The Crownsmen Show interviews Keaton Turner about retention, social media and the tougher side of entrepreneurship.

Where will the next generation of mining equipment operators, managers, and leaders come from? How do mining operators and contractors not only attract your talent but retain employees? These are just a few of the topics covered in this episode of The Crownsmen Show featuring Turner Mining Group President, Keaton Turner who founded the company at only 27.

“We don’t build bridges. We don’t dig landfills. We are 100% mining.” is the first thing you see when visiting the Turner Mining website. The mining service contractor has found its niche in being able to deliver services on multiple sites for companies who own operations across the United States by having representation across the country who has a deep understanding of each state's regulations and culture. This strategy has been key to them becoming one of the most trusted mining service contractors in North America.

You can’t talk about Turner Mining without highlighting their social media presence. On LinkedIn alone the company has over 19,000 followers and over 51,000 on Instagram. Their Youtube Channel features not just big equipment and projects that you might expect but tells the story of individual employees. Keaton is quick to point out that the key to their exposure online was working with Aaron Witt the President of BuildWitt (Check out their amazing content for the mining industry).

Keaton brought honesty to the interview. He discussed the genuine struggles and loneliness of starting the company, he discussed finding people that were smarter than him, and talked about the support of his wife. He opened up the mistakes made at the beginning and the foundation he learned working with his uncles company. He even challenged the value of him going to university vs real life experience. In many ways he outlined the experiences of many entrepreneurs and business leaders.

The mining industry is full of technology, from new ore processing sensors, to autonomous equipment, to drones monitoring and documenting mining projects, but even with all the technology so much of it still comes down to people. Keaton Turner and Turner Mining Group might be new in mining, but the values they bring are teaching an old lesson that will build mining’s future.