As economic, technological, regulatory and other forces continue to present the global mining industry with new opportunities and challenges, agile mining equipment manufacturers are stepping up their efforts to anticipate and meet the evolving needs of surface and underground mining operations. Operational excellence - the pursuit of efficient, lowest-possible-cost production - is a prime objective for all mines. As mineral commodity markets experience cyclical price highs and lows, mine operators, increasingly, look to their equipment suppliers for equipment and support that can help reduce multiple tangible and intangible operating costs. This paper explores how two mining equipment manufacturers - P&H Mining Equipment, a supplier of surface mining equipment and Joy Mining Machinery, a supplier of machinery for underground mining - are responding to the mining industry's aggressive pursuit of obtaining reduced operating cost with innovative products and support programs.