Covia to Idle Mining Operations in Gore, Virginia

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covia, a leading provider of mineral-based and material solutions for the Industrial and Energy markets, today announced that mining operations at its facility in Gore, Virginia, will be idled indefinitely in the first quarter of 2024.

The Gore facility has been in operation for over 80 years under several owners, including Virginia Glass, Unimin, and Covia. As part of Covia’s industrial performance materials business, Gore’s recent product portfolio focused on the glass and construction end markets, such as Glassil® high-purity glass sand and Granusil® high-performance industrial silica.

Due to intensifying capital needs of the plant and the company’s strategic investment focus, Covia will idle mining operations at Gore to optimize the company’s production footprint, supporting more sustainable operations. The mine will be idled indefinitely on or before February 29, 2024, and orders accepted through December 15, 2023.

“This action will enable us to provide more value to our customers and our business by reallocating capital and resources,” said Barry Esposito, executive vice president for industrial performance materials, U.S. and Canada. “We owe it to all our stakeholders to focus our efforts on strong, healthy operations that will thrive with evolving economic conditions.”

The company is working closely with affected customers and employees to support them through the transition.

About Covia

Covia is a leading provider of diversified mineral solutions to a variety of industrial markets, including glass, ceramics, coatings, metals, foundry, polymers, construction, water filtration, sports and recreation, and oil and gas. The Company serves its customers through a broad array of high-quality products, including high-purity silica sand, nepheline syenite, feldspar, clay, kaolin, resin and coated materials, delivered through its comprehensive distribution network. Covia has built long-standing relationships with a broad customer base consisting of blue-chip customers. Underpinning these strengths is an unwavering commitment to safety and to sustainable development, further enhancing the value that Covia delivers to all its stakeholders. For more information, visit CoviaCorp.com.