In Remembrance

We are saddened by the death of one of our Austin Family members, David Indrasetyonom, on Sunday November 22. He was 39 years old and worked for us servicing a coal mining company in Central Kalimantan in Indonesia. It has been confirmed that David died of COVID and he leaves behind a wife and three children, ages 11, 8 and 3 months.

In Our Prayers

We still have 5 family members from this particular mine with confirmed COVID cases. We are all praying for their full and speedy recovery.

Upgrade & Expansion of Bentong Site in Malaysia

The Bentong Project calls for an update of the existing technology used in the factory. The Project not only covers the production plant, it also includes an Ammonium Nitrate Warehouse, High Explosive Magazines, a Waste Water Treatment Plant and other facilities. The dismantling phase was completed in September 2020!

Since the commencement of the project, the APMY project team has been liaising closely with the authorities to obtain approval for the site development. There are 15 independent authority approvals from different government departments required to progress the project.

Before & After - Bulk Emulsion Plant

Before & After - Cartridge Emulsion Production Plant

The mega-project was divided into multiple phases, starting with decontamination and dismantling of the existing production plant, which was fully planned and done in-house.

Thank you Project Team for the effort:

• Project Advisor: Ng Bee Hong (Manager – Integration & Strategy)
• Project Manager: Leong Soon Kit (Manager – Project Execution)
• Project Member: Hakeem Hamzah (Senior Engineer – Mechanical)
• Adam Leong (Engineer – Process)
• Lim Xin Ning (Engineer – Process)

Get to Know Nitro Explosives, Our Extended Austin Family in Tanzania!

Austin Powder entered Tanzania by investing in Nitro Explosives and Nitro Logistics (Nitro) in 2015. This investment made Nitro Explosives a Joint Venture (JV) partner with Austin. Austin partnered with Nitro because the company had built a successful business by providing explosives and blasting accessories to the local mining and quarrying industries. The company had built a network of magazines covering the country.

Nitro Explosives is currently building an Austin Powder emulsion plant that will be commissioned in early 2021. (Featured in the June issue of AP News).

What is Nitro's Company Culture?

Nitro's culture is very similar to Austin's. Johan Viljoen, the founder and Managing Director of Nitro Explosives says, “Safety is our highest priority and we take all possible precautions to keep our people and communities safe. Our biggest risk is people traveling on public roads, so we emphasize defensive driving and strict travel in daylight hours only. All our trucks are branded with the motto 'Always on time,' which reflects our respect and care for our customers. Recent expansion has resulted in new people joining our family. We are doing everything we can to train, equip and urge them to ensure they are part of our family.”

Meet some of the team from the Kilosa Station monthly safety awareness training session.

(Note: Some photos shared below were taken prior to COVID-19)

Nitro's Blasting Team Meeting at the Quarry

Yapi Merkezi Ihumwa Camp Offices

The Power Of Family

Legends of Austin

Recognizing 45 Years of Service: Butch Moore, Jr.

This month, we celebrate the career of Butch Moore, who will be retiring at the end of 2020 after 45 Years of Service.

Butch started at Austin in 1975 as a laborer/driver when his neighbor recommended joining our family. Dick Washburn was Butch's first boss. "He was easy to work for. He told you what to do. How to do it safely. And, you did it," Butch shares.

According to Butch a lot has changed at Austin over four and a half decades. Back in the ’70 and ‘80s it was a lot more physical and everything was loaded by hand. There was also a lot less paperwork. But the most notable changes have been in the products themselves. Butch recalls, "At 21 years old, I didn't mind working with dynamite (but the headaches could make you nauseous)! Early on, we tried moving away from dynamite to a slurry (which didn't work very well). Eventually, we transitioned to Hydromite and cast boosters, which works great!”

Butch was in Austin’s first Blaster training class. In the late '80s, he was recognized by Nobel Insurance as a Master Blaster and has the belt buckle to prove it. "Nobel came out once a year to watch a shot and make sure everything was safe." His favorite part about blasting is seeing the job done well, and knowing he helped the customer. His favorite blast was Ger Island military bunker and armory. He recalls it took just one shot to take down the HQ, and 30 shots for the armory.

Butch has always worked and lived in New England. And yes, he is a Patriot's fan as well as a Budweiser fan! His home is about an hour away from Mt. Williams, a location he helped get set up after a series of other sites opened and closed (Salem, Massachusetts; Kingston, New Hampshire to name a few). He has been married to Paula for 42 years, and they have two children and one granddaughter. In his retirement, Butch is looking forward to family time in Naples, Florida…and continuing his favorite pastime – working with Austin Powder (as a consultant).

“Thank you Butch for your 45 years of service," shares Bill Beno, President, Northeast LLC. “You have truly set a wonderful example for present and future generations! Wishing you all the best in your retirement..…for all you do this Bud’s for you!”

The team had a small socially distanced gathering to congratulate Butch and wish him well. Take a look at the album below.

Please join us in wishing Butch the best in retirement.

COMING January 2021!

Look forward to starting 2021 with an opportunity to learn more about our Mission, Vision and Values at Austin Powder. Your regional leadership will be sharing more details soon!

Luke Provencher Appointed Director of Technical Services Austin Powder Company

Effective January 1, 2021, Luke Provencher will be taking on new responsibilities as the senior leader for technical blasting services in the US and Canada teams. In his new role, he reports directly to Jason Rawlings, President of APC.

In his new role, Luke is responsible for the ongoing safety mission of the Company and will lead development initiatives for blasting techniques, technologies, blaster capabilities, standard operating procedures and safety guidelines, while ensuring regulatory compliance. He is also overseeing the Product Management Team to ensure safe application, and continued development of our product lines.

Luke graduated from Virginia Tech in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science/Mining and Minerals Engineering Degree and joined Austin Powder in 2009 as a Blaster/Tech Rep trainee for the Northeast LLC. Luke took an opportunity to live/work abroad in Australia in 2012 as a Mine Planning Engineer at the Goonyella Riverside Mine (Queensland, Australia) - BHP Billiton Large strip-mining operation (metallurgical coal). He worked as a mine planning engineer for four years (2012-2016). Luke rejoined Austin Powder in the Southeast as a Tech Rep in July 2017 and took over as the Technical Manager in 2019.

Please join us in congratulating Luke in his new role.

Stuart Brashear Appointed Technical Manager Southeast, LLC (APC)

Stuart Brashear has been appointed the new Technical Manager Southeast, LLC, effective January 1, 2021. In his new role he will focus on blaster development as well as continue to help bring the latest technical advancements to the Southeast.

Over the last 40 years Stuart has developed one of the strongest technical resumes in the industry. He spent this time in technical areas of the blasting industry working on: Vibration and Overpressure Control, Blast Audits, Blast Design and Optimization, as Expert Witness, Permitting, Blaster Training, Gassed Emulsion Technology as well as Drone Training. He served from Regional Manager for Vibra Tech Engineers, Inc. to Technical Manager at DynoConsult as well as all levels in between. He has extensively traveled North America in his career with much focus in the Southeast U.S.

Stuart has spent the past year working corporately for Austin and will continue to reside in Concord, North Carolina as he makes the transition into his new role.

Jenny Chia Appointed as Senior Executive – Human Resources

Jenny Chia has been appointed Senior Executive - Human Resources at Austin Powder Malaysia. Her first day was November 23, 2020.

In her new role, Jenny is responsible for ensuring talent management programs meet APMY goals and are structurally designed and executed to maximize staff performance.

Please join us in welcoming Jenny to the Austin Family!

Janette Weaver, Marketing Communications Manager - Austin Powder

This November, Janette Weaver joined Austin Powder's global marketing department as Marketing Communications Manager. In her new role, Janette reports to Danica Zeise, Global Marketing Manager.

Janette is responsible for developing Austin Powder's customer-centric marketing and communications efforts. She comes to Austin Powder with a deep understanding of marketing and the nuances of our industry.

"I've spent the last 10 years marketing products and services for the explosives industry. Some of my favorite projects were those that allowed me to get to know the people in the company, like employee highlight videos and company image campaigns," explains Janette.

Janette is married and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has 4 children ages 26, 25, 20 and 14 (one girl and three boys).

"My favorite thing to do is to watch my boys play sports and my daughter sing, but I also enjoy playing pickleball, gardening, hiking and spending time with my new puppy."

Please join us in welcoming Janette to the Austin Family!

Vinny Oliver, Sales Representative South Central LLC (APC)

In September 2020, Vinny Oliver joined the Austin Family as Sales Representative for South Central LLC, reporting to Kurt Kutscher. He is responsible for business development, account management, supporting operations and working to create the best experience for our Customers.

Vinny joins Austin after working in the aggregates and construction industries. He graduated from Texas A&M in 2010 with a degree in Ecology and is active in the TACA Emerging Leaders Program. Vinny and his family live in Rio Medina, Texas and he works out of the New Braunfels, Texas location.

Please join us in welcoming Vinny to the Austin Powder Family.

PREVIEW

Austin Powder Officially Announces Global Availability of New Connectors for E*STAR Electronic Detonators

Here is a preview of our upcoming E*STAR Ad and press announcement. Also, be sure to check your email for a special sales training presentation that covers the features and benefits of E*STAR Connectors.

Austin Powder officially announces the release of its new E*STAR Connectors. The new connectors are ergonomically designed with built-in features to provide an easy-to-use, reliable industry solution.

• The connectors' robust construction includes an all-weather resistant seal, ensuring E*STAR detonators will function as intended even in low temperatures or precipitation.
• Built with field conditions in mind, E*STAR Connectors are easy to handle while wearing gloves because of the grip provided by anti-slip contours and the robust flip-top hinge.
• A blaster can open the connector using just one thumb, yet once closed, the connector is sealed and secure from dirt, debris, and moisture ingress.

So much innovation is packed into these small devices to ensure the highest standard of usability, reliability, and safety.

• Duplex bus line wire eliminates the need to split wires when making a connection, thus saving time and decreasing the chance for wire damage during splicing.
• With E*STAR, the connection is made by simply placing the duplex wire into the connector (in any polarity) and snapping the lid shut.

"E*STAR connectors are leading the industry with their new innovative "double connect" capability on both the leg wire and duplex wire. The double connect capability allows for eight points of contact on the detonator leg wires and eight contact points on the bus lines. The new E*STAR connector effectively ensures a 100% reliable connection of all wires within the connector, at all times," explains Campbell Robertson, Global Manager – Electronic Initiation Systems at Austin Powder. "Blasters can also perform through connector testing without reopening the connector, streamlining the testing procedure."

• Also, the new connectors make both detonator-to-logger and detonator-to-branch connections faster and more reliable.
• Wire type and length are identifiable at-a-glance because of standardized color-coding.
• The connector's back is flat with ample surface area so that the delay time or other pertinent information can be noted.

The new E*STAR connectors are just one way Austin Powder is working to ensure that our products contribute to safe, predictable and, optimized results.

The Winner of The Sunrise and Sunset Photo Contest...

It's a tie! Congratulations Gernot Kraxner and Tom Campbell!

Thank you all for submitting, and be sure to follow Austin Powder on Instagram and Facebook to see your photos in the upcoming weeks!