CUSTODIANS OF COPPER PRODUCTION
2 | North America Outlook Issue 37
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
CUSTODIANS OF COPPER PRODUCTION Equipped with a portfolio of long-life copper operations spanning the Americas, Capstone Copper is a growing titan of the industry. Mark Scott, General Manager of Pinto Valley Mining Corp., delves deeper into the company’s mighty Pinto Valley Mine and its importance in Arizona’s Globe-Miami mining district Writer: Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Scarlett Burke
North America Outlook Issue 37 | 3
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
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ome to both the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran Desert, Arizona is no stranger to magnificent natural formations. Yet, one natural resource that is both abundant but lesser known is the state’s ample copper assets, positioning it as the highest copper producing region in the US. The lucrative resource was first properly utilised in the 1800s during the copper boom, as Arizona’s mining industry shifted from small gold and silver excavation to substantial industrial copper production, making it a key component of the state’s economic engine and attracting
entrepreneurs from across the globe. The resource’s significance is demonstrated by the fact it formed part of Arizona’s famous ‘Five Cs’ – copper, cotton, citrus, cattle, and climate – economic outputs which originally attracted people to the state. Today, with the technological advancements of the 21st century, another C could be added to the list – chips, as Arizona has been selected as the location for many major tech manufacturing facilities, including TMC Technologies, data centers for Meta, and early piloting of Waymo’s self-driving cars. The state’s strong history of copper
production underpins these recent developments by providing the raw materials essential to electrical power, data center management, and microchip fabrication. “The growth of the Arizona tech economy underscores what policymakers have recently recognized: that copper and critical minerals production is the irreplaceable foundation of our clean energy and smart technology future,” opens Mark Scott, General Manager of Pinto Valley Mining Corp. for Capstone Copper – owner of a leading portfolio of long-life copper operations in the Americas and the prolific Pinto Valley Mine (Pinto Valley).
CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH CAPSTONE COPPER’S GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONING OF COPPER ASSETS ACROSS THE AMERICAS, AND HOW THIS SERVES TO DISTINGUISH THE COMPANY? Mark Scott, General Manager of Pinto Valley Mining Corp.: “Capstone Copper’s portfolio includes four operations and one project: the Pinto Valley operation in the US, the Cozamin operation in Mexico, and the Manto Blancos and Mantoverde operations – along with the Santo Domingo project – in Chile. “Since copper is our primary focus, we’re able to develop and share deep subject matter expertise across all our sites. This distribution of expertise and the team camaraderie that accompanies it is baked into Capstone Copper’s organizational DNA. “Our Pinto Valley staff connect regularly with managers and technical professionals from our other operations to tackle the technical challenges we face. “I also believe the size of our business and the decentralized management of our operations give us a great degree of agility in decision-making. “The company has assembled a remarkably talented and experienced team of leaders, operators, mine builders, and technical subject matter experts who are achieving a unique balance of corporate governance and local operational excellence.” “It’s certainly a challenging space, but one that aligns with my strengths in leadership, strategy, and people-driven impact.”
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“Copper is embedded in our past and essential to our future,” he states.
A MINE FOR THE AGES Pinto Valley represents one of the largest copper reserves in the US, comprising an open-pit mine, a 60,000 ton (t)-per-day concentrator, heap-leaching facilities, solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW), and tailings storage facilities. “We ship copper concentrate by truck to the port of Guaymas, Mexico, where it is loaded on ships for delivery to processing facilities elsewhere in the world due to the absence of available domestic processing capacity,” Scott details. The SX-EW tankhouse, meanwhile, produces copper cathode for domestic sale, while the company also produces a molybdenum concentrate as a by-product of sulphide ore processing. The open-pit mine was first commissioned in the 1970s, before being purchased by Capstone Copper
in 2013. From there, Pinto Valley Mining Corp. was established as a wholly owned US subsidiary of the company to hold and operate the mine. Capstone Copper would not have achieved its success without the strength of its 900+ workforce, which represents the cultural diversity of Arizona. “A good portion of our people come from generational mining families who settled in the ‘Copper Triangle’ district. It’s not unusual for me to hear people talk about their great-grandfathers working the region’s early mines and processing facilities 100 years ago or more,” Scott shares. “I have the good fortune to get to know these individuals who demonstrate a deep sense of pride in both their family and copper mining heritage.” The company also has employees who hail from other areas of the world, including North, Central, and South
America, Australia, South Africa, and elsewhere, who have made Arizona their home, mining their career, and Pinto Valley their workplace of choice.
INNOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT Thanks to an ongoing investment strategy to upgrade equipment and planning, Pinto Valley achieved a substantial increase of daily mine material movement in 2025, marking a forward-looking approach that is integral to its long-term growth plan. “Innovation and continuous improvement are critical in mining, as every year of operation means your production naturally gets more expensive as haulage distances lengthen and the cost of other inputs increase at the rate of inflation or higher,” Scott points out. With this in mind, the company is locally investing in a range of equipment and technology, as well as training, development, and system implementation. North America Outlook Issue 37 | 5
From Products to Partnerships: Part I: Con-Wear Products, Inc. Growing Around the Customer At its core, Con-Wear is a service company built around one principle: to get the job done. Over the years, however, the definition of that service has expanded dramatically. What may begin as a request for skilled manpower often grows into mechanical maintenance, construction, safety support, equipment rentals, facility improvements, or complete site infrastructure. One project uncovers another need, and that need frequently becomes an entirely new capability. Rather than responding with, “That’s outside our scope,” Con-Wear has built its culture around a different question: “What will it take for us to do it?” That question has become one of the driving forces behind the company’s continued growth. Today, Con-Wear provides a broad range of industrial, construction, maintenance, and site-support services throughout the
Southwest. Its capabilities include skilled craft labor, mechanical maintenance, welding, HDPE pipe fusion and installation, plumbing, carpentry, concrete, masonry, structural steel, iron work, facility maintenance, renovations, and new construction. The company’s services extend well beyond traditional construction. Customers also rely on Con-Wear for safety professionals, training, audits, consulting, and safety supplies; short- and long-term manpower support; fleet and equipment rentals; UTVs; light towers; shipping containers; shade trailers; roll-off dumpsters; fencing; portable sanitation; water and ice solutions; and the temporary infrastructure necessary to keep industrial operations running efficiently. That diverse portfolio has led to a simple description of what Con-Wear strives to become: A true one-stop industrial partner.
To Con-Wear, however, that means far more than offering a long list of services. It means taking ownership of the customer’s challenge and finding the right solution, regardless of where it originates. One Call, Multiple Solutions Industrial facilities and mining operations routinely coordinate dozens of contractors, suppliers, equipment providers, and specialty vendors. Every additional company introduces more purchase orders, scheduling coordination, safety requirements, invoices, site access, and communication. Con-Wear believes there is a better way. If a customer already trusts the company with manpower, maintenance, or construction, why should they have to start over every time a new need arises? The company’s objective is to become the first call customers make. Sometimes the solution already exists within Con-Wear. Other times, it comes through an affiliate company, a trusted supplier, a strategic partner, or a specialized subcontractor. Occasionally, it requires creating an entirely new capability. Regardless of where the answer comes from, the commitment remains the same:
Building for the Future
Find the solution. Expanding Beyond Execution Another significant area of growth is taking place within industrial maintenance and operational support. Providing qualified mechanics, electricians, millwrights, supervisors, and skilled tradespeople remains an important part of Con-Wear’s business. Increasingly, however, the company sees opportunities to help customers improve the way maintenance is managed—not simply how it is executed. Con-Wear continues expanding its capabilities in preventive maintenance, reliability programs, mechanical and electrical planning, outage coordination, maintenance scheduling, warehouse support, materials planning, critical-spares management, and long-term maintenance strategies. The progression is natural. Adding skilled mechanics helps address today’s maintenance backlog. Improving how work is identified, planned, scheduled, supplied, and executed helps eliminate tomorrow’s backlog.
well enough to determine where the company can create the greatest longterm value. Investing Where the Work Is Growth also means investing where customers operate. Industrial facilities rarely have the luxury of long lead times. Production schedules shift. Equipment fails unexpectedly. Shutdowns move. Projects accelerate with little notice. Having resources nearby matters. Where practical, Con-Wear has established local yards, equipment inventories, materials, personnel, and support infrastructure close to the operations it serves. Those investments reduce mobilization time, shorten response times, and allow the company to react quickly when customers face unexpected challenges.
Con-Wear believes customers deserve both.
Sometimes growth means hiring additional people.
The objective is never simply to place more people on a jobsite. It is to understand each customer’s operation
Sometimes it means opening another
Sometimes it means purchasing equipment.
location, creating a new service line, developing strategic partnerships, or launching an entirely new company. Con-Wear has remained willing to pursue whichever path best serves its customers. A Philosophy That Created Something New As Con-Wear continued expanding its capabilities, another opportunity became increasingly clear. Customers weren’t only looking for contractors who could execute work. They also needed trusted partners who could source difficult-to-find equipment, manage critical wear components, strengthen procurement strategies, and improve supply chain reliability. Meeting that need required a different kind of company. That opportunity became S.U.M. Equipment LLC.
Part II: S.U.M. Equipment LLC A Different Company Built Around the Same Philosophy While Con-Wear’s expansion has centered on construction, maintenance, and industrial services, it also revealed another challenge facing many mining and heavy industrial operations. Customers weren’t simply looking for contractors to perform the work. They were also searching for dependable partners who could source critical parts, reduce procurement delays, strengthen supply chains, and provide access to highquality equipment and wear components. That opportunity became S.U.M. Equipment LLC. Although affiliated with Con-Wear, S.U.M. Equipment operates as an independent company with a distinctly different mission. Where Con-Wear focuses on construction, manpower, maintenance, and industrial service execution, S.U.M. Equipment is dedicated to supplying the equipment, components, wear items, and industrial products that keep those operations running. Maintaining that distinction is important. While the two companies may collaborate and support many of the same customers, each brings its own expertise, resources, and value to the relationship. Together, they provide complementary services without overlapping responsibilities. Understanding What Industrial Operations Really Need Every mining operation depends on a
constant flow of replacement parts, wear components, equipment, and industrial supplies. Some purchases are planned months in advance. Others happen because a pump fails, a conveyor goes down, or production is interrupted without warning. S.U.M. Equipment’s objective extends well beyond simply responding to purchase orders. The company works to understand what customers repeatedly consume, where procurement challenges exist, and how stronger supplier relationships can improve availability, reduce lead times, and create long-term value.
That means identifying high-wear components, understanding equipment applications, developing relationships with manufacturers, and building pricing structures that support long-term partnerships rather than one-time transactions. For frequently purchased products, S.U.M. Equipment can develop agreedupon product programs and transparent cost-plus pricing models that provide customers with predictable pricing, dependable supply, and a procurement process built around their operation. The goal is simple: Move beyond transactional purchasing and become a trusted extension of the customer’s procurement strategy. Strategic Relationships That Create Value One of S.U.M. Equipment’s greatest strengths is the network of relationships it continues to build throughout the heavy industrial and mining industries. The company works directly with manufacturers, foundries, OEMs, exclusive distribution partners, and an expanding network of strategic suppliers to source solutions for its customers. Through established relationships and preferred supplier agreements with major industry manufacturers and foundries, S.U.M. Equipment is able to provide customers with priority access to products, competitive pricing, and dependable supply chains for critical equipment, replacement parts, and highwear components. These partnerships allow S.U.M. Equipment to respond quickly when production is on the line while also
supporting long-term procurement planning that reduces uncertainty for its customers.
relationships, supplier network, and ability to support heavy industrial operations throughout the Southwest.
More importantly, these relationships position S.U.M. Equipment as more than a distributor.
As those relationships mature, the company continues developing preferred supplier programs, strategic inventory solutions, critical-spares management, long-term sourcing agreements, and customized procurement strategies that help customers reduce downtime while improving purchasing efficiency.
They establish the company as a strategic sourcing partner capable of connecting customers with trusted manufacturers, specialized foundries, and industryleading suppliers while helping simplify procurement and improve operational reliability. As those partnerships continue to grow, so does S.U.M. Equipment’s ability to deliver greater value to every customer it serves. The First Call for Industrial Supply A major part of the S.U.M. Equipment philosophy is relationship-driven support. When a customer needs a difficult-tosource component, specialized equipment, replacement part, or industrial product, S.U.M. Equipment wants to be the first call. That doesn’t mean assuming every answer is already sitting on a warehouse shelf. It means having the experience, industry relationships, and determination to find it. Rather than saying, “We don’t carry that,” the team approaches each request with a different mindset: “Let’s find it.” Whether the solution comes directly from an OEM, a preferred manufacturer, an exclusive distribution partner, a foundry, or another trusted supplier, S.U.M. Equipment is committed to delivering the right solution as efficiently as possible. That willingness to search, negotiate, build new partnerships, and continually expand its supplier network reflects the same customer-first philosophy that has fueled Con-Wear’s growth from the beginning. Building for the Future S.U.M. Equipment continues to expand its product knowledge, manufacturer
Those partnerships create value for everyone involved. Customers gain a supplier that understands their operation, purchasing patterns, and long-term objectives. S.U.M. Equipment gains the ability to strengthen relationships with manufacturers, negotiate better pricing, improve inventory planning, and invest in the resources necessary to support future growth. Rather than measuring success by individual purchase orders, the company is focused on becoming an integral part of its customers’ long-term operational success. The Bigger Picture Con-Wear Products, Inc. and S.U.M. Equipment LLC are two independent companies, each serving a distinct role within the industrial marketplace. Con-Wear builds capabilities around the work its customers need performed. S.U.M. Equipment builds relationships around the products, equipment, and supply chains that keep those operations moving.
For S.U.M. Equipment, it continues to drive the development of strategic manufacturer relationships, preferred supplier partnerships, industrial sourcing capabilities, and dependable supply solutions for mining and heavy industry. Neither company views its current capabilities as the finish line. There will be new services Con-Wear provides tomorrow that don’t exist today. There will be new manufacturers, supplier partnerships, equipment categories, and sourcing opportunities S.U.M. Equipment develops as customer needs continue to evolve. That isn’t accidental. It’s the result of a philosophy built on listening, adapting, and investing where customers need support the most. Ultimately, both companies continue to ask the same question that has shaped their growth from the beginning: “What does our customer need, and what will it take for us to provide it?” Sometimes the answer is construction. Sometimes it’s skilled manpower. Sometimes it’s maintenance planning, a critical replacement component, a strategic supplier relationship, or an entirely new capability. Whatever the answer may be, the philosophy remains unchanged: Take care of the customer. Find the solution. Continue to grow. And always be willing to do what it takes to get the job done.
While their services differ, their philosophy remains remarkably similar. See the need. Understand the challenge. Build the capability. Deliver the solution. For Con-Wear, that philosophy has driven expansion across construction, maintenance, manpower, safety, industrial support, and operational reliability.
Con-Wear: Media Contact: Cody Holderman: info@conwearinc.com 480.892.4176 www.conwearinc.com SUM Equipment: Website- sumequipment.com Contact- xopher@sumequipment.com or info@sumequipment.com
This includes financing a modern fleet of loading and hauling equipment, processing and metal recovery improvements, water and tailings management improvements, a risk management system, and an asset management framework, which encompasses its management operating, maintenance, and reliability systems. The work involves close partnership between Pinto Valley and its network of service and supply vendors, which includes Empire Cat, Komatsu, Capitol Engineering, Con-Wear, Goodyear/Yokohama, Legion Fleet 10 | North America Outlook Issue 37
Services, Sturgeon Electric, and X-Vac Hydro Excavators, among dozens of others. The mine’s management operating system implementation is being executed with support from Proudfoot. Capstone Copper’s pursuit of innovation equally exists at the corporate level, having established a technical services team of experts to lead commercially impactful advancements in metals processing and recovery. “Our local team works closely with our corporate team to plan and execute a path forward which will realise the full potential of Pinto Valley
and the Globe-Miami copper district,” he insights.
DRIVING FORCE FOR COPPER Pinto Valley has produced more than four billion pounds of copper since its inception in the 1970s. “There’s no question the project has been a key contributor to copper mining in Arizona,” prides Scott. “When I hear numbers like that, I think of how many people have contributed to that achievement over generations and the opportunities that were created for families and our communities across the region.”
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
CAPSTONE COPPER’S VALUES The company’s values reflect who the company is, what it believes in, and what sets it apart from competitors: SAFETY – Viewed as a non-negotiable, making safe choices ensures Capstone Copper can improve the health and well-being of its people, contractors, and communities. Ultimately, zero harm is the goal. ACCOUNTABILITY – The company takes ownership for itself and its work. Each employee acts with integrity and does everything honestly, ethically, fairly, and transparently. EXCELLENCE – Capstone Copper continuously seeks innovative ways to improve its operations, is focused on growth, and committed to unlocking the full potential of the business, its teams, and resources. CARING – The company is proud to develop open and constructive relationships. It embraces diversity, sees itself as a steward of resources, and cares deeply for its people, environment, and communities.
The company is proud to be part of a group of copper producers working together through the Arizona Mining Association for the benefit of the industry and the entire state. “We’re part of a very technologically advanced industry, and we’re proud to be part of that ongoing and rapidly developing story,” he expands. Capstone Copper’s leading position in the industry is cemented by the fact that it operates the only sulphide concentrator in the historic GlobeMiami copper district – creating enormous opportunity for growth in sustainable copper production. North America Outlook Issue 37 | 11
Data to wrench time How long is it between your data showing a problem and somebody fixing it?
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ost operations can answer the easy questions. Availability, tons per productive hour, recovery, cost per ton: all close at hand. The harder question is how many shifts pass between a number moving the wrong way and a person with a wrench changing something on the ground. That interval is where a good deal of mining’s lost yield sits, and it is rarely measured. At Capstone Copper’s Pinto Valley operation in Arizona, information was never the constraint. The meetings were in place. The KPIs were in place. The performance tools were in place. What was less clear was how they connected, and who owned each one. The effects will be familiar to most operators: plans that struggled to survive contact with the shift, decisions taken reactively, departments solving their own problems ahead of the operation. Integrated short-range planning, in particular, had no single accountable leader.
Working alongside the Pinto Valley team, Proudfoot set out to close that gap. More material moved with the same fleet. A steadier mill. Procurement running to a defined operating rhythm, and a disposal route finally opened for assets that had sat idle for years. And, for the first time, named ownership for the integrated plan, supported by a core team drawn from mine, processing, water, and maintenance who held it together. Mark Scott describes what that has meant for the operation elsewhere in this issue. Not every operation carries the same problem. Elsewhere, we see productivity running persistently under plan with no single cause anyone can point to. We see the first and last hour of every shift quietly given away. We see maintenance that is technically preventive treated as reactive and we see recovery drifting a little further from the model each quarter. Different symptoms, often
“Many companies have operating or planning system expertise. But none of them have the people and behaviour expertise that Proudfoot brings to performance management. We also liked how Proudfoot runs a flat organisation. Their most experienced senior people stay involved after they win an assignment.” – UG Mine GM the same underlying condition: the operation can see the loss, but closing it takes longer than it should. Proudfoot is a global mining consulting firm, and what we bring to clients is the support and structure to enable disciplined work execution. That looks much the same from site to site,
“I have been able to see the change of all my supervisors, I can see that everyone is more focused on achieving the results without losing sight of the safety, and that all are focused on solving the important problems that have the biggest impact in our operations.” – Mine General Manager because good execution runs on the same mechanism wherever you find it. We use the Proudfoot MOS™ framework to build, with your teams, the operating system your operation actually needs: one that connects the meetings, the measures, and the decision rights, so a deviation picks up an owner and a route to action rather than a line on a report. Our eight active management behaviors, the 8AMBs™, are coached with supervisors until active management becomes simply how a shift runs, giving people the confidence and the
habits to hold the standard on their own. Our people work on the floor alongside yours, because that’s where discipline is built, one shift at a time. It’s all built to be handed over, and by the end, the structure belongs to your people, and they run it themselves. What has changed across our wider client work is how quickly we can see where to aim, and how much we can see. Our artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostic reads a client’s own operating data against a codified 86-step method built on 80 years and more than 20,000 engagements, returning decision-grade material in days and surfacing more hypotheses about where value is going than a manual analysis has room to test. A senior operator challenges and signs off on every one. Where a site’s data and systems support it, our Agentic AI Frontline Operating Report (AFOR™), assembles overnight and hands the supervisor variances and focus areas in place of an hour of reconciliation. Their morning comes back to them, and what matters is what they spend it on: coaching the crew, improving productive time, holding the standard, or clearing
the blockers that were quietly costing production. None of this replaces the harder half. AI can show an operation where it is losing money. Only its people can decide, shift after shift, to run it differently. Mining is a human business, and it isn’t run from a conference room. So, we work at the point of execution, with the people who will still be there long after we’ve gone. We call it a co-venture: your operation, your plan, our people alongside yours, and risk and reward shared. It’s also why results are sustained. Behavior coached doesn’t leave when the consultants do. If you’re not sure how much time, throughput, and EBITA is lost due to your data-to-wrench gap, talk to Proudfoot or try our free Size Your Prize tool: proudfoot.com/assess With Proudfoot, you can.
Chuck Reinighaus, creinighaus@proudfoot.com +1-404-260-0566 www.proudfoot.com
“For me, it was essential to ensure that the people and teamwork led us on the journey transformation. Proudfoot not only took us to new heights, but they did it by engaging our people in a way we didn’t think was possible. We have an astounding amount of technology at our fingertips, but when we initially implemented it we forgot that it was our people that would drive the change. Now, we’re equipped with the MOS, technology, and the people to continue to improve.” – Mine superintendent
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
CAPSTONE COPPER’S RESPONSIBILITY TARGETS CLIMATE – Reduce GHG emission intensity by 30 percent by 2030. The company is developing and executing numerous impactful decarbonization strategies. WATER – Reduce freshwater consumption intensity by 2030. Given that freshwater is an increasingly scarce resource, Capstone Copper aims to increase desalinated or recycled water as a proportion of total water used in its operations. TAILINGS – Implement the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) across all business tailings storage facilities by the end of 2028. This is critical for minimizing negative environmental and social impacts. BIODIVERSITY – Establish a biodiversity standard and assess all its sites against this framework, applying a mitigation hierarchy and prioritizing nature-related risks and opportunities. To this end, the company will complete site-specific reclamation, reforestation, and habitat restoration projects. COMMUNITIES – Implement a social performance standard to identify and manage social risks and impacts, stakeholder engagement, grievance management, and community investment.
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HARNESSING UNLOCKED POTENTIAL Capstone Copper sees great potential for copper resource and production consolidation in the Globe-Miami copper district, particularly given the number of developing, active, and idled deposits surrounding its mining and processing infrastructure. Notably, there are several pastproducing copper deposits in the district with unlocked potential, which are ripe for future development and may be economic in today’s copper price environment. “Globe-Miami’s geology is not terribly complex from a processing perspective, but it is also not high grade in a global context. This means that, in this district, scale is our friend and we see significant economic potential to realize the economies of scale available from the consolidation of two or more past, present, and future producing deposits,” reveals Scott.
WE’RE WITH YOU TO GET THE JOB DONE
www.goodyearotr.com Goodyear Off-the-Road (OTR) is a globally recognized leader in mining and construction tires — a legacy built on performance where it counts most. Under license by The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., the Goodyear OTR brand now draws on Yokohama’s engineering and operational strength to deliver one of the industry’s broadest tire lineups.
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
Indeed, Pinto Valley has made great strides in 2026 – increasing its exposed ore inventory and daily material movement out of the mine, implementing standardized maintenance and reliability systems, and improving its fixed plant reliability, water supply, and conservation, alongside numerous other risk management breakthroughs which are positioning the company for future investment and growth. On top of this, there are also several partnership possibilities within the Globe-Miami district which would allow Capstone Copper to increase its production output, reduce its unit cost and water and energy intensity, deploy capital intelligently, and increase local employment and procurement opportunities – possibly for generations to come. “We see these neighbouring deposits and our existing infrastructure, alongside other workforce and water conservation 16 | North America Outlook Issue 37
“ O U R G OA L I S TO AC H I E V E R E L I A B L E , S U S TA I N A B L E C O P P E R P R O D U C T I O N W I T H Z E R O H A R M TO O U R P E O P L E A N D ASS E TS . W E ’ R E M A K I N G P R O G R E S S E V E R Y D AY I N T H AT D I R E C T I O N A S O U R I N D I V I D U A L A N D CO L L E C T I V E R I S K M A N AG E M E N T M I N DS E T M AT U R E S ” – M A R K S C O T T, G E N E R A L M A N A G E R O F P I N T O VA L L E Y M I N I N G C O R P. , C A P STO N E CO P P E R
opportunities, as a chance to grow the US’ domestic supply of copper whilst increasing the local, regional, and statewide benefits which result from that,” Scott expands.
SUPER BOWL-SIZED IMPACT As the second-largest employer in the Globe-Miami district, Capstone Copper has a significant impact on the communities that surround Pinto Valley.
In fact, in Spring this year, the company completed an economic impact study to quantify the mine’s expected direct and indirect economic contributions over the next 15 years – and the results were astounding. The report indicated Capstone Copper is expected to create 3,200 direct and indirect jobs per year, generate $5 billion in total wages and salaries, and have a total economic impact of over $17 billion.
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Generational Technical Solutions Offering tailored solutions for even the most specialized mining and heavy equipment needs, Legion Field Service LLC is an industry stalwart with a reputation for quality, reliability, and expertise
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aving started as a small, family-driven operation built on generations of mechanical knowledge, hands-on experience, and a strong commitment to solving problems the right way, Legion Field Service LLC (Legion Field Service) now proudly services the mining and heavy-equipment industries with integrity and reliability. Legion Field Service’s story begins with owners James and Roxanne’s first company, DSR Technical Solutions, established in 2020. Soon after, James started working independently with his own service truck in Southern Arizona, primarily providing service and repairs for heavy construction equipment. His vast experience and expertise within the crucial sectors allowed him to develop a reputation for dependable workmanship, practical problem-solving, and finding solutions that fit his customers’ needs, no matter how unique. As the company continued to develop, James found a new opportunity – expanding his services into the mining industry. What had begun as a one-truck operation had developed into a larger team capable of delivering increasingly complex equipment and operational needs, and in 2021, Legion Field Service was born. James and Roxanne founded the company with the vision of creating a family-owned and operated
organization built around technical expertise, integrity, and dependable service. Ultimately, however, Legion Field Service’s success is due to its dedicated and passionate team. Family is more than just a word for those who work at the company – it is a commitment. A commitment to delivering unparalleled quality, to taking pride in the
work delivered, and to maintaining the standards upon which the company was built. EXPERTISE ON DEMAND As Legion Field Service has expanded its regional presence, so has the company’s range of capabilities within the mining and heavy-equipment industries. Its services and technical capabilities include but are not limited to: • Hydraulic troubleshooting • Hydraulic system tuneups • Electrical troubleshooting • Engine and emission systems • Machine overhauls • Mining and heavy construction equipment service • Equipment inspections and evaluations • Excavator service and repair • Wheel loader service and repair • Structural component inspections and repairs • Safety-system evaluations • Diagnostic evaluations • Troubleshooting and technical problem-solving • Preventive maintenance support • Equipment efficiency and operational assessments • Technical solutions designed to improve operational efficiency Legion Field Service and its team continue to expand its capabilities and develop new opportunities to support mining operations and heavy-equipment customers. Additionally, the company helps improve equipment availability, alongside assisting customers in maintaining production goals. A REPUTATION FOR SUCCESS Legion Field Service’s reputation within the industry has been built through its dedication, work ethic, technical knowledge, and ability to efficiently solve problems. Customers and industry professionals alike
have sought the expertise of James and his team to address challenging problems because of the company’s ability to look beyond the immediate issue and identify practical solutions that improve efficiency, reliability, and overall operations. James’s approach is centered around providing an honest, fair, and reasonable solution rather than merely addressing a problem temporarily. Legion Field Service emphasizes understanding each operation’s needs and developing cost-conscious strategies that provide long-term value. A major part of this philosophy is actively sharing knowledge. The team believes that finding the right solutions isn’t only about completing a job; it is also about helping others understand the equipment, the problem, and the most efficient way to prevent or address similar issues that may arise in the future. CREATED FOR THE LONG RUN From a single service truck to a growing team of skilled professionals, Legion Field Service has remained grounded in the principles that started the company: hard work, technical expertise, honesty, family, and finding better solutions. James’s and Roxanne’s goal is to continue building a company that boasts a reputation for a dependable, old-school work ethic and modern technical services while creating opportunities for the team, developing the next generation of skilled professionals, and helping customers operate more safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. What began as a family business built from the ground up has grown into a company with a growing presence in the mining and heavy-equipment industries – and the journey is far from over. Contact Legion Field Service today to learn more about how we can provide personalized, reliable services to keep your operations running seamlessly.
James Harmon 520-904-6030 James@legionfieldservice.com Roxanne Harmon 520-490-6610 Roxanne@legionfieldservice.com
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
company expects the total to be over $100,000, which is to be divided evenly among three schools. “Those who organize the tournament and come out to participate in the event, along with our sponsors and vendors, make it possible and are making an amazing contribution to the facilities and programming at those three local schools,” he smiles.
COLLECTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT
“ C O P P E R I S E M B E D D E D I N O U R PA S T A N D E SS E N T I A L TO O U R F U T U R E ” – M A R K S C O T T, G E N E R A L M A N A G E R O F P I N T O VA L L E Y M I N I N G C O R P. , C A P STO N E CO P P E R
“For context, that’s at least equivalent to bringing the Super Bowl to Globe-Miami every year, for 15 straight years,” Scott highlights. It’s important to note that these figures do not take into account the company’s potential output growth and life of mine extensions, which would increase those numbers substantially. “It’s challenging to articulate just how much it means for our people and communities to have the opportunity to work and build careers in our safe, 20 | North America Outlook Issue 37
high-tech, and sustainable business that contributes every day to global decarbonization. Our people should be, and are, very proud of those facts.” Another example of employeedriven community impact is the annual golf tournament overseen by a volunteer committee of Capstone Copper staff. 2025’s net proceeds from the tournament resulted in $90,000 of donations to high schools in Globe, Miami, and San Carlos. With 2026 marking the event’s fourth year, the
A key pillar of Capstone Copper’s success is the championing of a safe and productive working environment – continuously upheld by the company’s senior leadership team. “Our on-site leaders are required to be in the field regularly leading hazard identification and risk management discussions, exercising a layered approach to risk assessment and controls,” divulges Scott. Capstone Copper is also in the process of implementing its ‘CuSafe’ risk management program, in which proactive hazard identification and risk management activities and performance metrics, incidents, and response actions are all managed in a common intelligent database. “Our goal is to achieve reliable, sustainable copper production with zero harm to our people and assets. We’re making progress every day in that direction as our individual and collective risk management mindset matures.” This message of safe and responsible mining speaks to the wider importance of active leadership at the company. “An effective leader is someone who understands in equal measure the social, technical, and commercial hemispheres of their organization and applies that knowledge to implement systems, symbols, and behaviors which enable a group of people to productively achieve the team’s objectives,” Scott notes.
ETHICAL AND RESPONSIBLE MINING Capstone Copper has an overarching commitment to be a responsible supplier of copper, which is deeply rooted in its business philosophy, central to its values, and vital to its success. A testament to this, Pinto Valley was recently awarded by Salt River Project (SRP) – Capstone Copper’s electric utility provider – its Champions of Sustainability Award. “This was in recognition of our efforts to convert much of our on-site equipment, which was historically powered by diesel generators, to more sustainable grid power,” Scott expands. Additionally, the company has converted to LED lighting sitewide, implemented a bus service from nearby East Valley to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) generated via employee commuting, and has purchased multiple pieces of hybridpowered mobile equipment. 22 | North America Outlook Issue 37
“ W E ’ R E P A R T O F A V E R Y T E C H N O L O G I C A L LY A D VA N C E D I N D U S T R Y, A N D W E ’ R E P R O U D T O B E P A R T O F T H AT O N G O I N G A N D R A P I D LY D E V E LO P I N G STO RY ” – M A R K S C O T T, G E N E R A L M A N A G E R O F P I N T O VA L L E Y M I N I N G C O R P. , C A P STO N E CO P P E R
Moreover, Pinto Valley has an on-site task force that meets regularly to identify and action GHG emission reduction opportunities. Additionally, the company’s adoption of The Copper Mark certification system requires it to routinely gauge business and operational practices against a rigorous standard which is verified through regular, independent third-party audits. “The certification system makes real demands of us in so many ways – including how we affect biodiversity, our water and energy usage, waste management practices, and social
responsibilities, among other things,” he outlines. All of these measures highlight Capstone Copper’s ongoing commitment to reduce its carbon footprint while at the same time producing the copper which enables the ongoing domestic and global lowcarbon energy transition.
THE FUTURE OF COPPER Looking ahead, copper market fundamentals are very strong in the short-, mid-, and long-term, primarily because of how critical the resource is to the development of major
CAPSTONE COPPER MINING
CUSTOM METAL FABRICATION BUILT FOR MINING Some of Our Greatest Accomplishments Aren’t Projects - They’re Relationships
Connect With Us Capitol Engineering is proud to be a long-time, trusted partner to, Pinto Valley Mine, and the mining industry. Here’s to continued success and the partnerships that make it possible.
(602) 252-5754 | www.capitolaz.com industry trends, including energy decarbonization and technological advancements in data and artificial intelligence (AI) – challenges which are increasingly viewed as being vital to national security and sovereignty for the US and its allies. “Like all sectors, it remains to be seen just how dramatically machine learning and AI will transform mining, but there’s no doubt that its impact will be significant. “From relatively simple applications of AI involving partial automation of administrative and technical tasks to much more involved means of improving exploration, technical modeling, and mining and processing control improvements, big data and AI are already very much at play in our industry, and intelligent deployment of that technology is going to increase exponentially in the next few years,” Scott insights. Indeed, on one hand, the effective use of those technologies will result in
a safer, less environmentally impactful, and more economically sustainable business at Pinto Valley, throughout Capstone Copper, and across the mining industry as a whole. On the other hand, AI won’t eliminate the need for highly skilled, highly trained, and well-compensated people across the full spectrum of skillsets the company employs. To this end, Capstone Copper is working with the Arizona Mining Association and local educators to push mining education further upstream, so younger generations understand how mining can be a great career choice for them. “In these initiatives, we are partnering with other copper producers in the area, since we all face the same skills shortages and are all concerned about building this stable pipeline of equipment and process operator technicians, tradespeople, technologists, engineers, and other professionals for the present and future,” he tells us.
In a broader sense, Pinto Valley’s future priorities are to continue implementing its risk management and operating systems, improving its fixed plant mechanical reliability, and performing engineering studies to position the company for long-term growth and sustainability. “We’re focused on maximizing the long-term value we can create for our people, our communities, and our shareholders, and we’re on the right path to realize that potential,” Scott concludes optimistically.
Tel: 604-639-0459 info@capstonecopper.com
www.capstonecopper.com North America Outlook Issue 37 | 23
Tel: 604-639-0459 info@capstonecopper.com www.capstonecopper.com
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