Today, Adam’s helping to drive one of Australia’s most forward-thinking iron ore operations – Mineral Resources’ (MinRes) landmark Onslow Iron project – and each day starts with a simple pleasure.
“A really good cup of coffee,” he laughs.
By the time he’s finished his flat white, Adam has mapped out the hours ahead. His approach blends operational discipline with a commitment to continuous improvement – ensuring his crews are aligned, equipment is operational and opportunities to make the site safer and more efficient are explored every day.
“In between all that is the number crunching, reporting and planning – all the fun stuff,” he says with a smile.
As a wholly owned subsidiary of MinRes, CSI has grown to become one of the country’s largest mining services contractors, thanks in part to the pioneering work being carried out at Ken’s Bore mine and across other MinRes operations.
Here, the process begins when high-grade ore arrives at the run-of-mine stockpile before entering CSI’s NextGen modular crushers. Designed for reduced dust and noise emissions, these units feature carbon fibre vibrating screens manufactured in-house, underscoring CSI’s capacity for innovation.
Ore from the recently developed Upper Cane deposit travels 16km along a dedicated haul road, where it is direct-tipped from jumbo road trains into one of three crushers. Together, these facilities provide an installed capacity of 40.9 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa).
Once processed, the ore is stockpiled, reclaimed and loaded through a four-lane truck load-out facility before heading to transhippers at the Port of Ashburton.
Adam’s journey to this role is marked by varied experiences. After working on coal mines in his home state, he moved to Western Australia in 2012.
His career evolved from maintenance into production and later leadership positions across different sites, giving him a broad perspective on operational management.
That experience proved invaluable when he joined CSI at Onslow Iron in 2024, where he quickly became part of milestone moments such as first ore on ship in May 2024 and achieving nameplate capacity of 35Mtpa in August 2025.
“Since I started at Ken’s Bore, the operation has changed significantly,” Adam reflects.
“We’re now operating at Upper Cane, with our road trains bringing ore down and direct tipping into our train one. We’ve made improvements along the way and it’s just getting better every day.
It will continue to evolve over the coming year as the site matures and progresses.”
While the technical sophistication of Onslow Iron is evident, Adam sees its people as the defining element. He credits the culture of empowerment across the workforce as crucial to its success.
“The ability for teams to make improvements, raise them and get them implemented quickly gives everyone a real sense of ownership,” he says.
“I get to come to work with a fantastic group of people – some with incredible knowledge and others who bring unique character – and together we start the day with a challenge and end it with a sense of achievement.”
For Adam, celebrating the incremental gains – the “one percenters” – is as important as meeting the major targets.
Those small improvements compound into significant milestones over time and reflect the commitment and character of the team.
As Onslow Iron continues to operate at full capacity, Adam remains focused on the blend of safety, precision and pace that defines his role.
Beneath it all lies a straightforward philosophy: getting the best from his people and enabling them to drive the operation forward.
With its innovative supply chain from pit to port and a workforce committed to excellence, Onslow Iron is set to remain a cornerstone of MinRes’ future, supporting the company’s success for the next three decades and beyond.
Learn more about Onslow Iron and CSI Mining Services.
