Does the industry need a helping hand?
Innovation, by its very nature, is a curse unto itself; the quicker the pace of change, the more unsettling. We all know that human nature has the risk takers and the followers but, depending on the circumstances, we can move in and out of the various categories ourselves. In some areas we would like to be thought of as leaders in a particular field but put us into an area we are unsure of, then taking the lead is not high on the personal agenda.
How, then, does an explosive company push forward with products that will benefit everyone? Research costs money, as does the further development which, in most cases, cannot be done without a willing partner. One of the danger areas is thinking that we have all the answers. A “new” explosive was recently introduced to the Mining world; twice the price with lots of promise. While the numbers stacked up the actual delivery fell far short of the bar. Oh yes, btw, this product surfaced in Africa 20 plus years ago and was canned because the expense did not match the Marketing hype. So for whom was this product resurrected (can’t say developed as it was already in existence): the Mines or the Producer?
JOHNEX was formed almost 20 years ago by Dick Johnson travelling through the gold mining region of Kalgoorlie, asking all the Miners what they needed most and then applying his INNOVATIVE thinking into how he could arrive at the answer. ECONOTRIM was born. Since those early days, we have strived to introduce products that have been beneficial to the end users. Some had short lives as they evolved but the end purpose was always to keep the wheels of this industry turning with products to make our lives safer, easier and more efficient. We could not advance without cooperation from the Mines, after all, they are the ultimate benefactors. Moreover, yes, there are risks associated with any new product but isn’t the ultimate risk stagnation and being left behind?
So where does the next generation of explosives come from, what do they look like? We do not know right now; we have some ideas that we are sharing with customers who are forward thinking, we are constantly asking where we can change/assist/grow, and the feedback is encouraging. We pride ourselves on being a flexible company, but it requires a 2-way street for the next best idea to hit the market. We have one customer recently show us some new software, and we would be pleased to share it with the industry once the kinks have been ironed out. Oops, doesn’t that sound familiar? At what point does the minimisation of risk bring the product to the market?
However, is the next idea going to be a total game changer? Does it have to be? Will it be changed for change's sake?
This pioneering attitude has been ingrained into the very culture of JOHNEX where our Core Values reflect our founder’s vision: P-I-C-T (Professionalism, INNOVATION, Can Do attitude & Trust)
