Welcome, and Thanks

Welcome to the inaugural issue of North American Mining Products. And thank you to the many people and companies we have spoken with over the course of the past year who told us that yes, there is a place for a new and better publication in the marketplace that focuses only on North America and emphasizes new products and technology.

North American Mining Products is published by Semco Publishing, which is no stranger to metallic and nonmetallic mining – not to mention construction materials – as the parent company of Rock Products, The Asia Miner, Concrete Products and Cement Americas magazines.

We don’t take our new obligation to the mining industry lightly. We are now in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. While effective use of haul trucks, crushers, shovels and conveyors will always be part of a successful mining operation, automation and digital technology are providing significant advancements.

As BakerMcKenzie stated in its “Mining & Metals Forecast 2020 – Industry Trends” report, the deployment of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI), the use of 3D modeling techniques, wearables, drones and automated equipment, and increased connectivity through the Internet of Things (IoT) are key drivers of this digital revolution. Continued scrutiny of safety, regulatory compliance and environmental concerns has meant an increasing drive to optimize equipment and systems and to be proactive, not reactive with a huge focus on driving operational efficiencies and competitiveness through the effective deployment of technology.

As we head into 2021, we will launch our web presence, roll out a weekly e-newsletter, and integrate North American Mining Products into our industrial-strength information and lead-generation portal, the Resource Center.

On average, every American uses approximately 3.4 tons of coal and nearly 40,000 lb. of newly mined materials each year, according to the National Mining Association. The industry will move forward to meet consumer and industrial demand – despite COVID-19 and other factors – and we are proud to be here to chronicle the technology that will make it so.

We look forward to serving the marketplace. Let us know how we are doing.

Mark S. Kuhar, editor in chief
[email protected]
(330) 722‐4081
Twitter: @editormarkkuhar