An unknown number of staff reductions have taken place at Marcotte Mining Machinery Services in Sudbury.
Timberland Equipment of Woodstock, the owners of the underground vehicle maker and supplier, is shifting manufacturing of the Minejack® Carrier from Sudbury to Woodstock. Timberland is calling it an amalgamation that officially takes effect on Jan. 1.
“The Minejack used to be manufactured here and we’re just returning it to where it was,” said Timberland COO Brad Vollmershausen.
Timberland purchased Marcotte Mining Machinery Services in 1995.
Shortly afterward, production of the Minejack was moved from Timberland in Woodstock to Marcotte in Sudbury, to centralize all the engineering, manufacturing, parts and service of the underground vehicle under one roof.
“We manufactured it for many years and we have people in our manufacturing facility who built those units,” Vollmershausen said. "So this amalgamation is going to return that product line to its roots here in Woodstock, and it leverages that in-house expertise that we still have.”
Vollmershausen confirmed there are layoffs in Sudbury but wouldn’t comment on how many. “There’s a few.”
He also would not comment if the reductions include general manager Alicia Woods, a well-known entrepreneur and founder of Covergalls, a mining and forestry workwear company for women.
”I won’t comment on personnel matters.”
When contacted, Woods directed any query on layoffs to Timberland.
Vollmershausen said Timberland will continue to maintain a parts and service centre in Sudbury.
“From customer standpoint, you will still be dealing with the same people and I don’t have a number (of remaining employees) for you.”
It’s also unknown if Timberland will keep the Marcotte shop on LaSalle Boulevard.
“We’re going to maintain a presence in the Sudbury area. I can’t guarantee where that will be,” said Vollmershausen, who added the Nickel City remains integral to Timberland's business.
“We’re absolutely committed to growing the Marcotte product line and as that growth goes, the parts and service centre should follow suit.”
Established in 1947, Timberland has a history of serving the mining industry as well as the offshore oil and gas sector.
Marcotte makes, distributes and services scissor lifts, explosive units, crane trucks, shotcrete sprayer systems, fuel and lube vehicles, and customized mining vehicles.
