MineConnect makes it to Nevada

The Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Northeastern Nevada Regional Development Authority (NNRDA) said that they signed a three-year collaboration with business incubation firm MineConnect to boost the mining industry in the state.

MineConnect, which is expected to open doors in Elko later in 2021, is a non-profit with 190 current company members. The roots of the supply and service association are in northern Ontario, Canada, and it hopes to give Elko access to Canada’s largest concentration of hard rock mining expertise with the location’s opening.

“MineConnect fits in perfectly with Nevada’s economic development plans,” said Michael Brown, GOED executive director, who added that members can apply for the opportunity to occupy part of the space where they will begin evaluating the market, making connections, and securing contracts.

From there, companies will be encouraged to make final business development decisions within 12 months of occupancy. “If Northern Nevada is a good fit, the business will be expected to establish its own operation within the region resulting in quality job opportunities for Nevadans,” Brown said.

The new business incubator will house approximately 10 companies at a time and is now funded to operate for three years before determining whether the incubator will be a long-term operation.

According to data from the governor’s office, as of 2020 there were more than 150 Canadian-owned businesses within Nevada, which employed more than 10,000 people. Further, there are more than 25 mining-related Canadian businesses within the state, ranging from equipment manufacturing to gold mining.