Welcome to the Summer Newsletter!
ICI BLDC event in Santa Fe. Photo Credit: Ryan Pechnick, Artcast
Summer is here, and at KMC, we’ve been busy!
This spring, we traveled the globe to connect with colleagues and industry partners at trade shows, spent time with our trusted brokers, distributors, and customers across the world, celebrated our cherished team members at our annual retirement party, and gathered our team, families, and friends for a successful trash pick-up day here at home!
SPOTLIGHT: QUALITY, FULFILLMENT & DISTRIBUTION
Quality Control
Quality control is the cornerstone of our operations at Kyanite Mining Company. We're committed to delivering exceptional products to our customers worldwide and uphold the highest standards in every aspect of our business. Explore our process: [link to blog post]
Get to Know our Fulfillment Team
Meet Scotty, Javannah, and Taylor—our powerhouse Fulfillment Team! They each play a vital role in ensuring the success of our company, products, and customer experiences: [link to blog post]
Distributor and Broker Partnerships
Ever wondered how we reach clients worldwide? Our network of trusted distributors and brokers ensures seamless global operations. Learn how they represent us across the globe: [link to blog post]
Retirement Celebration
Every spring, we throw a retirement party to celebrate the amazing team members who are retiring. The whole company is invited for a fun-filled evening with a social hour, dinner, open bar, live music, dancing, and good time all around!
This year, we honored five incredible retirees, who together have dedicated 181 years to Kyanite Mining Corporation!
Thank you, Hank, Eddie, Ben, Richard, and Lewis, for your invaluable contributions!
Joseph “Hank” Jameson (44 Years)
Hank excelled in various roles at KMC, most recently leading our Sales department. We will miss his expertise and leadership!
Willie “Eddie” Lann (38 Years)
Eddie supervised mullite production for many years and finished his career on the maintenance crew at the Gieseke Plant.
Benjamin Gormus (34 Years)
Ben led our sister company, Blue Rock, managing all our land holdings. (Fun fact: Kyanite is a blue rock, hence the name!)
Richard Bersch (33 Years)
A trusted member of our maintenance crew, Richard worked on construction projects and helped build and maintain our facilities.
Lewis Jones (32 Years)
Lewis spent a large part of his career as 3rd Shift Foreman. His last few years were spent working at the mill side of the float on 3rd Shift.
We are grateful for their hard work and dedication.
Cheers to a wonderful retirement for all!
Trash Pick-Up Day
This spring, we hosted our annual trash day event and it was a huge success! Our team collected 479 bags of trash and 31 tires. We’re proud of our company and our employees for helping make the county a cleaner place. Great job, everyone!
SPRING TRADE SHOW ROUND-UP
It’s summertime and at KMC, that means a wrap on our spring trade show season!
From NCECA in Richmond to Ceramitec in Munich, our spring was packed with showcasing our innovations and connecting with industry leaders
Here’s a recap:
NCECA (National Council Education for the Ceramic Arts)
Richmond, VA
Date: March 20-23
We kicked off the Spring season by attending NCECA. This was the first time KMC attended this show. It was great to see some of our customers and learn about what is new in the Ceramic Arts field.
Ceramitec
Munich, Germany
Date: April 9-12
Ceramitec is one of the biggest shows attended by KMC. This year, over 13,000 people from 84 countries visited the show. It’s a great place to catch up with customers from around the world in one convenient location. We look forward to the next show in 2026.
Ceramics Expo
Novi, Michigan
Date: April 30 – May 1
The show kicked off with a networking event followed by two days of exhibition where we showcased our products. Mini cornhole was a resounding success. And the winner was…Rick Solak from Resco Products! Thanks to all for playing!
The Refractories Institute Spring Meeting
Ponte Vedra, FL
Date: June 3-5
The TRI was a fun and productive meeting of the management of the Refractories Institute members. This year’s meeting was highlighted by an excellent panel discussion titled “Women in Refractories”. KMC was well represented in the TRI Annual Golf Tournament as the team containing Hank Jamerson, and his wife Debbie, came in first place.
The American Ceramic Society-Refractory Ceramics Division (RCD) / St. Louis Section Meeting
St. Louis, MO
Date: March 26-28
The annual meeting of the Refractory Ceramics Division is one of our favorites! This year, we reunited with old friends, made new ones, and left with a few new ideas. The theme of “Unleashing Refractory Potential: Root Cause Analysis” brought out the inner Sherlock Holmes in us all.
Investment Casting Institute / Business and Leadership Development Conference
Santa Fe, NM
Date: April 14-17
The ICI BLDC took us to the Mountains of New Mexico. Surrounded by natural beauty and rich history, we listened to a variety of talks from additive manufacturing to the challenges created by having five generations in the workforce. The meeting was excellent as was the networking event to Los Alamos and Bandelier National Monument.
European Investment Casters’ Federation
Napoli, Italy
Date: May 12-15
After missing last year, we were happy to be back at the EICF conference. It was good to reconnect and strengthen our company’s bond to those in the European Investment Casting market.
KEEP IN TOUCH
Get in touch with any questions: info@kyanite.com
Have questions or want to talk shop? Get in touch! info@kyanite.com
