our products.”
it stand tall above the competition. “DSI
It is this trust and brand recognition
delivers higher quality products in the
that DSI has established over decades
market,” says Leigh. “But it’s the
in operation that will support the com-
technical capability of our teams that
pany’s continued growth plans in the
makes the difference. We have tech-
Latin American (LATAM) markets.
nical sales teams, and mining and
The firm has a strong presence in
engineering professionals in all of our
Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil,
markets. They are right there at the
Colombia, Peru and Ecuador, and
work sites, communicating and working w w w.dsi unde rgro u n d . com
DSI UNDERGROUND
“ We approach every customer in every market with the same mindset: local presence combined with global competence” — Carlos Leigh, Regional Chief Executive Officer, DSI Underground LATAM 08
with customers directly.” Communicating
end though, we see that specific product
with the customer and understanding
for that specific problem can be applied
the evolving needs of their mining
to other customers in other mines.
operation is key for any service prov-
Tunnelling customers have the same
ider to be able to offer products and
or similar problems and so over time
support that enables them to operate
we build this net of expertise and con-
successfully and safely. Leigh believes
tinue to improve our support around
that the evolution of the company’s
that expertise.”
products and capabilities comes directly
For Leigh, this net of collaboration is
from working with such a vast network
what separates DSI from other service
of global customers. “We find that when
providers as its support to each customer
a customer shares their needs with us,
in each market comes from its work
they join us to develop new products
with previous customers. But how does
specifically for them,” he says. “In the
the company measure success? The
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Carlos Leigh Carlos Leigh holds both Finance Engineer and MBA qualifications, having studied at Diego Portales and Barcelona Universities in Chile and Spain. After six years as a bank executive, in 2002 Leigh joined a family-owned business called Soprofint, where he led the company’s negotiations — this was sold to DSI in early 2007, and Leigh became Managing Director at the new DSI Chile office. For three years, he worked to develop and grow the South American business, before joining Jennmar International in mid-2009. Following a successful six years developing Jennmar’s business across Latin America, he returned to DSI as part of a new business acquisition through the region in 2016. In 2018, Leigh became Regional CEO at DSI LATAM.
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DSI UNDERGROUND
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a partner of
customer is at the centre of everything
it just cannot work that way and so we
it does and so DSI ensures it not only
have to be right there in the trenches
listens to its customers from a product
with our customers.”
perspective, but also looks at how the
Safety is paramount to any com-
company can improve its relationship
pany and DSI works towards a very
with them. Market intelligence proves
specific goal of achieving zero acci-
key here and Leigh explains that DSI
dents in its own production plants,
has the best possible market intelligence
and then works with customers to
at its disposal. “The work site is every-
develop the best product and the best
thing,” he says. “We have our profession-
support possible in order for custom-
als at the work sites on a weekly basis,
ers to achieve their own safety goals.
working directly on the operation to
In the Latin American mining market,
see what’s happening in real time. It’s
the topic of mine safety is a particu-
very difficult to follow your customer’s
larly pertinent one and Leigh looks
needs sitting at a desk. In tunnelling
at the evolving mining landscape and
how significant improvements have been made to enable a growing marketplace for DSI. “The improvements over the last 20 years have been incredible. If you compare with the past, it’s much better, but not enough yet,” he says. “I believe this because the market as well is changing. More and more professionals are studying; miners, engineers and technical engineers are all coming from universities with a different view as well. That is improving professionals in the
“ We find that when a customer shares their needs with us, they join us to develop new products specifically for them” — Carlos Leigh, Regional Chief Executive Officer, DSI Underground LATAM
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DSI UNDERGROUND
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“It’s very difficult to follow your customer’s needs sitting at a desk… we have to be right there in the trenches with our customers” — Carlos Leigh, Regional Chief Executive Officer, DSI Underground LATAM
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DSI UNDERGROUND
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work site, it’s improving our own cap-
needs, so that’s what we have to do,”
acities to support our customers, and
he says. “This is continuous work, and
everything as a package is improving
every day is a new challenge to create
what is meant by safety in mines.”
a much better product, a much better
DSI is a recognised leader and with that position comes a responsibility
system, and to be at a level that our customers demand from us.”
to define and develop this evolving
As the LATAM market continues to
marketplace. Leigh understands this
grow, Leigh hopes that DSI can continue
responsibility. “Our customers expect
to deliver its internationally recognised
the best product, the best support, the
success. One of the company’s key
best service, and the best product
strategic goals over the next five years
development catering for their evolving
is to maintain its leading position and
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Leigh understands that in order to
have the best people in the market
achieve this, DSI must continuously
and that net of international expertise,
evolve, challenge itself and always be
coupled with our customer base, which
there for the customer. “Our approach
is everything. To be a leader is our
will to be there for the growing market.
responsibility and working with these
If we can actually drive that growth,
experts allows us to be more than
perfect – but to be there is the most
prepared for that.”
important part for us,” he says. “In order to do that, we need to improve every day for the changing customer needs and this will only become more demanding in the future. I believe we w w w.dsi unde rgro u n d . com
DestouchesstraĂ&#x;e 68 Munich, Bavaria Germany www.dsiunderground.com