Latest News – August 30

Freeport Named as Top Community-Minded Company

For the fourth consecutive year, Freeport-McMoRan has been named to the Civic 50 list of most community-minded companies in the U.S., and this year also was named the top company in the materials sector. Climax Molybdenum, a subsidiary of Freeport-McMoRan, owns and operates the Climax and Henderson molybdenum mining operations in Colorado.

The 2016 Climax Community Fund Recepients and volunteer board members pose at last April’s ceremony with Climax Mine Management. Photo: Leadville Today

The Civic 50 is conducted by the Points of Light Corporate Institute, a resource for companies looking to build and expand effective employee volunteer programs. The national survey and ranking initiative sets the standard for corporate civic engagement and recognizes companies for their commitment to improving the quality of life in the communities where they do business. Developed through a partnership with a group of researchers, community and industry thought leaders, the initiative reflects leading insight about how corporations can connect with communities in a twenty-first century economy.
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Numerous community programs and efforts implemented by the company were evaluated as part of the process and overall ranking. As the No. 1 ranked company in its sector, Freeport-McMoRan was featured in the best practices section of the 2016 Civic 50 report for its University Teams, or U-Teams, program.

“The U-Teams program is an example of a successful partnership between our business and target universities, faculty and students to advance mining-related education and and increase the pipeline of new hires,” said Tracy Bame, Director-Social Responsibility and Community Development, Freeport-McMoRan Americas. “It engages internal leaders and personnel beyond the Corporate Social Responsibility department to use their expertise and one of the company’s core competencies bringing value to higher education partners and the company.”

The “Sleeping Indian” mountain and the Climax Mine sign can ber seen from the top of Fremont Pass in Lake County. Photo: Leadville Today

One of the nine U-Team partnerships has been established with the Colorado School of Mines. Members of the UTeam work on strengthening relationships with administrators, faculty and students, helping to establish degree curriculum that is relevant for the current workplace. They also support the school in numerous ways, including funding mining-related degree programs. Recently, Freeport-McMoRan worked with the school to upgrade their underground mine training facility and classroom space used for hands-on training in the latest mining practices including safety and environmental stewardship. The company has also provided scholarships in the past, and currently provides an average of 150 paid summer internships each year to students who attend partner universities, including CSM.

Bame added, “We’re honored to receive this distinction for our continuing efforts to connect our business values to the needs of the communities where we live and work.”