Big wheels keep on turning
BC's Rimex sells its wheels and rims to mines in Canada and around the world
1 of 3Rims on a truck bed at the Surrey Rimex facility. — Photo courtesy of Rimex
2 of 3Rimex administrative staff and vice-president Derek Weston at the Agassiz manufacturing facility with Premier Christy Clark and her by-election candidate, Laurie Throness. — Photo courtesy of Rimex
3 of 3Rimex manufacturing staff at the Agassiz plant with Premier Christy Clark and her by-election candidate, Laurie Throness. — Photo courtesy of Rimex
Rimex might be one of the top industrial wheel manufacturers in the world, designing and manufacturing enormous steel wheels and rims for mining, forestry and industrial equipment. But it wasn’t always the giant it is today. The company was founded by Chris Weston in 1976, selling wheels out of the back of his truck.
“Soon after opening the company, (he) decided it would be better to make his own wheels rather than to rely on suppliers who did not understand the needs of his customers,” said Derek Weston, vice-president of Rimex and Chris’s son.
Mining trucks were changing. They were getting bigger—which meant the wheels had to be larger and stronger.
“The wheel designs had to change in order to meet the new stresses being put on them and new tire technology demanded a stronger rim,” said Weston.
Rimex addressed these problems by developing the Machined Extreme Service (MES) series and Taper Secure Radial (TSR) series of wheels and rims. These products are machined for true roundness and have additional steel across the rim in critical areas, matching advanced wheel technology with modern radial tire designs.
Growth and expansion
Weston opened a manufacturing facility in 1984 and by 1986 the plant had expanded by more than 30,000 feet. Rimex opened two American sales offices in 1988 to facilitate expansion into the U.S. market. Business was quickly growing, as there was an international demand for Rimex products. By 1990 wheels were being sold directly to mines in Indonesia, Chile, South Africa and Australia.
“Market diversification and the ability to create custom wheels based on the individual requirements of their customers has always been the key to Rimex’s success,” said Weston.
In 1997 the company embarked on another major expansion, once again expanding the Surrey facility and developing a warehouse and corporate offices. At that time they also built a new 40,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Agassiz, B.C.
Now Rimex has over 200,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Agassiz alone and a staff base of over 200 in B.C. The company has managed to keep the bulk of its employment and manufacturing in B.C. while maintaining the ability to expand the market globally.
A visit from the premier
Earlier this year the Mining Suppliers Association of BC organized Premier Christy Clark’s visit to Rimex’s Agassiz manufacturing plant.
“We wanted the premier to visit Rimex because they are an excellent example of a leading B.C. company that has grown by supplying B.C. mining operations,” said Patty Moore, the out-going chair of MSABC, who accompanied the premier on the tour.
“They are also a model for how companies can support the communities in which they operate, by participating in community fairs, supporting the local food bank and working with local First Nations communities to generate employment,” said Moore.
