Viburnum, Mo. (PRWEB via PRWebDirect) October 18, 2007 -- At this month’s annual Old Miners’ Day celebration, employees and their families from The Doe Run Company’s Buick Resource Recycling and Southeast Missouri Mining and Milling divisions celebrated the region’s rich mining history alongside neighbors, guests and retired miners. Doe Run’s Vice President of Domestic Operations and Chief Operating Officer, Jerry Pyatt, spoke during the Old Miners’ Day opening ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 6.
“Support from our local communities has contributed to the lasting success of Missouri’s mining industry,” Pyatt said as he recognized the retired miners in the crowd. “We are thankful to be a long-time community partner, employer and contributor to Old Miners’ Day. The Doe Run Company wouldn’t be where it is today, as a global supplier of metals, without the efforts and dedication of miners who came before us.”
Generations of miners paved the way for Missouri’s mining industry. Today the state is home to one of the world’s most active lead mining districts, the Viburnum Trend. Mining activities also support the local economy, bringing jobs and revenues to Iron, Dent and Reynolds counties. Doe Run’s six active mines and four mills support 781 employees. Its Buick Resource Recycling Division in Boss, Mo., employs 297.
“Doe Run has a proud history in this area, and, along with its predecessors, has helped supply the world’s need for lead for more than 140 years,” said Pyatt. “Lead is essential to automotive batteries, radiation shielding, electronics, back-up power sources, tire weights, nuclear waste storage and more. The process begins underground, right here in Viburnum.”
Doe Run offered free underground mine tours for adult attendees, hosting 396 visitors in all. Other Old Miners’ Day festivities included a children’s parade and main parade, craft and food booths, kiddie games and rides, a Miss Viburnum and Mr. and Miss Tiny Tot contest, main-stage entertainment and, courtesy of Doe Run, a mining equipment display. Viburnum’s Old Miners’ Day takes place annually on the first full weekend in October. For more information, visit www.oldminersday.com.
Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company and the largest integrated lead producer in the Western Hemisphere. Dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral and metal production, Doe Run operates the world’s largest, single-site lead recycling facility, located in Missouri. The Doe Run Company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services necessary to provide power, protection and convenience. Doe Run has operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona. For more information, visit www.doerun.com.
Editor’s Note: Event photos are available upon request.
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