TOMRA Mining opens new Perth office

The company has also appointed Jordan Rutledge as new sales manager based at the new location, and has extended its local support and service team. The company also supports its Australian customers with its well-established office and test centre in Sydney.

TOMRA Mining has a well-established presence in Australia with installations operating in a variety of applications including lithium, industrial minerals, polymetallics and gemstones.

It has operated  in the country since the 1990s when Ultrasort entered the market, before being acquired by TOMRA in 2009. Over the years, its business has grown in response to the evolution in the industry.

“The diamond, lithium, tin, tungsten, battery and strategic minerals sectors, as well as other progressive sectors that are open to new technology, have driven sensor-based sorting into the main mining process flow and design,” TOMRA technical manager Gavin Rech said.

“The focus on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and on reducing energy consumption has further contributed to this trend.”

Rutledge brings to the team her extensive experience and know-how. Having completed degrees in materials and metallurgical engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, as well as programs in Europe and China, she has spent her career in the mining industry focusing on mineral processing.

Rutledge has worked on projects in North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia. In the last four years, she has focused on North American projects for TOMRA Mining.

“Western Australia is the heart of the mining industry in Australia, and with the uptake of sensor-based sorting in the sector we are seeing a fast-growing demand for our technology,” Rutledge said.

“We have a large number of projects and investment going into sensor-based sorting, and we are gearing up for many more opportunities, particularly in the battery metals space, with the unique solutions that we can provide lithium mining operations. With the new office in Perth, we can be on the ground and visiting our customers on the West Coast very quickly, as they are just a short drive or flight away.”

TOMRA Mining has also set up a dedicated team based at the new Perth office.

Sales has been joined by project coordinator Gianni Mazzella, who runs TOMRA Mining large-scale projects. Also on the team is Adriaan Olivier, service and project manager APAC, who has been supporting TOMRA customers in South Africa and Sydney for the past five years, as well as two service engineers – with two more to come later in the year.

The team will be working closely with the Sydney office and Test Center, with the backing of TOMRA’s global support structure.

“We identified a need to invest further in all the opportunities on the West Coast of Australia and to be closer to our customers in the area. This will facilitate the kind of close collaboration that is the hallmark of TOMRA Mining,” Rutledge said.