Utah Copper Company's General Manager Daniel C. Jackling (1869–1956), was impressed with Cates and, after a short stint at Bingham Canyon, transferred Cates to manage the Ray Consolidated copper mining operation at Ray, Arizona.
Cates introduced the profitable block-caving method at Ray, one of the new porphryr copper mines being opened at a grand scale at the time.
Known for his gruff style and limited personal skills, he was a dogged manager whose single-focus made his many operations successful.
He also re-invented Phelps Dodge as a vertical – integrated – copper producer, from mine pit to finished product.
At the time of its acquisition in 2007, Phelps Dodge Corporation had large copper mining operations in Bagdad, Morenci, Sahuarita, Safford and Miami, Arizona as well as holdings in New Mexico.