Antimony mine reaches record levels of production

THOMPSON FALLS – One local company is responding with vigor as the national economy continues to show signs of moving past the debilitating great recession, which started in 2008.

The United States Antimony Corporation, which is based out of Thompson Falls, has reason to celebrate after a record third quarter of production and a positive forecast for future revenues and forward looking business statements.

In a press release issued by the company on Monday, Aug. 4, Chief Executive Officer John Lawrence commented on the company’s recent financial surge.

“In the third quarter production is at record levels and will increase even further with the commissioning of the new smelter capacity,” Lawrence said.  

The local mining, milling, smelting, transportation and marketing company uses its facilities in Sanders County to process raw materials imported from Canada and company mines in Mexico.

A number of factors have allowed the Thompson Falls based mining entity to have a successful third business quarter.

A Canadian supplier in British Columbia, which provides USAC with large quantities of antimony, has recently increased supplies to the Montana company by 70 percent.

Additionally, the company has opened several facilities in Mexico over the past few years and production from these facilities is now in the form of metal, which will decrease costs for the company and provide the Montana facility with an excellent grade metal.

The positive trends north and south of the border directly impact the company’s holdings outside of Thompson Falls, where processing activities have received a jolt by these contributing factors.  

“In Thompson Falls we produce antimony oxide and ship it all over the United States,” Chief Financial Officer Dan Parks of USAC said.

Currently the corporation is engaged in the production and sale of antimony and zeolite products. The company’s antimony smelter and precious metals plants is located in the Burns Mining District of Sanders County, which is located approximately 15 miles west of the county seat, Thompson Falls.

Despite the positive business forecast Parks noted the company is still technically running at a loss.

“We still had a loss. We have been running at a loss for the last six quarters,” Parks said.   

Nonetheless Parks agreed the future of the company looked positive and he expected the company to be able to grow in the future with continued economic success.

Parks went over the process of how the company turned wasted by-product from Canadian mines into a lucrative commodity, highlighting the sustainable nature of their production.

“By the time it goes round and round we have very little waste left over,” Parks said.

Antimony is produced as a by-product of other products including copper.

The company’s financial officer explained the waste created during the processing of antimony oxide in the Thompson Falls facility are sent back to Canada where it is reprocessed once more, eliminating the creation of industrial waste.

The economic value of antimony is derived from the flame resistant nature of the chemical.

Antimony doesn’t transfer heat well and is commonly used with piping in houses to create a less conducive environment for home fires.