Kingman job fairs aim to help laid-off miners

KINGMAN, Ariz. — Career orientation and job fair sessions are scheduled on Wednesday through Friday in Kingman to assist the 383 employees who have been laid off at the Mineral Park mine about 12 miles north of Kingman.

Public officials and the private sector are scrambling to put displaced employees back to work and to minimize the damage to the area economy.

Workers received layoff notices in late December. According to report on an Arizona Republic website, the mine’s owner, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Mercator Mineral Park Holdings Ltd., filed in Delaware for protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code on Aug. 25 and has been attempting to sell the facility, which mined copper, molybdenum and silver.

Mohave County Community Services Director Susie Parel-Duranceau said the Arizona Commerce Authority is helping the county rapid response team get miners back to work. She said various mines operating in Arizona and several Kingman area industries and business will have representatives at the job fair events.

The orientation and job fairs will be held at the Mohave County Administrative Complex at 700 W. Beale Street, in downtown Kingman.

Wednesday and Friday’s schedule is the same. Orientation is from 9-11 a.m., followed by a job fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Thursday, orientation is from 1-3 p.m. and the job fair is from 3-5 p.m.

Displaced workers can call the Mohave County One Stop Center at (928)-753-0723.

“We hope that these activities we’re putting together that we’re going to be able to help place most if not all of those individuals that have been laid off by the company,” Duranceau said during Monday’s meeting of the county Board of Supervisors.

The board also heard from Steve Lawson, human resources manager for the Mineral Park operation.

“It is unknown at this point in time when mining or milling may resume,” Lawson said. “The mine is still actively marketing itself in search of a buyer and our actions are still being led by the bankruptcy process.”

Plagued by a fluctuating precious metals market, high electricity costs, the company is processing its ore stockpile and buttoning up to place the mine in a care and maintenance mode.

“We understand this is a very hard time for the community as this mine has many ripple effects to the businesses of Kingman,” Lawson said. “We are making every effort possible to support the employees, contractors and suppliers who have so graciously supported our mine for so many years.”

Mercator Minerals purchased the 1,200-acre site formerly known as the Duval Mine in 2003. It had been closed since 1980.