NCIndustrial moves into 17,000-square foot building
There is no secret behind the success of NCIndustrial, a Sudbury-based crusher repair business, which recently relocated to a 17,000-square foot facility in the Walden Industrial Park.
General manager Bill Wainio is more than happy to reveal the reason for the success of the company which he founded with partner Steve Stefaniak three years ago.
“We hired veteran people with the right experience and we have all worked hard to grow the business,” Wainio said.
The company was established in October 2011 when Wainio and longtime friend, Specialty Gaskets Inc. president Steve Stefaniak, thought the future outlook for the mining industry was bright. There were big projects on the horizon and they figured it was the perfect time to start a new business.
The much predicted commodities supercycle has hit a few bumps in the road since then, but that hasn’t stopped the company from prospering. No job is too big for them. With a core group of 16 employees, the company has been able to satisfy the needs of crusher customers with quality service being the calling card and pride of the staff.
“We shine at service,” Wainio said. “This is what’s most important. It is a large industry with a lot of competition. We hired professionals with experience and it’s their knowledge that has allowed us to grow. The mining industry is going through tough times, but it will turn around. The growth we’ve achieved in the downturn is wholly attributable to the people we have working here.”
NCI moved into its new 17,000-square foot building in November after three years of being a two-shop company. There was a business office and distribution and gasket facility in one location, and a repair and fabrication shop elsewhere in the city. Wainio is thrilled to have everything under one roof. It allows for better business dynamics and more efficient workflow.
There was no choice but to move into a bigger facility because of the volume of business the company has attracted.
“The mining industry is number one for us,” Wainio said. “We are also getting into the aggregate industry and other heavy industries like steel mills. We have customers in Alberta, B.C., across Northern Ontario and down into southern Ontario. We also have a few customers in the United States. Things have been rolling along in a positive direction for us. Our repairs are second to none. We take the extra steps to make customers happy and it is helping us grow.”
When it comes to repairing crushers, NCI does it all. It can do small jobs to big projects and custom work. Wainio invests heavily in equipment and has a service crew for on-site repairs.
The greatest challenge with crushers is their size. They are massive machines and require attention to the smallest detail to run smoothly and efficiently. Most of the equipment NCI works with weighs in excess of 20,000 pounds. The company was working on a project earlier this year that included one part weighing 190,000 pounds.
“It takes heavy equipment and a big facility to move this big equipment,” Wainio said.
Wainio has been working in the mining sector for more than 20 years and knows his way around the industry. He doesn’t live his life to have regrets, so when Stefaniak approached him about starting a new company three years ago, he didn’t hesitate.
“I felt it was time to take the jump and I went in with two feet. It has been exciting and scary. I want to build a company people are happy to work for and will retire from.”
