Company History:
B2B Industrial, Inc, was incorporated in 2016 to purchase A-1 Blasting Mats, a 38 year old company that had been producing blasting mats out of Sturgeon Falls, Ontario. The original owner of A-1 Blasting Mats, Mr. Leo Arcand, had passed the company down to his son Denis Arcand, on his untimely passing, 10 years earlier. B2B Industrial, Inc., purchased A-1 Blasting Mats and once the company equipment was brought back into a good working order after approximately 2 years, continued Leo’s tradition of innovation and production of the most durable blasting mats in the world.
B2B Industrial, Inc. obtained 2 patents in August 2020 and February 2021. The unique construction method and looping cable pattern, allow the mats to undergo extensive abuse in the blasting environment, while minimizing failure points in the cables. The company’s second set of patents for MantaMATS, has been applied for and is currently patent pending.
All Armadillo, Rhino, Chameleon and Elephant Blasting Mats sold by B2B Industrial, Inc., were recently awarded a United States and Canadian patent approval dating back to Spring 2018. As a result, B2B Industrial, Inc.’s customers can feel confident that the mats they lease or purchase are protected by IP and should not be challenged on manufacturing, construction or design. The patent covers all the mats which have been manufactured since the company’s patent application process began.
B2B Industrial currently operates in two locations, CopperCliff and Sturgeon Falls, Ontario.
Are there projects the company has been involved in of which it is especially proud?
Yes, B2B was involved in 3 projects of which it is especially proud. The first project was the complete development of a modular blasting mat, made of thin rubber layers with the ability to be carried piece by piece and re-assembled in the “bush” thus respecting the forest through avoiding the building of roads and related infrastructure normally required to access a blasting location.
Second, was the design of a solution to protect people while detonating Military ordinances, that became embedded and did not detonate, in the ground at the Maryland Military base, in the United States after testing. The design of the solution, sketched on a napkin and conceived in Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto, formed the basis of the company patent on the Armadillo, Rhino, Chameleon, Elephant, Razorback and new High Density mats.
Third was the deployment of over 800 10×15 Patented Armadillo Blasting mats to “Canadian Malartic Mine”, where the mats were being used on a continuous basis by a large contract in Quebec, Canada.
What does B2B Industrial see as future opportunities for the company and the mining industry in northern Ontario?
B2B Industrial, Inc. is currently developing “smart” products that will track users field data to better help gauge when the product will reach the point of failure or where is it currently located in the world. The development toward a data driven product line of products, to assist our customers with data based decisions from potential failure, to locating the products anywhere in the world, is important.
Lighter weight solutions are also some of the more innovative solutions that will allow Drilling and Blasting Contractors and Mining companies to mobilize more quickly and save money both in the field and with logistics savings.
B2B Industrial, Inc. is always looking to expand the boundaries of what is possible with a mat solution.
Does the Company support any particular community programs, organizations, charity work or volunteerism initiatives?
B2B Industrial, Inc., has recently joined forces with reThink Green on a tire collection program to help clean up Ontario of used and damaged car and truck tires (we call them PLTs and Transport Tires, MT’s), and which will also generate local business and job opportunities in northern Ontario.
Why did the Company join MineConnect?
B2B/A-1 joined Mine connect as a way of learning what is happening in the mining industry on a daily basis as well as networking with like minded individuals.
