Liontown is investing in employees’ development while building strong partnerships as part of our commitment to the long-term success of both our company and our team. Production Engineer Sam Hoffman joined Liontown in February 2023 in the early phase of our open pit mining development. While he had vacation work experience, this was his first full-time engineering position. Since then, he has completed his Engineering degree and gained a wide range of practical and technical skills.

Joining Liontown in the early stages of open pit development gave Sam exposure to a wide variety of tasks and experiences, including clearing, infrastructure development, and the development and optimisation of procedures and processes. “I have had many opportunities for professional development during this time,” said Sam. “I’ve completed specialised software skills training and was admitted into the Emergency Response Team which has enabled me to complete the nationally recognised Certificate III in Emergency Response and Rescue.”

In October 2024, we offered Sam the opportunity to undertake the practical steps required to gain his Quarry Manager’s ticket. Working with our open pit mining contractor, Iron Mine Contracting, Sam gained hands-on experience with the blast crew and driving haul trucks.

“The experience has been both engaging and eye-opening, improving my abilities as a professional engineer and accelerating my career progression. I’ve really enjoyed my integration with the Iron Mine Contracting crews, who have been both welcoming and supportive.”

Liontown Open Pit Mining Manager Peter Dunstan shared his pride in Sam’s development and contributions to the team. “Sam has always been committed to professional development and played a critical role in ensuring production was met by the Open Pit Mining team,” Peter said. “It was great to facilitate Sam going out into the field with Iron Mine Contracting to complete his practical time towards gaining his Quarry Manager’s ticket. The success of Sam’s deployment has even inspired Iron Mine Contracting to want to send one of their engineers to Liontown to gain more technical knowledge in the engineering space.”

The strong partnership between Liontown and Iron Mine Contracting has been a driver of success at Kathleen Valley. Since the start of open pit mining, our teams have accomplished significant milestones together. The Mt Mann box cut was completed in under a year, enabling the on-schedule commencement of underground mining. The construction of the ROM pad was completed, on schedule, and the main orebody in the Kathleen’s Corner Open Pit was intersected – on schedule. This meant the Processing team had no shortage of ore to process when production commenced mid-2024. At the end of December 2024, the team had stockpiled 1.3 million tonnes of ore, ensuring a steady supply to the process plant.

Sam completes his practical experience with Iron Mine Contracting in January 2025 and returns to the Liontown Open Pit Technical team. Over the coming months, he will focus on completing the training and exams required to secure his Quarry Manager’s ticket.

“I’m excited to continue my professional development with the support provided to me by Liontown” Sam said. “As an engineer who is relatively new to the workforce, my main career goals are focused on professional development and exposure to all facets of the mining industry. Liontown has provided incredible opportunities to help me achieve these goals.”

At Liontown, developing employees’ skills and maintaining strong partnerships with contractors like Iron Mine Contracting are crucial to creating a safe work environment, encouraging the challenge of constant improvement and building a strong sense of teamwork. Sam’s journey has brought these values to life.