To celebrate the enormous contribution of suppliers to Rio Tinto and the local community, the company hosted an inaugural awards gala on 16 March 2023 as part of its Supplier Recognition Program, with around 180 suppliers nominated for awards across nine categories.
The Supplier Recognition Awards seeks to recognise valued suppliers for their outstanding performance and the contribution they make to Rio Tinto’s business and the local community..
Rio Tinto aspires to be a customer of choice within the Western Australian business community, working in partnership with its suppliers, supporting capability development and encouraging innovation to ensure local communities remain strong and sustainable.
Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said, “In the communities where we operate, we work hard to partner with and develop local businesses so they can share in our success and create jobs for local people. The nine award winners are excellent suppliers that help contribute to the success of the local communities in which we operate.”
Premier, Mark McGowan, attended the event and presented the WA Supplier of the Year award to GBSC Yurra. He congratulated all winners while acknowledging Rio Tinto’s commitment to recognising Western Australian suppliers and businesses.
“WA local content and local jobs is the backbone of our economy and communities so the more we diversify the economy and ensure we focus on increasing work and business opportunities, the better it is for our state in the long run.
“Increasing the volume and quality of local work in WA will support jobs and create a long pipeline of work into the future for the benefit of generations to come. This is a good thing and I encourage more of industry to maximise these opportunities,” said Mr McGowan.
Rio Tinto spent AU$8.6 billion with suppliers in Western Australia in 2022, an increase of 2.5 per cent on the previous year, as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to support the communities where it operates.
A total of AU$8.6 billion was spent with more than 2,400 suppliers, including Western Australian-owned and operated businesses, and global companies with locally operated and managed branches. The spend has helped support thousands of local jobs and delivered a significant economic contribution to communities across the state.
Of this spend, $618 million was spent with Pilbara-based businesses and a record $504 million was spent with Indigenous businesses in Western Australia. This included $439 million spent with Traditional Owner businesses – an increase of 45 per cent on the previous year.
Since 2018, Rio Tinto has increased its annual spend with suppliers in Western Australia by 73 per cent.
Award winners
Care, Courage and Curiosity: A business that shows alignment with Rio Tinto’s core values and demonstrates how they place people at the heart of their business, through a commitment to building safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces and culture. This year’s winner: Kulbardi
Local Engagement: A business that demonstrates a commitment to investing in the local workforce in the regions where we operate in Western Australia and has made a positive impact on the wellbeing and value of the community. This year’s winner: Eastern Guruma
Health and Safety: A business that demonstrates leading safety performance on a Western Australian site and contributes to making a safer site, beyond their own scope of work. This year’s winner: Tasman Power
Environmental Sustainability: A business that contributes to a reduction in emissions across operations and supports Rio Tinto to achieve its ESG objectives year on year. This includes sustainable initiatives, products or services that positively impact, contribute to, or encourage conservation, reduction, reuse and recycling.This year’s winner: IMC Alliance
Operational Excellence: A business that goes above and beyond to tackle obstacles and deliver results safely, enhancing productivity for Rio Tinto and demonstrates leading industry practice and performance. This year’s winner: CSI Mining Services
Innovation Award: A business that shows use of an innovative solution to overcome a challenge or obstacle which has been beneficial to Rio Tinto’s Western Australian operations, has demonstrated market leadership through leveraging new technologies and services that drive tangible business value for its operations. This year’s winner: Sentient
WA Supplier of the Year award: Recognising strong performance across multiple categories for West Australian business. This year’s winner: GBSC Yurra
Vice President of Procurement Award: A business that is highly aligned with Rio Tinto’s corporate values and has demonstrated remarkable performance and delivered excellent social outcomes. This year’s winner: Coregas
Chief Executive Award: A business that has delivered excellent outcomes to Rio Tinto across all areas of value and has significantly changed our operational, social, and environmental performance. This year’s winner: Boton
