(July 18, 2022) Great food, mill tours, games and interactive educational displays all were part of a recent neighborhood get-together hosted by the company’s Henderson mill in Colorado.
The Backyard BBQ, as it was called, was an opportunity for people living in the remote Williamson Fork Valley area around the molybdenum mill to meet employees and see the inner workings of the facility.
“Though we have been operating for over 45 years and our neighbors have driven by our facility numerous times, many of them had never been up to the mill site and did not have a good understanding about molybdenum and its critical uses,” said Lalitha Christian, Manager-Strategic Community Development at the Henderson operations.
The sparsely populated valley located near Parshall, Colo., is made up mostly of retirees, seasonal residents and ranchers, making it more difficult to establish contact with them. “This event was a first of its kind where we opened our doors and sent invitations to all our neighbors in the valley to join us for an afternoon where they could learn about the Henderson operations and give us the chance to meet our neighbors,” Christian said.
About 100 people attended the June event. Henderson’s metallurgy group conducted mill tours while the environmental/tailings workers provided tailings tours. Other activities included games and educational booths about molybdenum mining.
In the photos above (clockwise from top left): Even the heavy equipment was put to good use to make visitors to the Henderson mill feel welcome. Mitchell Stashick (right), Chemist II, describes Henderson’s milling process to a group of visitors. Carson Morris enjoys some of the catered cuisine with his grandmother, Caren Welcome. Visitors tour the warehouse where bags of molybdenum concentrate are ready for shipping.
“The Backyard BBQ was a great opportunity to educate our neighbors on the importance of molybdenum, debunk myths and rumors about operations and mining in general, and to proudly showcase our commitment toward being a socially and environmentally responsible steward of the community,” Christian said. “The community’s response has been nothing but positive.”
Given the success of the Backyard BBQ, the plan is to host a similar event for the mine site and its neighbors next year, Christian said.