2025 Supplier Awards: The Partners Behind Every Shift

Walk our site on any given day and you’ll see logos on hard hats and trucks. Behind each one is a crew helping keep people safe, projects moving, and communities supported.

Once a year, we bring those stories into one room. Our Supplier Award Lunch is where we say thank you. Since 2019, this event has celebrated suppliers and community partners who live our values of care, courage, and curiosity. In 2025, we recognized six partners who quietly make a big difference for our teams, our project, and the Copper Triangle.

How winners are chosen

Our procurement team works with employees closest to the work to identify partners who made jobs safer, smoother, or better this year. Maybe it was a crew that stayed late to solve an unexpected problem, a vendor who found a workaround for a supply issue, or a partner who never compromises on safety.

Nominations and voting are anonymous, with no lobbying and no popularity contests, just real feedback from the people on the ground. Awards are structured by geography rather than supplier size, giving every partner a fair shot. We also include dedicated awards for health and safety performance and for community partnership.

This year’s unique plaques were designed by Globe artists Molly C. and Tim P. Their work adds local color and personality, turning a thank-you into a piece of art that will hang in offices and shops for years. It’s one more way we keep recognition rooted in this region.

Meet the 2025 Award Winners

Copper Triangle Award: Sturgeon Electric
Based in the Copper Triangle, Sturgeon Electric has been a steady presence since 2018. Their work on the A and B load centers and VFD upgrades stood out this year. They maintained strong collaboration and communication, something not always seen in complex projects. For our teams, that meant fewer surprises, better planning, and safer work.

Health and Safety Award: Major Drilling
Drilling brings serious risk, which makes safety culture non-negotiable. Major Drilling, a long-time Rio Tinto partner, impressed our teams with proactive safety performance at Resolution Copper. They don’t wait for problems, they look for them, talk about them, and fix them. That’s the kind of partnership that protects people shift after shift.

Arizona Supplier Award: Relentless Quality Repairs
Relentless Quality Repairs may be new to Resolution Copper, but they came out strong. Working side by side with Resolution Copper and Redpath, they helped remove 2,200 feet of vent duct on 10 Shaft, running day and night shifts. It was hard, technical, and time-sensitive. Employees noticed their attitude and willingness to grind through the job safely, piece by piece. That’s why they’re taking home the Arizona Supplier Award in their first year.

Tribally Owned Award: 4 Winds Contracting
When something urgent comes up, you learn quickly who you can call. Since 2021, 4 Winds Contracting has been that partner. Tribally owned and deeply committed, they’re known for picking up the phone, listening, and finding a way to help, no matter the ask. Employees praised their reliability and willingness to tackle tough jobs without losing focus on safety and quality.

National Supplier Award: Industrial Supply
Industrial Supply supports Rio Tinto sites across the U.S., and at Resolution Copper they’re the quiet force behind many of the tools and gear we rely on every day. From Boot Connex to tool lockers and PPE vending machines, they look for ways to make it easier for our people to get what they need, when they need it.

Community Partner Award: Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Not every partnership involves steel and concrete. Some involve trees, trails, and school groups. Boyce Thompson Arboretum has been a long-standing partner in environmental stewardship and education. Our work together connects the project to the natural landscape and to the families who live, learn, and explore here.

Why this lunch matters

On the surface, the Supplier Award Lunch is a meal, a few speeches, and some photos. Look closer and you see something else: local artists from Globe, Tribally owned businesses and Copper Triangle contractors side by side with national suppliers, safety champions, problem solvers, and community partners proud to work with us.

To every supplier who stepped up this year, thank you.

Partnerships at Resolution Copper are about people, shared values, and the impact we create together. We’re committed to strengthening our community by keeping jobs local and supporting economic growth.

Our local supplier portal makes it easier for businesses to showcase their services and stay informed about upcoming opportunities.