Searles Valley Minerals Inc.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Searles Valley Minerals Inc. is a raw materials mining and production company based in Overland Park, Kansas. It is owned by the Indian company Nirma.[1] [2] It has major operations in the Searles Valley and in Trona, California where it is the town's largest employer.[3][4] The company produces borax, boric acid, soda ash, salt cake and salt. It also owns the Trona Railway.[1][5]

The Trona facility extracts and ships 1.75 million tons of chemicals per year.[3]

Searles Valley Minerals Inc. is part of Climate VISION (Voluntary Innovative Sector Initiatives: Opportunities Now), a public/private partnership which is seeking to reduce US industry greenhouse gas emissions by 18 percent between 2002 and 2012.[6] As it operates on government owned land, Searles Valley Minerals Inc. pays royalties of millions of dollars each year to both the federal and state governments. Much of those royalties cover the expenses of local school districts. [7].

[edit] History

The assets of what eventually became Searles Valley Minerals Inc. have a long and varied history.

Founded in 1914 as the American Trona Corporation, it began the production of potash in 1916. After becoming the American Potash & Chemical Corporation in 1926, it began producing borax, soda ash and sodium sulfate. Productions of these chemicals continued to expand throughout the 20th century. In 1962 the company received nationwide recognition and an award for its innovative solvent extraction process to recover boric acid and potassium sulfate from weak brines.[5]

After World War II, the company has endured frictional labor relations with allegations that Latino workers were paid lower wages than Whites. Since then, Latinos have been able to find equal footing and have risen to managerial positions.[3]

In 1967, Kerr-McGee Corporation (now a subsidiary of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation) acquired American Potash and Chemical Corporation and they held operations of the Searles Valley facilities until 1990. That year the operations were purchased from capital investors D. George Harris and Associates which formed the North American Chemical Company. [5]

Ownership changed yet again in 1990 when IMC Global Incorporation acquired North American Chemical Company.[5]

The company's current incarnation was set up in 2004 when Sun Capital Partners purchased IMC Global Incorporation and renamed it Searles Valley Minerals, Inc.[3][5][6] In November of 2007 Nirma purchased the company from Sun Capital Partners.[2][1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Justis, Ruth. "New owners for Trona plant", The Daily Independent, November 28, 2007. 
  2. ^ a b "Nirma shares soar 7% on acquisition of US coenvironment", The Economic Times, November 27, 2007. 
  3. ^ a b c d Hughes, Wesley G.. "Town at 'End of the World' Friendliness Runs Deep in Remote San Bernardino County Desert Hamlet", Los Angeles Daily News, October 16, 2005. 
  4. ^ "Leasing at Searles Lake", U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management. 
  5. ^ a b c d e "Searles Valley Timeline", Searles Valley Historical Society. 
  6. ^ a b Saholt, Linda. "Searles Valley Minerals takes steps to protect environment", The Daily Independent, June 9, 2005. 
  7. ^ Justis, Ruth. "Royalty cut a mixed bag for Trona", The Daily Independent, May 31, 2007. 

[edit] External links