2005

CIS continued to expand into new geographical areas, setting up operations in Mongolia, in the heart of the Gobi desert.

An immense area covering almost two-thirds of Mongolia, where temperatures can sometimes reach 100 degrees Celsius. But where the exploitation of the subsoil’s riches by the Anglo-Australian group Rio Tinto has led to a repeatedly renewed collaboration with CIS. A relationship spanning more than fifteen years, based on the quality of services and mutual trust built up over the years.

Rio Tinto had entrusted CIS with the management of the living quarters at its Oyu Tolgoi open-pit and underground mining site. The Group managed the daily lives of 7,500 people working to extract gold and copper, serving an average of 24,000 meals a day.

Given the extreme conditions and harshness of the site, which offers visitors nothing but its natural, mineral beauty under a translucent night sky, it was necessary to go beyond the core business of accommodation and catering. To offer comfort and leisure to those who visit the base.

“It sounds easy and normal, but it’s not. You need technical and human resources, training and the desire to do things. You have to be close to local employees and respect them,” explains Stéphane Caille, Group Human Resources Director.

These are the attitudes and values which, over the past thirty years, have enabled CIS to turn adventure into a business in which the human factor is an essential investment.