November 2, 2020.   Austin Powder Company (“Austin”) and Castonguay Blasting Ltd. (“Castonguay”) are pleased to announce the appointment of Castonguay as the exclusive distributor of Austin commercial explosives in the Province of Quebec, Canada.

Mr. Yuri Alexandre, President & General Manager, Castonguay Blasting Ltd., shared, “Castonguay has been an industry leader providing world-class drilling and blasting solutions since 1971. We are a family-owned, private company that still manages with family values in everything we do. For nearly fifty years, our services have been synonymous with quality, be it the fragmentation of blasted material or the precision of our drilling work.”

Using proven work methods and state-of-the-art equipment, Castonguay’s operations team takes pride in offering clients superior quality results, performed safely, at whatever the type and scope of the project, be it in the quarry, mining, or construction industries. Since its inception, Castonguay has expanded to service all eastern Canada regions, remote Canadian northern operations, and, more recently, South America and West Africa.

“We believe our expertise, resources, and service-oriented philosophy combined with Austin’s high-quality products and advanced blasting technologies will benefit our industry,” said Mr. Alexandre.

This new distributorship agreement will allow Castonguay to use Austin Powder’s explosive products and technology in Eastern Canada and be the exclusive distributor of Austin’s products in the province of Quebec, including the delivery of bulk emulsion to the hole.

“The arrangement is a first for Castonguay, so we are glad a trustworthy company like Austin Powder supports us,” said Mr. Alexandre. “This new service offering will be available in early 2021, so please contact us anytime to discuss how Castonguay can help you in your operations.”

“We are very pleased with this distribution agreement with Austin Powder,” explained Mr. Alexandre. “Like us, it is a private company with family values that bases its decisions on long-term sustainability, in addition to the desire to deliver quality products and services. From the start of the discussions with Austin, we felt strong synergies. We are convinced that this alliance will be highly beneficial for our current and future customers, and the mining, quarry, and construction industry in Quebec.”

“For more than 187 years, Austin has been in continuous operation, helping clients break rock safely and efficiently. For the past 30 years, our Canadian business, Austin Powder Limited (“APL”), has been supporting clients from British Columbia to Ontario and all points between,” explains Jason Rawlings, President, Austin Powder Company.  “We are thrilled to have Castonguay become an extended member of the Austin Powder Family and to be our exclusive representative in the Province of Quebec.”

“Austin has extensive experience servicing the quarrying, construction, pipeline, oil & gas, surface, and underground mining and civil works industries worldwide. The values of both Castonguay and Austin are perfectly aligned. Austin has and will continue to invest significantly in developing blast design, modeling, and prediction software to help our clients improve safety in their mining operations, increase productivity, and reduce costs. We use these tools every day to blast in highly technical and environmentally sensitive locations throughout the world, and these technologies will now be available to Castonguay for application in its work with clients in Quebec. Whatever the project is, and wherever the work takes Castonguay, Austin will be there to support them,” said Mr. Rawlings.