Little did Edmund J. Longyear know in 1890 when he sank his first diamond drill hole on the Minnesota Mesabi Range that he was starting something that 125 years later would end up being the world’s leading provider of drilling services, drilling equipment and performance tooling for mining and drilling companies globally. Boart Longyear has a rich 125-year history that has withstood the ups and downs of the mining cycles.

Founding Year

Edmund J. Longyear, a mining engineer from the first graduating class at the Michigan Mining School, drills the first diamond core hole in the Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota. Shortly thereafter, he forms a contract diamond drilling company to serve the rapidly growing U.S. iron ore mining and steel industry.

First Drilling Contract

On May 19th, 1891, Edmund J. Longyear and Mallmann Iron Mining Company entered into the Company’s first ever drilling services contract. That historic drill site is maintained to this day and is frequented by visitors to the Hoyt Lakes region.

Longyear & Hodge Begin to Manufacture Drill Rigs

Longyear and John E. Hodge form a manufacturing partnership called Longyear & Hodge, expanding their business to include contract drilling, shaft-sinking, mineral ventures and related consulting work.

Growth and International Expansion

The company expands rapidly in the U.S. and begins drilling for copper in Cuba – its first international project.

Robert Longyear Takes Charge

E J.’s son becomes president of E J. Longyear Company, preserving the chain of family ownership and management that would continue for another 40 years.

E J. Longyear Company Performs Drilling for the Iconic Golden Gate Bridge

E J. Longyear Company drillers were contracted to determine the nature of rock formations that would bear the weight of the proposed structure, unlike any other bridge to date in the world. Longyear was paid $15,000 for its complicated drilling. The bridge, completed in May 1937, cost $35,000,000.

Longyear Revolutionises Drilling with the Q® Wireline System

Growth in the ’50s fueled new technology, and in 1953, Longyear patented the world’s first wireline core retrieval system. The Q® Wireline System revolutionised the diamond drilling industry by increasing productivity and making tripping core from the bottom of the hole safer. The advantages of the genuine Q® system quickly generated industry-wide adoption, securing the company’s place in the history of drilling technology.

Revolutionary Bit Design

In the 1980s, the company secured a reliable source of high-performance synthetic diamonds which triggered the development of a revolutionary bit design – the impregnated diamond bit. With decades of powder metallurgy experience behind them, Longyear engineers developed a new design that could drill further and faster than surface-set bits and cut through much harder material.

The Company Changes its name to Boart Longyear

After more than 30 years of Anglo American ownership, Boart Longyear was considered a non-core asset for the Johannesburg based mining company.

Second Largest IPO in ASX History

In October 2006, Advent sold Boart Longyear to Macquarie Bank and in April 2007, Macquarie took the company public in an AUD$2.3 billion IPO on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Boart Longyear Continues to Manufacture Products to Improve Productivity and Enhance Safety

  • Heli-portable LF™130F surface drill rig with integrated rod handling: a rig for the most remote jobs that provides the latest in safety technology.
  • Roller Latch™ underground head assembly for increased safety in underground coring applications.
  • Patented bit technologies that increase productivity and life.
  • The Drill Control Interface (DCi) provides drillers with a fully electronic interface to safely and efficiently operate underground drilling equipment, away from moving parts and hydraulic hoses.

Edmund J. Longyear Inducted into the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame

Edmund J. Longyear’s contribution to exploration and drilling technology is written into history almost 125 years since he drilled that first diamond core hole in the Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota.

Boart Longyear Celebrates 125 Years

Boart Longyear’s 125th Anniversary during 2015 was dedicated to the people who built – and continue to build – this fine Company.