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Aug 06, 2023

First shipment of GMA Garnet arrives at refurbished Coos Bay dock

The GMA Garnet group reports the upgraded dock is a major investment in GMA’s future and their commitment to the Coos Bay community. The GMA Garnet Group recently had the inauguration of their newly

The GMA Garnet group reports the upgraded dock is a major investment in GMA’s future and their commitment to the Coos Bay community.

The GMA Garnet Group recently had the inauguration of their newly refurbished dock at their processing plant in Coos Bay.

GMA Americas’ president Rod Liebeck and his team welcomed the first deep draft vessel in nearly 25 years to their upgraded dock. The vessel, named “Azteca,” arrived with the first load of 30,000 tons of garnet sourced directly from GMA’s South African offtake.

The GMA Garnet Group provides the garnet abrasive to the waterjet cutting and protective coating industries. The company has more than 450 employees in 13 offices, two garnet mines and eight processing plants, including five large scale recycling facilities, located across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Ribbon Cutting ceremony

The group reports that their refurbished dock in Coos Bay will allow them to receive larger vessels, which will increase the efficiency of their operations and enhance their ability to meet the needs of their West Coast customers.

The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the inaugural ship offload. The ceremony was attended by local government, representatives from GMA, and members of the business community.

During the ceremony, Rod Liebeck addressed the crowd and commented that the occasion marked a “very significant day for GMA Garnet Group and the community of Coos Bay.”

“Coos Bay is very significant for us from a West Coast point of view. Thinking ahead another 20 years, it’s still going, and going well,” Liebeck said.

GMA CEO Grant Cox also highlighted the importance of this occasion, thanking both the GMA Americas team and local Coos Bay businesses for their support.

“It’s great to see this day come after all the planning and efforts of many. Well done to GMA’s Coos Bay team and our local Coos Bay business partners and assisting stakeholders for making this happen,” he said. “We look forward to many more shipments to this berth in the years to come for what is an important driver of economic activity for the community of Coos Bay, as well as another building block of GMA’s enhanced supply chain in the USA.”

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