Eltirus

Eltirus founder Steve Franklin explains how the company has grown from a boutique consultancy into a leading force in quarry resource optimisation, digital transformation, and sustainable practices.

Eltirus was born out of a simple but powerful idea: that quarry operators needed more than just technical advice – they needed partners who could help them understand what’s in the ground, extract it sustainably, and ensure compliance with both operational and statutory requirements.

From the outset, its mission has been to bridge the gap between traditional quarrying practices and the emerging possibilities of digital transformation.

The company’s team comprises surveyors, geologists, geotechnical and mining engineers, and software developers. It has built a culture that values curiosity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Eltirus founder Steve Franklin said the company has always believed that innovation should serve a purpose – not just to impress, but to solve real problems and add tangible value.

Eltirus has delivered hundreds of projects across Australia and New Zealand, ranging from implementation of drone programs, exploration programs, resource assessments, scheduling, resource optimisation, rehabilitation planning and due diligence assessments.

“Our work is grounded in rigorous technical standards, with a strong focus and on quality, repeatability and professional competence, including compliance with the JORC Code and the Registered Professional Engineers of Queensland legislation to ensure that we meet and exceed industry requirements,” Franklin said.

Some of its most notable contributions include:

• Increasing the life of an inner-city quarry by an additional seven years through effective geotechnical and mining engineering.
• Determining how to develop a new quarry that had no effective haul truck access in extremely steep terrain (and in an earthquake prone area) and working with the site on the deigns, schedule and operation plan to bring it into production.
• Using numerical modelling techniques to build a model of a major sand deposit that has proven accurate over some six years and changed how the business is run.
• Working with a cement plant to help them optimise the material blend from their two quarries and test the correctives they are using to determine the best production outcomes for the business and provide certainty for planning purposes.

These projects exemplify our approach: start with a clear scope, engage deeply with the client’s needs, innovate and deliver practical, actionable outcomes.

Innovation that matters
Innovation is at the heart of Eltirus, but not for its own sake. Franklin said it innovates to solve problems, reduce risk, and improve performance. Recognising the need for good operational data to make better decisions about what is happening in the field, Eltirus embarked on developing a system specifically for the quarry industry.

Field proven with Stevenson in New Zealand, it is used across the business, from its largest operation, Drury in Auckland and across the smaller operations as well. Enable is now also in the US market and we look forward to rolling it out to more of our clients in 2026.

Another key target for Eltirus is resource optimisation. Franklin said many cases, the shape, extent and size of quarry design, especially at the consenting stage was often quite arbitrary.

“We started research into how you could optimise a resource to maximise the net present value (NPV), reduce CO2 emissions and accurately predict development requirements for budgeting purposes,” he said.

“This work, centred on a linear programming approach can optimise not just a single resource, but multiple resources simultaneously, providing management and technical insights never previously envisaged.”

Eltirus has also worked with drone software platforms for the past eight years, actively promoting the value of this type of software not just for stock management, but for whole-of-site survey, vital to engineering and planning processes.

Franklin said recently the company had noted that the primary market player had stopped innovating.

“We started looking for a platform that could provide not only drone survey results but also improved site safety performance through AI haul road and bund wall assessment, geotechnical assessment and compliance to design checks,” he said.

“We found such a platform in Strayos, out of the US and are very impressed with both the product they have some up with and the incredible service they provide. It is very heartening to see the take-up of it by our clients across the country and we see great potential for this, and the partner AI real time fragmentation device called Netra.

“These innovations are not theoretical. They’re deployed in real quarries, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, safety, and sustainability.”

Lessons learned
Over the years, Eltirus learned some critical lessons that continue to shape its work.

Every project must deliver value, whether it’s improving NPV, reducing CO₂ emissions, or enhancing compliance. For example, in one hard rock quarry, Eltirus’ optimisation work led to a 43 per cent uplift in NPV and a significant reduction in the stripping ratio, making the project viable.

In another case, its digital transformation efforts reduced diesel consumption and CO₂ emissions by 19 per cent, saving $600,000 in extraction costs.

“These are not just numbers,” Franklin said. “They represent real improvements in profitability and environmental impact.”

A well-defined scope is the foundation of success. The company has seen projects falter due to vague objectives or shifting expectations. That’s why it works closely with clients to clarify their goals, the scope of the work, and what they hope to get from it, right from the outset, with a specific focus on ensuring that it can be practically applied in the field and with an eye to the value it will create.

Whether it’s a resource assessment or a rehabilitation plan, clarity ensures alignment and accountability. Franklin said theory is important, but practicality wins the day.

“Our work is designed to be implemented rather than be a drawing to be admired on an office wall,” he said.

“We produce geological and scheduling models that integrate with operational systems, resulting in plans that guide real-world actions, and tools, such as user-friendly GPS rovers and 3D machine guidance systems that empower teams on the ground to get results.

“By way of example, our rolling Quarry Operating Plans are not static documents. They’re living tools that align strategic goals with daily operations and are appreciated by operational teams, auditors and regulators alike for their ability to ensure safe, productive and effective action in the field.”

Collaboration and knowledge transfer
Knowledge transfer is a core part of Eltirus’ approach. By becoming part of the client’s team, it actively works to upskill client personnel, embedding methods, skills and knowledge into their workflows, and ensure that the value Eltirus creates continues to grow and endures.

Through its partnerships with software providers such as Deswik (mining engineering software), Seequent (geological software) and Strayos (drone AI software), Eltirus works with some of the brightest minds in the geomining software industry, enabling it to keep at the forefront of innovation and new methods.

The company’s relationship with leading quarry planning consultancies such as Hetherington in Australia and Boffa Miskel in New Zealand also allow it to bring an integrated approach to every project.

Outreach and Industry Leadership
Eltirus is committed to advancing the quarrying industry. It contributes through magazine articles with a specific focus on raising awareness of new technologies, methodologies and systems, conference presentations, industry awards (such as the IQA Innovation award) and outreach programs across Australia and New Zealand.

“We’ve supported initiatives alongside our industry bodies to engage school leavers, promote technical understanding, showcase the career opportunities in quarrying and its broad value and necessity to our communities,” Franklin said.

Looking ahead
The company’s focus remains on innovation, sustainability, and practical excellence.

Franklin said he sees enormous potential in the Strayos AI-driven drone survey platform, operational data management using Enable, autonomous equipment, and integrated resource optimisation.

“Our goal is to help clients do more with less – minimising resource risk, reducing costs, improving safety, and enhancing environmental outcomes,” he said.

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved in our first nine years, but we’re even more excited about 2026.

“The quarry industry is evolving, and Eltirus, in conjunction with our customers and partners is leading the way.”

This article originally published on the Quarry Magazine website – click here to view the full original article.

To find out more, contact Steve Franklin on +61 474 183 939 or steve.franklin@eltirus.com