Eltirus founder Steve Franklin outlines the value of taking nothing for granted in a quarry.
Have any new trends emerged over 2025?
I think we are seeing a greater focus on mental health issues with an emphasis on encouraging people to seek help through the RU OK program and the broader campaigns that groups like BeyondBlue are promoting.
While I think these are important, my concern is that we are not doing enough to address the reasons why people are struggling – its one thing to offer a cure, but perhaps much better to focus on prevention.
While many companies will have statements of values and the like, they can be scant on the ground.
I think we would all do well to remember (and apply) the Golden Rule of “do to others as you would like them to do to you” – I am sure we would be a much happier (and healthier) society if this was the case.
What are some of the challenges facing the quarrying industry?
Resource management will become increasingly important with time. Quarry resources exhaust and must be replenished either through expansion or identification of new sites.
With increasing demands regulatory demands on producers and on the companies that support them, the gap between professionals entering the survey, geological and mining engineering space and the requirement for them will continue to expand, with the quarry industry being the likely losers (to the mining industry).
Some tremendous work has been done by the IQA and members this year to highlight the value of the industry to young people – this is critical and more needs to be done to continue this great work and focus attention on the need for what we do.
How is your team overcoming or helping others overcome these challenges?
We have been active in bringing people from the mining industry into the quarry and cement industry with the view that this is critical to upskilling the industry.
What was the most important lesson from 2025?
To not take it for granted that people know what we do or the value that we can bring to their operations through our services. In many cases we see people who “don’t know that they don’t know” and are still stuck in old ways.
What surprised you about 2025?
I have spent a lot of time overseas this year and it has been an ongoing revelation to me that what I might take for granted in terms of our consulting capability is far more advanced than what we are seeing in other markets.
What are you looking forward to in 2026?
We have been very active in building an international market for some years and it has been very rewarding to see that coming to fruition with several remarkable projects coming on-line in the new year.
What innovations are you most excited for?
We have talked about Strayos, the AI drone platform and it is interesting to see them tied up with Trimble now – watch this space, I think big things will come from this.
How are you helping to grow the industry?
Continuing to push the boundaries of quarry resource management through our research and development activities, bringing technical professionals into the industry, helping to drive down costs and solving difficult resource problems.
What does your company have planned for 2026?
Hiring, research, local and international expansion.
How do you think the industry will change over 2026?
I see it becoming more cautious and cost focussed.
Over the long term, where do you think the quarrying industry is headed?
As an essential part of the infrastructure industry, quarrying has a bright future.
For more information, visit eltirus.com
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