As Aramine celebrates its 50th anniversary, we sat down with Christophe Melkonian, Co-President of the family-run business, to reflect on their journey from a small service company in France to a global leader in underground mining solutions. With a long-standing presence at Mining Indaba and a reputation for innovation and customer commitment, Aramine’s story is one of resilience, vision, and family values.


From Modest Beginnings to Market Leadership

Natallia Zhuk-Higgs: Christophe, it's a real pleasure to have you with us today. First, congratulations on Aramine's incredible 50th anniversary a remarkable milestone that reflects decades of innovation, resilience, and leadership in the mining industry. What have been some of the defining moments in your journey to becoming a global leader?

Christophe Melkonian: Becoming a leader in this industry wasn’t part of our original plan. We started out as a small service company, and when my brother, sister, and I took over the business as a family, we began as a distributor selling equipment from a brand that’s now part of Epiroc.

At the time, we were mainly focused on equipment sales and servicing the mining industry through parts and component repairs. But by the mid-1990s, we made a strategic decision to develop our own product lines, focusing on three core areas.

First, the remanufacturing of underground mining equipment across multiple brands. Second, the sale of alternative multi-brand spare parts. And third, a niche we identified in the market: a complete range of underground mining equipment for production, including loaders, mining trucks, and drill rigs for narrow vein mining.

And we very quickly brought these three activities to market-leading positions in the industry.


Family Values at the Heart of the Business

Natallia Zhuk-Higgs: As a family-run business, how have you and your family shaped the culture and long-term vision of Aramine?

Christophe Melkonian: First of all, being a family business is an extremely great thing. We’re a team of around 220 people worldwide, and we’re committed to passing these values on to everyone. Our focus is firmly on the customer. Across every level of our organization and in every country, customer satisfaction is what drives us each day. Rooted in our family values, we’re dedicated to doing things the right way and making sure our customers are fully satisfied.


A Long History with Mining Indaba and Hyve Events

Natallia Zhuk-Higgs: Aramine has attended Hyve’s mining events since the late 1990s, back when we were still ITE Group. You've now joined us at Mining Indaba for six years in a row. What continues to bring Aramine back?

Christophe Melkonian: We've always seen this event as a valuable opportunity to connect with the global industry. As an international company operating in over 80 countries, every chance to engage with the market, whether it's meeting customers, partners, or even competitors, is important to us and creates real value.

Our journey with you began in Kazakhstan, I believe around 1995, when the show first launched and we've been exhibiting ever since.

This event continues to be a key moment for building connections. Over the past 10 years, it has grown significantly and gained strong global momentum.


The Power of Connection

Natallia Zhuk-Higgs: If you had to summarize Aramine's journey and your relationship with Mining Indaba in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?

Christophe Melkonian: Get new customers.

That's the whole reason why we participate in the show, to be connected to our market and to acquire new customers.

Looking to the Future

Natallia Zhuk-Higgs: Thank you, Christophe, for sharing Aramine's inspiring journey and for our long-standing partnership. We look forward to celebrating many more milestones together and continuing to build a stronger, more connected future for the mining industry.