Arva Industries: Meeting Challenges
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By Alan Dorich   
Friday, 03 October 2008
smc Arva Industries, St. Thomas, Ontario
Arva Industries Inc. manufactures equipment for the mining, military, marine, rail, construction, industrial and electrical utility industries.
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Since 1979, Arva Industries Inc. has focused on giving its customers exactly what they need through engineering and innovation, President Fred Smith says. When they encounter a challenge, “We solve that problem, and we do it with equipment,” he says.
   
Based in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, the company manufactures equipment for the mining, military, marine, rail, construction, industrial and electrical utility industries. Arva serves clients across North America, including Mosaic, Potash Corp (Saskatchewan) and Vale Inco.
   
Although the company has not done much advertising, it has earned a reputation for its ability to help its clients find solutions, Smith says. For instance, several years ago, Potash approached the company about custom-designing a crane that could travel through mines with low ceilings, he recalls.
   
At the time, Potash had difficulties with its own cranes and asked Arva to build a special compact crane with the boom mounted up front. That adjustment “permits that crane to go into very low areas within the mine to do the application that’s required,” Vice President Vern Eck says, noting that the boom also has the ability to swing around to the back of the vehicle.
   
Potash was pleased with the firm’s work, Smith says. “Two years after that, they asked us to build a 20-ton [crane] in the same shape and size,” he remembers. “We did succeed in building them a 20-ton crane which was the same configuration, [but] a little wider and a little longer.”
   
Arva’s mining cranes are distinguished by the many features and specifications required in today’s underground mines, Smith says. He notes that each of the company’s mining cranes has marine grade wiring and Deutzch electrical connectors.
   
“One of the biggest problems in service in a mine is the corrosion that takes place in the [equipment’s] electrics. We [took precautions] to make sure that [corrosion] does not take place,” Smith states.

A Safer Solution
Another example of Arva aiding its clients was a special fan handler it developed for Vale Inco in Sudbury, Ontario. When the client attempted to install fans in its mine, “It was a problem, because they were doing it with [four] pieces of equipment,” Smith says.
   
After employees suffered injuries, Vale Inco approached the company about finding a better, safer method. “We designed a special machine that actually does a very good job,” Smith says. “It reduced the [installation time] from about a day to 30 to 40 minutes.”
   
In addition, the process is safer, because the machine will handle fans that weigh up to 4,000 pounds. “The operator, can utilize either manual or radio controls [and] can lift that fan and rotate it in different planes,” Smith says. “The men can get up to it [from platforms] and install it in the mine themselves.”
   
Sales Manager Terry McQuillen notes that the company’s success with these products has been strictly a team effort. “It takes teamwork [to take a product] from concept to a full-finished machine,” he says.
   
In addition, Smith says that much of Arva’s equipment is built in a six- to nine-month period. “The turnaround time at Arva is extremely strong, and that’s from team effort,” he says.

Strong Markets
Eck says Arva is expanding and developing a standard product line from its arsenal of products developed over the last 27 years. In addition, “Our real stress area at this point of time is primarily the mining and military markets,” he says, noting that those two comprise 75 percent of its business.
   
Currently, the company has several fan handlers on order, and is building 25 cranes for the U.S. Air Force. In addition, the company will be exhibiting a new product, the MC200 crane, at MINExpo in Las Vegas, this September.
   
Steve McCulloch, who oversees the company’s mining division, says the new crane is designed specifically for underground use. “I believe we’re not going to see very much competition in that field,” he says.
    
In addition to a front mounted boom, the MC200 has a low height of 78.25 inches, and a small footprint that allows it to operate in tight areas. “It’s a low profile machine,” McQuillen adds.
   
The company believes the forward mounted boom, with swing around design for travel underground in tight areas, far exceeds that of its competitors’ equipment.
   
Mining and the military are hot sectors, but the company’s railroad work is quite strong, as well, Eck asserts. “We’re doing a lot of business in building cars [and] rail maintenance equipment,” he says.
   
“Mainly what we deal with within the rail [market] is rail maintenance equipment,” McCulloch adds. In addition, the company plans to expand internationally.
 
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