Modular Mining has opened its new Customer Experience Center (CEC), located at its corporate headquarters in Tuscon, Arizona, US, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The opening of the CEC forms part of Modular Mining’s 40th-anniversary celebrations. Attendees included local elected and public officials, community leaders, local mining customers, representatives of Modular Mining’s parent company Komatsu and business partners. After the opening, guests were invited on a tour of the new facility.
Modular Mining president and CEO Jorge Mascena said: “Our new Customer Experience Center is designed to showcase how mine management solutions can improve the safety, efficiency and productivity of mining operations and help our customers do so sustainably,
“Today’s announcement marks our third major renovation project in six years at this facility. Tucson is evolving into a key mining technology hub and this expansion demonstrates our commitment to leading this transformation as a long-term member of this community.”
The opening of the CEC in Tuscan follows Komatsu’s Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS) Center of Excellence (CoE), which was opened in June 2019. A cross-functional team of personnel from both Komatsu and Modular Mining now operates under the Komatsu umbrella to develop, sell and support AHS.
Modular Mining’s 2014 expansion of its corporate campus included the construction of a building dedicated research and development (R&D). Also in 2014, Komatsu opened its Arizona Proving Grounds in Sahuarita, a 660-acre facility also used for R&D of Komatsu and Modular Mining equipment and technologies.
City of Tuscon council member Richard Fimbres said: “I am proud to have worked with Modular Mining to be able to expand their business, which employs nearly 350 people and is one of the bigger employers in Tucson’s Ward 5.
“I want to congratulate Modular Mining and their leadership team on this expansion, their work and success and look forward to their future growth.”
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said: “Modular Mining’s expansion is more exciting news for Southern Arizona. Tucson is quickly becoming a hub for mining technology, bringing more good-paying jobs and expanding Arizona’s reputation as a technology leader. We thank Modular Mining for continuing to invest in Arizona.”
Arizona Commerce Authority president and CEO Sandra Watson said: “We congratulate Modular Mining on this expansion that creates new opportunities for technicians and engineers in one of our state’s key sectors. Arizona is proud to be the headquarters of this company, which has been and continues to be a significant contributor to the mining industry.”
Sun Corridor Inc president and CEO Joe Snell said: “This is the second headquarters expansion in our region, just in the first month of 2020. Tucson continues to be a location of choice for technology companies like Modular Mining.
“Modular, born out of the University of Arizona and now employing over 800 globally, has been at the forefront of mine management solutions for nearly 40 years. We thank them for their significant commitment and expansion, right here in Tucson.”
District 2 supervisor Ramón Valadez said: “Congratulations to Modular Mining on their new facility. It’s hard to overstate how important it is for our community to have this company headquartered in Pima County. As consumer technology continues to grow along with the world’s population, so will the need for mineral extraction to meet the demand.
“We must mine the Earth better, smarter and cleaner and Modular Mining is one of the leading companies developing the technologies to achieve those goals. We should all be proud such a company calls Pima County home.”