Darryl Lake taught Chemistry and served in senior administrative roles at Cambrian College in Sudbury for 27 years before going on to serve as the founder and CEO of NORCAT in 1995.
A technology and training centre, NORCAT has had an important impact on business development, job creation and the diversification of the Sudbury economy. In this video, Darryl traces the history of NORCAT from its founding and its first home within Cambrian College to its acquisition of the Fecunis Mine and its current standalone facility.
The decision to include the training associated with the Sudbury Occupational Health and Safety Resource Centre and the Ontario Centre for Ground Control as components of NORCAT was key to the tech centre’s success “because prototyping is not a moneymaker,” explains Darryl. “It’s a black hole for money.” As a tech centre, “You gotta have a base of income. If you don’t have a base of income, you’re gonna go broke.” Taking over common core training from Sudbury’s two major mining companies, Inco and Falconbridge, along with training for mining contractors, also served to connect NORCAT to the mining industry and attract interest in its technology development services.
In addition to being used for training, the NORCAT Mine attracts equipment manufacturers for the purpose of testing and showcasing new products. Darryl, who retired in 2012, offers several important nuggets of advice for anyone attempting to create wealth and develop Northern Ontario. “You can’t do it alone,” he states. “You have to do it with partners, friends or people you know who have the same kinds of ideas. You have to have the ability to connect with people.”
Over the course of the 25 plus years he served as CEO of NORCAT, Darryl estimates he was able to raise a total of $85 million with the support of government and industry leaders including Warren Holmes, Fred Stanford, Tony Clement, Jim Flaherty, Rick Bartolucci and Floyd Laughren. “If you like people,” are liked and respected in turn, and have a good idea, “you can do things that you never thought you could do before,” concludes Darryl.