Show 61 CLIMAX URANIUM Grand Junctions Junction's largest ore processor Is displayed In this aerial photograph photograph photo photo- graph taken by Bob Grant of The Dally Daily Sentinel staff The large sumps in the foreground are slime pools from flow which uranium and vanadium is extracted Climax is currently expanding the mills and hopes In the near future to build more mills throughout the Plateau Production figures and prices paid for the stuff are arc unavailable since they are classified as secret by the Atomic Energy Commission Climax Aim 1 i Uranium i Here to Stay Growl Grow r With Grand Junction I I To o one of the top uranium processing processing processing pro pro- companies on the Colorado Plateau Grand Junction is here to stay and grow and the firm is going to do both right along with it Climax Uranium Co a subsidIary subsidiary Iary ary of Climax Molybdenum Corp has las injected a total of 13 million since 1950 into the financial life stream of the Plateau most of it itin itin in n Grand Junction and currently is putting more than another million million million mil mil- lion into expansion of its mill In that city According to Marvin L. L Kay vice president and general manager of the uranium company the firm will by the end of 1955 employ more than persons in its Grand Junction mining and milling operation operation oper oper- with a yearly payroll running over a million dollars a a stead monetary vein contributing to the financial heartbeat of the community Underlying the seriousness with which Climax Molybdenum officials view the uranium and vanadium mining situation is the fact that Climax Uranium is the largest mining venture among the many the corporation is undertaking outside outside outside out out- side of the molybdenum field To further support this viewpoint Kay noted that Climax is rapidly drilling on all properties it now holds and is in continual search for new claims to develop In addition to milling ore from its ts own properties the company makes purchases from what it calls tributary producers smaller mines which are relatively close to the Junction mill During mill expansion scheduled ed to be completed by June of this year such purchases are temporarily temporarily tem tem- curtailed since there is a large large arge stockpile of ore at the mill However says Kay the firm will expand the buying program again Just as soon as the mill can handle landle its expanded hopes to get so far lar out in front of that operation that Climax will be able to find lind ore In sufficient quantities to build new mills on the Colorado Plateau Climax Kay said is always looking for lor an opportunity for ex ex- lie He noted the firm is one of 01 the top ones in expending effort and money on exploration in support support support sup sup- port of the expansion idea i i il l' l lIi Ii Marvin l L. L Ka Kay Although Climax arrived in Grand Junction in 1950 with the express purpose of building its uranium processing mill completed in 1951 the impact of the uranium boom was not felt Celt until the fabulous discoveries accompanied by the spotlight of national publicity were made by Vernon Pick Charlie Steen and Joe Cooper Strangely enough Kay said the industry has been a healthy growing business since the established its uranium purchasing ing program in 1948 1918 Publicity made this uranium business the boom it is today Apparently Climax Is a good firm to work for Kay surveys his force most of which has been with him since inception of the mill and can point to many men who started with the company as common laborers and rose rObe to their present jobs as foremen or leaders All unskilled men start as labor labor- ers and can rise through helpers operators or men to leadership positions Metallurgists l are arc trained in the company lab before assignment to the metallurgical metallurgical metallurgical section Kay voiced one precaution though There has been such a steady stream of seekers job-seekers through the Grand Junction office that he regrets no more application tion are being taken Ills His underlying belief in the business business business busi busi- ness is best indicated by this quote taken from a speech made in Salt Lake City to a group of mining men on Oct 28 1954 As mature sound engineering and business practices are applied the uranium industry should become become be be- come a major business in the growth of our great country |