What does 50 years mean?

For someone living in the developed world, it means on average, over half a life lived. So, a significant milestone no doubt, but more so to mark the approach of old age than a new beginning (again, on average…there are many examples of incredible first-time achievements by renowned individuals who are in or beyond their fifth decade on the planet).

That said, the 50^th milestone for our organization has quite a different resonance. There is the same amount of backstory but an entirely different outlook. Growing a private enterprise from an initial idea around designing mobile equipment solutions that make underground mining safer for workers and more productive for mine operators, into what is now a multi-national entity with a facility footprint on four continents, one thousand+ employees in six countries, with products sold and support services delivered worldwide – well, that is indeed a milestone to celebrate.  But unlike an individual’s birthday, the MacLean 50^th is much more about looking forward than back. It’s really about our acceleration and expansion across the next 50, the next 100 years of existence.  The exact opposite of a slow fade into the sunset.

The part of the company that hasn’t changed over the years, even as our product and geographic spread has, is the common thread, the backbone.  It is what we now refer to as MacLean ‘Application Intelligence’.  In the early days as a start-up in the 1970s and 80s, this was the galvanizing and inspiring act of solving problems underground. Engineered solutions, for the specific job, in the real-life underground environment, on a global stage.

This can-do spirit of innovation across generations has been built on the bedrock of a safety first ethos, the North Star of our company culture. Half a century on, it is both our legacy and our future.

The MacLean Way, which runs through our veins, will shape the next chapters of
serving the global mining industry across the 21^st century and beyond.