Noranda Jamaica rebranding to Discovery Bauxite, US operation now Atlantic Alumina
ST ANN-BASED Noranda Jamaica Bauxite, the local operation of American mining company New Day Aluminum Holdings LLC, and which is run by New Day Aluminum Jamaica Limited, is to take on a new name – Discovery Bauxite – the parent company has announced.
New Day, owned by Concord Resources Holdings Limited, has itself rebranded to Atlantic Alumina Company, ATALCO.
New Day, which owns 49 per cent of the Jamaican company, is part of the DADA Holdings Group. The Government of Jamaica is the majority shareholder of Noranda Jamaica, owning 51 per cent of the mining company, which operates from Discovery Bay in the garden parish.
Noranda informed its Jamaican staff of the name change via a corporate statement published in a November 4 internal bulletin. The company said the rebranding involved all Noranda’s metallurgical and non-metallurgical bauxite and alumina operations, and would be done in a staged roll-out over the coming months.
“The company’s Louisianabased operations, formerly known as Noranda Alumina and NICHE Chemical, will become Atlantic Alumina, Gramercy Operations, with the business covering both metallurgical and non-metallurgical alumina products,” the notice said.
It pointed out, however, that the ATALCO designation does not, at this point, involve the partnership entity, Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partners II, through which the Jamaican mining operation is owned.
“The partnership operations will, therefore, remain as Noranda Bauxite Jamaica Partners II at this time until the total rebranding process is completed,” the internal communication made clear.
Noranda said the name Discovery Bauxite is both a tribute to its home base in Discovery Bay, as well as to the discovery process that is fundamental to alumina and aluminium.
“The rebranding is an opportunity for us to usher in a new chapter for our business in more ways than just the name,” New Day said without elaborating on future plans.
The company also paid tribute to its employees and previous owners, noting that: “Every owner and countless employees over the years in Jamaica and Gramercy have played key roles in helping us get to where we are today, an integrated bauxite and alumina business that has stood the test of time, with Gramercy now the only operating alumina refinery in the United States”.
There are indications that the ‘Atlantic’ designation could signal expansion plans or ambitions beyond the United States on the part of the American company.
“While there is an incredible amount to be proud of in our past and present, we as a team and as a business must also continue to evolve and expand our focus for the future. Our rebranding to Atlantic Alumina sets our sights beyond our integrated position as the only alumina producer in the United States. It expands our focus to developing into one of the most strategic, sustainable and essential producers in the Atlantic region of our industry,” the statement by New Day said.
REBRANDING EXERCISE
The company said that in the weeks and months ahead it would not only roll out more aspects of the rebranding exercise, but would also share more information with staff about its focus going forward and the next steps that are to be involved in the journey.
Just over two years ago, Noranda rebranded its speciality products business to NICHE and the company changed owners earlier year, the second time in about five years, when, in July, Concord, previously a minority shareholder in New Day Aluminum, acquired majority shares in New Day from other shareholders in the DADA group.
The local management of Noranda Jamaica’s mining operation, which produces and ships bauxite to Gramercy for processing into alumina, was not affected by the ownership change and continued to be head by General Manager Delroy Dell.
At the announcement of the takeover, Concord’s management thanked the Government of Jamaica for its ongoing support, indicating its local partner was on board with the ownership change.
Dell at t he time expressed optimism about the continuity of the local business against the background of t he ownership change.
“We do not foresee any impact or changes to the present operation, and employment should remain as is, bearing in mind any unpredictable (factors) in the global market. We will maintain continuity with the existing leadership of the company,” Dell told the Financial Gleaner at the time.
In September, the Jamaican government announced the reimposition of the bauxite production levy on the Noranda operations, replacing a profit-share arrangement that had been in place since 2018, when the decadesold production levy was initially scrapped. Both parties were in favour of ending the profit share, the government said.