SUPPLY NATION Commitments to increase spend on Indigenous businesses are common in RAPs, driving engage- ment with Supply Nation, the Australian leader in supplier diversity. Originally known as the Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC), Supply Nation is the only organization in the world solely focused on Indigenous supplier diversity. The origin of Supply Nation can be traced back to 2008 when Indigenous entrepreneur Michael McLeod and his non-Indigenous business partner Dug Russell formulated the creation of AIMSC, drawing inspiration from the success of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) in the U.S. McLeod and Russell presented AIMSC to the Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, and in September 2009, the Australian Government announced it would pilot AIMSC over three years, providing an investment of $3 million. Once the pilot was successfully completed, AIMSC rebranded to become Supply Nation. Today, Supply Nation’s Indigenous business directory contains 1,463 businesses covering every Australian state, territory and industry sector. The group’s membership has grown to 327 organiza- tions consisting of corporate buyers, not-for-profits and government buyers at the federal, state and local level. Since 2009, Supply Nation’s members have increased spend with Indigenous businesses by an average of 20 per cent per quarter. This translates into a significant positive impact for Indigenous communities, with Supply Nation Supply Nation Chair Leah Armstrong with Nigel Scullion, Australia’s Minister for Indigenous Affairs Mining Contractors and Engineers • Shaft Sinking • Mine Development • Contract Mining • Raiseboring • Raise Mining • Underground Construction • Engineering & Technical Services • Specialty Services AFRICA | ASIA | AUSTRALIA EUROPE | NORTH AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA EXPERIENCE Proud of our success collaborating with Indigenous groups throughout Canada and the world. redpathmining.com Consider it done. The Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT 31