Glen McKay is an established Newfoundland-based entrepreneur with experience leading businesses in mining, finance, resource exploration and development. Glen’s entrepreneurial career spans more than 40 years.
After beginning as a deckhand in the Newfoundland fishery, Glen began working in business development and as a branch manager at Minpaco in St. John’s. Following this, Glen set up his own company, MRO Supplies Ltd., in 1978, providing specialized equipment to industries that included mining, quarrying, heavy construction, pulp and paper, forestry and fisheries. Glen grew the company for more than 10 years until it was sold to Stellar Industrial in 1989.
In 1985, Glen founded Newfoundland Hard-Rok Inc., an explosives manufacturer with two manufacturing plants on the Island of Newfoundland that also provides drilling and blasting services to the mining, quarrying and heavy construction industries. Glen continues as the chair of Newfoundland Hard-Rok’s board of directors and manages the firm’s finances and administration on a day-to-day basis.
Growth at Newfoundland Hard-Rok Inc. includes forming wholly owned subsidiary Dyno Nobel Labrador Inc. in 2004 and wholly owned subsidiary Dyno Nobel Baffin Island Inc. in 2013.
In 2005, Dyno Nobel Labrador Inc. was awarded a contract from Vale (formerly INCO’s Voisey's Bay Nickel Company) to design, build and operate a bulk emulsion (blasting agent) manufacturing plant supplying the needs of the open pit mine at Voisey’s Bay. More recently, Dyno Nobel Labrador Inc. was awarded by VALE an additional second contract to expand the bulk emulsion plant and for the explosives underground delivery and loading equipment and related services at the mine.
In 1987, Glen provided the start up capital for Apex Construction Specialties Inc., a Newfoundland based specialized construction supply company, and also served as the Chairman of the board for the firm. Glen remained as a major shareholder until Apex was sold to a Quebec investment group in 2017.
Glen McKay is also the co-founder of Cornerstone Capital Resources, a mining company that found fame with the acquisition of the Cascabel gold and copper project in Ecuador. During his tenure as President, Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chair, Cornerstone’s resource exploration was expanded beyond Newfoundland and Labrador to Ecuador and Chile, with Glen earning recognition for leading the company’s growth.