What are the new growth avenues that the company is pursuing? Will soda ash remain the main business?
Well, we are going in a completely different direction from what we were hoping to do before the acquisition by Tata, which was becoming a minerals-focused company. This is why we had acquired mining based companies. GC is more a mining and distribution company than a chemical company. We mine rock out of the ground, purify it (there is no chemical process), put it in a rail cart and ship it. And we do all that very well. However, now that we are part of Tata Chemicals, we have to be soda ash centric again. So what does that entail? Soda ash is one of those basic fundamental things that people have to consume every day. It’s used in toothpaste, washing powder, glass bottles, chewing gum… An average person in North America consumes almost 45 pounds of soda ash every year. And as the developing world urbanises, they will consume products that require soda ash; so the organic growth in developing economies for soda ash will grow significantly. Fortunately Green River is the lowest cost pr
