HIGH PROFILE
RIMEX 50 years on from its foundation is still making a difference as a proudly Canadian-owned global player in the wheel / rim and TPMS markets
RIMEX – maximising uptime for 50 years
RIMEX, the Canadian- based innovator in wheels and rims as well as TPMS for global mining, is 50 this year
It is a big year for RIMEX – the Canadian based manufacturer and innovator of wheels and rims for the global mining industry; as well as a major TPMS player with its TyreSense solution. RIMEX is 50 in January 2026, so at the recent Global OTR Conference in Antwerp, IM Editorial Director Paul Moore sat down with Tyler James, the company’ s VP Sales & Marketing, to talk about its journey and differentiators. It’ s been quite the ride for RIMEX, and 50 years later it is still making a difference as a proudly Canadian-owned global player in the wheel / rim and TPMS markets. What started with a pickup truck in 1976 has grown to 500 + employees in 26 locations across eight countries across five continents. And it says there are many more exciting things to come in the future.
Q Can you give some background and history to the RIMEX journey so far?
Now 50 years ago, our Founder Chris Weston began his journey on the road to‘ Building Better Wheels.’ He identified a gap in the market where noone was repairing customers’ wheels, only replacing with new. So he identified some wheels that he thought were repairable, put them in the back of a borrowed pickup truck and off he went. Chris’ s mission in 1976 was quite
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Tyler James, RIMEX VP Sales & Marketing, at the Global OTR Conference in Antwerp last year
simply to give his customers what they wanted and needed. He went out on his own selling industrial wheels to customers in British Columbia, Canada, for an American manufacturer. Chris was a forward thinker and attuned to the changing marketplace – as the size of equipment grew and as radial tyres came into the OTR market, the wheels had to be larger and built stronger to survive. He revolutionised the way OTR wheels were manufactured by introducing the practice of fully machining the critical components that make up a wheel. His innovative manufacturing methods produced wheels that were stronger and could stand up to the extreme stresses being put on them by larger earth moving equipment and new tire technologies. The innovation he showed along with his keen understanding of customer service fostered a growth that drove RIMEX until his passing in 2017. At that time, RIMEX was well established with multiple locations in Canada, USA, Australia, Indonesia, and China. Since that time, under the direction of Chris’ s son, Derek Weston, the company’ s energies have been focused on maximising growth in existing markets while also seeking out new relationships and markets to take on the RIMEX product range. We have made great strides in Chile over the last few years, and our team is continuing to work closely with end users and our partners to ensure our products and technologies keep gaining acceptance. We have also recently purchased our long-time partners in South Africa and established a wholly owned RIMEX company there that we are very excited about. This move will position us for further growth in South Africa and the surrounding emerging regions. RIMEX has also put great importance on developing innovative manufacturing technologies and improved processes. As a Canadian-based manufacturer, we face numerous challenges to be competitive in a global marketplace, so we must be innovating and relentless in our pursuit of efficiencies.
International Mining | JANUARY 2026