"For example, all our ore cars have a drainage plug in each corner of the car floor to allow drainage of water. The only way to open these plugs was to climb ladders up and down into the car. We had a worker slip from one of these ladders and break his hip. Subsequently, one of our welders designed a plug with an integral bolt that can be unscrewed from below, cutting out any need to climb into the car."

What today's IOC really excels at is summed up by Annie Ouellet, the operator turned trainer on IOC's biggest single piece of machinery, the huge reclaimer at Sept-Îles. "Successful companies are those that invest in people first," she says. "The emphasis on people has improved over the past few years. We're not regarded as mere numbers, but have a feeling of belonging."

Back in Montreal, David Porter, VP Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness, looks back at the company's 50 years and says: "The first 25 to 30 years was a period of considerable growth. But then IOC was simply a division of North American steel companies, and as such was isolated from the realities of the marketplace.

"When we became part of Rio Tinto in 2000, we had to start standing far more on our own. And it was a time when the steel industry was in decline and the marketplace was unforgiving. It is a testament to the people who were here then that they were determined to get through those hard times.

"We had to change ourselves, which is why the 2004 labour negotiations were such a significant event. I like to think of it as a bit of a rebirth and any rebirth is bound to involve some pain for people. The pain for us was a ten week strike. We were the stronger for it, and we soon put that stuff behind us. Just four days after the strike ended, we broke the first record."

When Alan Smith, VP Sales and Marketing, talks about IOC's history, he sees a stable and loyal customer base stretching over 30 years.