While coal and iron ore are struggling, major mining suppliers like Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Komatsu (KMTUY:PK) and Liebherr were bullish enough to splash out on MINExpo, a once every four year convention that is running in Las Vegas this week.
Over 57,000 people pre-registed for the show that runs from Monday to Wednesday at the Las Vegas Centre.
The National Mining Association, which is running MINExpo, says this year’s show is 40% larger than the 2008 show and will be the world’s largest gathering of mine equipment ever.
The convention is spread out over 850,000 sq. feet, equivalent to 14 football fields.
The convention’s biggest stunt is displaying a 420,000 pounds (190,509 kg) Electo-Motive diesel locomotive, part of Caterpillar’s product line.
To get the locomotive to the convention center, the train was picked up at a rail spur in Las Vegas, dropped on a flat bed truck and then driven down Las Vegas Boulevard at five miles per hour during the middle of the night. The exhibit area had to be dug up and reinforced before the locomotive could be parked.
Caterpillar hired over 60 semi-trucks to load equipment and parts for the show.
German equipment manufacturer, Liebherr, has on display two mining trucks, two excavators, a tractor, a crane and a wheel loader.
Delegates take in the view aboard a Komatsu truck.
A roof support system by Siwei that traveled 6,500 miles from China to get to Las Vegas.
Exhibitors showing off a monitoring system.