“Hiring equipment can enable a company to re-allocate available resources and more easily react to market trends as they occur.”

In an interview of Australian Mining Magazine, Ackroyd explains his ability to pick market trends, to adapt to industry forces and to never give up regardless of the challenges faced have ensured ongoing success and longevity.

During the past two decades since founding National Plant & Equipment, Mark Ackroyd has observed a change in the mining industry and equipment sectors.

Ackroyd anticipates that companies will make changes to keep up with the ever-evolving industry.

“It’s not only the equipment that is changing but also the way in which companies are acquiring it,”

Ackroyd explains.

Over time, more and more companies are looking for long-term rental or rental solutions rather than buying mining equipment, and this trend is growing in recent years.

“The cost of heavy earthmoving equipment is extremely high and therefore requires a significant amount of capital expenditure,” Ackroyd says.

Renting equipment cut the costs gives companies more flexibility to keep up with the industry as it grows and changes.

Another major talking point reported in the article of Australian Mining Magazine
is how technology will impact the industry and those who work in it.

Automation is getting more and more important and will have a large impact on mining companies, their equipment and their employees.

About that, Ackroyd believes that “miners shouldn’t worry about their jobs, but instead be prepared to evolve their skillset along with the industry as it continues to change.”

“As automation increases, this will have an impact on mine site staff. Automation will open up new opportunities for workers to up-skill into new areas of the industry, whilst giving them greater safety going forward.”

“In the future, there will be a need for more remote control operators and safety staff to oversee fully automated operations,” Ackroyd says.

“Automated technology will become more standard on new equipment that will further enable mining companies to utilise this technology to increase productivity, efficiency and safety.”

Source: National Group