Rio Tinto has announced a record spend with Indigenous businesses in 2025.
The company spent a record $A968 million last year with Indigenous-owned businesses in Western Australia, a 25 per cent bump from the previous year.
The Pilbara-focused miner's spend specifically with Traditional Owner businesses - with which the company has land use agreements near its operations - grew by more than 26 per cent to a record $719m.
The development of Rio Tinto's replacement mines in the Pilbara also led to record spend of $12.1 billion with WA suppliers in 2025, $1.8b more than the prior year.
The contribution of Pilbara-based suppliers was particularly remarkable, with the company spend in the region more than doubling since 2022 to a record $1.1 billion last year.
More than 2,300 local suppliers supported Rio Tinto's pipeline of project work in WA, including its newest mine - Western Range - which opened in 2025, as well as the Brockman Syncline 1, Hope Downs 2 and West Angelas projects, which are under construction.
Rio Tinto has more than doubled its annual spend with WA suppliers since 2018, which has helped grow local employment and businesses.
Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive Matthew Holcz, speaking at the company's Supplier Diversity Awards on Thursday night, noted it was the company's 60th year of operating in the Pilbara.
He said he thrilled to honour three Indigenous organisations, who he said represented a larger supply chain cohort that had helped the company become a global iron ore business.
"Traditional Owners significantly contribute to the prosperity of WA by allowing mining to occur on their Country. Our operations in the Pilbara only exist because of this," he said.
Mr Holcz, recently promoted to run Rio Tinto's global iron ore operations, said each of the 18 finalists and 230 nominees had made critical contributions to WA economy and Pilbara communities.
"Their dedication, innovation and partnership are something we deeply value," Mr Holcz said.
"We are committed to partnering with local businesses, supporting local jobs and driving innovation."
Mr Holcz presented the WA Supplier of the Year award to KBSS alongside WA Premier Roger Cook.
