In this episode of Mining Minds), we sit down with JD Sundseth)—owner of Mountain States Mine Development and Reclamation LLC). JD takes us on a candid journey through his life: from a small-town kid in Spring Creek, Nevada, to a tire-slinging high schooler at Les Schwab), to operating heavy equipment in remote mountain terrain.
He opens up about starting a family young, learning the ropes the hard way, and navigating the mining industry—from exploration and greenfield development to full-scale operations. JD shares stories from his wild first day at the mine site, why he never had to run a scraper, and what it really means to be a hands-on leader. Join Mining Minds) as we Welcome JD Sundseth to the Face!
Sponsors:
Liebherr Mining)
GBC-NORCAT MST)
Heavy Metal Equipment & Rentals)
Chapters:
9:08 Sweeping Floors to Service Trucks
19:19 Finding a path in mining
31:53 New Hire Week
42:11 Skipping Pay Grades
52:56 Advancing too fast
01:05:20 Gering up to run his own business
01:14:39 Skills learned in trades
01:20:09 Testing equipment operators’ skills
01:27:47 Waiting for opportunity
01:33:04 Growing the right way
