As miners advance into emerging markets, many are requesting the support of trusted service partners.
Senior vice president of Kal Tire’s mining tire group Dan Allan has authored a new whitepaper that highlights the challenges and opportunities that small- and mid-sized service firms face in establishing businesses in some of the world’s more challenging jurisdictions.
The Servicing Mining’s Newest Frontiers whitepaper leverages on Allan’s wide-ranging experience and expertise. He explains that as global demand for metals continues to intensify, driven by the energy transition, urbanisation and infrastructure expansion, many mining companies are finding themselves increasingly compelled to explore and operate in remote, politically sensitive or socio-economically complex jurisdictions.
“While these organisations are often well versed in entering new markets and building supply chains from scratch, accessing expert operational support to ensure that functions, such as maintenance, run smoothly and safely from day one, can be difficult,” Allan said.
“For the largest original equipment manufacturers and service providers, expansion into new markets, either to support customers or realise organic growth opportunities, is expected and well-resourced. These companies can mobilise capital and talent quickly to capture key contracts, and can often leverage the support of extensive legal, risk and compliance teams.
“For small and mid-sized service providers, however, the challenges are markedly different.”
Allan said that entering a new jurisdiction as a smaller player can yield “transformative” opportunities, but it can also present disproportionate risks that threaten the viability of the enterprise.
“To go or not to go? That is the question that many firms are grappling with on an increasing basis.”
The Servicing Mining’s Newest Frontiers whitepaper, released in October 2025, is available free at Kal Tire’s website.
