Donald Roderick MacLean’s life and career reflect an exceptional blend of engineering expertise, safety advocacy, and innovative entrepreneurship. The sole focus of MacLean’s 60-year career was to enhance the safety of underground mining worldwide.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1937, MacLean spent his formative years in small mining towns in Québec where his father Don ‘Ducky’ MacLean managed local mines. He was immersed in the industry from a young age.
Armed with a pre-engineering degree from Acadia University and a Mining Engineering degree from McGill University, MacLean gained valuable hands-on experience working underground. In 1958 a visit to mines in Europe and Scandinavia ignited his enduring interest in underground mining safety. During his career underground as a shift boss at International Nickel (INCO), near Sudbury, Ontario, he witnessed the move from rail-based to mobile equipment mining.
In 1973, after a stint in equipment sales at Ingersoll Rand and managing operations for JMG Engineering, he founded MacLean Engineering. From humble beginnings in an apple orchard barn in Thornbury, Ontario, MacLean Engineering has grown into a global leader in mobile equipment for underground mining, with over 1,000 employees across six countries. MacLean and his company have been responsible for the development of many innovative products, including the rubber-tire Long Tom pneumatic drill, various models of the Blockholer, the widely respected MacLean Scissor Bolter, and more recently the 100-plus MacLean EV Series of battery electrified production support mining vehicles.
Following MacLean’s passing in 2024, his legacy of innovation and safety continues under the leadership of his son Kevin and Kevin’s children, who now play key roles in the company. MacLean Engineering celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, and his influence remains central to its mission.
MacLean’s impact on the industry earned him induction into the International Mining Technology Hall of Fame (2014), the SAMSSA Hall of Fame (2016), and the CIM Mining Safety Leadership Medal (2023). His vision and dedication to safety have left an enduring mark on mining worldwide.
His dedication to safety driven innovation remains at the heart of MacLean Engineering’s global success and continues to guide the future of the company.