UMA Members in the News

Millenniata Announces Norm Williams as Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Norm Williams, storage industry veteran and sales and marketing expert, joins Millenniata's executive team

By Business Wire

PROVO, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Millenniata, a permanent archival technology company, announces the continued expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Norm Williams as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Williams will be responsible for all aspects of sales and marketing, rolling out Millenniata's technology to the world.

According to Finis Conner, CEO of Millenniata, "Hiring Norm is key to help us bring our new and disruptive technology to market. I believe Norm's experience in high-growth technology companies will help us build the relationships and foundation necessary to grow Millenniata's business quickly and efficiently. I am excited to work with him again to take what we did at Conner Peripherals and apply that recipe for success to Millenniata."

Williams' distinguished career includes over 20 years' experience in startup, high-growth and mature hardware and software companies. His career began at Seagate in various sales and account management positions. He continued in the storage industry to Conner Peripherals were he held various senior-level domestic and international sales and sales management positions. During his tenure at Conner Peripherals, the company was recognized as the fastest-growing manufacturing startup in U.S. history, achieving Fortune 500 status in its third year of operation. After Conner Peripherals, he has held various executive level positions. He has taken four sales organizations from under $20 million in annual revenue per year to well over $100 million within a short timeframe. He is a results-oriented executive who has developed successful sales organizations. He specializes in building organizations in high-growth environments, both in the domestic and international marketplaces.

"I am excited about Millenniata's technology and the reception it has received in the market. A truly disruptive storage technology like this does not come around very often. Millenniata has set a new standard for longevity of digital storage by using higher laser power to etch data into a rock-like recording layer. This technology opens up new possibilities for long-term storage strategies that could not have even been considered before the MillenniataT Solution," said Williams.

Rio Tinto to invest $340 million in a new Molybdenum Autoclave Process Facility at Kennecott Utah Copper

(South Jordan, UT) - Kennecott Utah Copper, today announced that its parent company, Rio Tinto, will invest $340 million in the construction of a new Molybdenum Autoclave Process (MAP) facility at Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) in Magna, Utah. KUC has been producing copper, gold and silver since 1903 and molybdenum since the 1930s. The new facility will allow lower-grade molybdenum concentrate to be processed more efficiently than through conventional roasters, allow improved molybdenum recovery and operating flexibility, and enable production of metallurgical and higher chemical grade molybdenum products. MAP will also make it possible for KUC to recover additional by-products from its concentrate.

Kelly Sanders, President and CEO of Kennecott Utah Copper said, "The outlook for molybdenum demand is very strong, driven by the rapid urbanization and industrialization of China and India. The production of molybdenum and gold make KUC one of the world's lowest cost producers of copper."

Molybdenum is a by-product of KUC's copper production and is used in metal alloys, including steel, to enhance toughness, high temperature strength and corrosion resistance. It is also a key component in oil refining catalysts used to remove sulfur from fuel and improve air quality. Investment in the MAP facility is part of an overall plan to extend the life of the Bingham Canyon Mine beyond 2020, where a significant molybdenum deposit remains.

Molybdenum has been a major contributor to the profitability of Rio Tinto in recent years and is likely to continue to be in the future. Each year, KUC produces approximately 30 million pounds of Molybdenum. The MAP facility will process all of the molybdenum produced from the Bingham Canyon Mine.

"This capital investment will prove to be a tremendous future benefit to Rio Tinto," said Brendan Ryan, Vice President, Projects and Expansion, Kennecott Utah Copper. "MAP is a robust project that will act as an enabler for future extensions to the mine life."

The MAP design includes a number of energy efficiency features and environmentally responsible techniques for producing molybdenum products. When completed, MAP is anticipated to produce molybdenum with fewer greenhouse gases than traditional roasting plants. The facility includes a heat recovery system that captures excess heat from the autoclave for use in downstream processes. A combined heat and power (CHP) system, similar to the one being installed at KUC's Refinery, will also be used to produce steam to power the majority of the facility's electrical requirements. This system will be capable of producing 6.2 megawatts of clean energy, which is equivalent to the electrical needs of about 6,000 average-sized homes.

The MAP facility will be constructed in two phases. Construction of phase one has already begun between KUC's smelter and refinery in Magna. First production is anticipated for the fourth quarter of 2012 with full production of 30 million pounds scheduled for fourth quarter 2013. Phase one will have a net increase of 30 new full-time employees. Construction of phase two, which adds additional production capacity totaling 60 million pounds, is anticipated for completion in the first quarter of 2015. Phase two will add a further 20 new full-time employees.