The Westvaco and Granger trona mines outside Green River that were owned and operated by Genesis Alkali have now been purchased and will be operated by WE Soda.
"WE Soda is pleased to announced it acquired Genesis Alkali, the largest producer in the U.S. of natural soda ash," the company shared in a press release Monday morning.
"Obviously, the Westvaco and the Granger sites have been very successful for 70 years, and they've got a great workforce," Craig Rood, Director of Government Affairs and Public Relations with WE Soda, said after the purchase. "I think we'll bring just some cultural changes that make a big difference in how the business operates," he added.
Rood explained that the name WE Soda stands for "West-East Soda," with the "West" portion of the company being their operations in the United States, specifically in Wyoming, and the "East" portion being the two natural soda ash mines in Turkey owned by the company that have been operating for several years. The company itself has its corporate office in London. Rood himself is a Wyoming native local to Sweetwater County.
The transition to operations under WE Soda at the mine was effective immediately as of Monday morning.
"I think for the majority of the workforce, it'll be seamless," Rood said, explaining that any change of business eventually brings changes in how things are done, but for the workers at the site everything will continue to be "business as usual."
When it comes to the changes that will take place over time, Rood is optimistic about implementing WE Soda's vision and priorities.
"I think there will be some positive cultural changes," Rood said. "WE Soda has a very strong safety culture. I like to say it's part of every decision we make and every action we take, and it's the first thing we talk about in any meeting, any situation... I think that'll be the biggest change."
Rood also pointed out that the WE Soda logo features three family members, showing another priority for the company.
"The WE Soda organization and the Ciner organization are very family-oriented, and I think that makes a difference in a business and how a business operates," Rood added.
WE Soda is part of the Ciner Group of companies, a Turkish industrial conglomerate that operates in energy and mining sectors, with WE Soda representing soda ash production.
WE Soda has also been working on bringing Project West, a solution trona mine operation, to Southwest Wyoming. That project is ongoing and is currently working through permitting, according to Rood. Eventually, Rood believes both Project West and the mines will work together.
"Part of the reason we purchased the Westvaco facility is the synergy that it provides for the two projects," he explained. "And I think they'll go hand in hand and grow the total market in Wyoming and in the United States."
Recently, workers at the mine were laid off under Genesis Alkali, with the company citing concerns in the global trona market.
Rood noted that he couldn't speak to the layoffs since they happened under a different company, but said that WE Soda has "a different perspective on the market" than Genesis Alkali did.
"Our plants in Europe give us some flexibility that other plants don't have in the United States," Rood explained. "So I think we bring a different perspective to the market than others."
While the change to operating under WE Soda is still new, Union President Marshal Cummings is optimistic about the purchase.
Representing United Steelworkers Local 13214, Cummings said he has been able to meet with the new owner and some of the WE Soda team, and said that they seem like "people of the highest caliber" who are "not strangers" to soda ash.
"They want to set records in safety and set records in production and efficiency," Cummings said. "I'm definitely not discouraged or worried. If anything, I feel like we're in a great position to set milestones for years to come."
WE Soda is also optimistic for the future, sharing in their press release that the company is "investing billions into Wyoming's soda ash industry to directly compete with China and other international competitors in global markets."
The purchase of Genesis Alkali is overall a $1.425 billion purchase, according to Liz Brimmer of Brimmer Communications, which WE Soda is a client of. The purchase also means WE Soda is the world's largest producer of soda ash, with a combined production capacity of around 10.5 million tons, according to the company.
"We believe in Wyoming trona and are committed to expanding the world's best trona reserves right here in America's strongest mining state," WE Soda said. "This is what Trona 2.0 will look like-investment, expansion, and continued leadership in the industry. We are proud to partner with local and state leaders in Wyoming to ensure sustainable, safe, and responsible growth. The world's best trona is found in Wyoming, and WE Soda is here to ensure it remains the world's leading producer of natural soda ash."
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