KINGSTON, Jamaica – A turning point occurred on October 14th, 2022 for the Jamaican Limestone export sector. Lydford Mining Company has secured its first shipment of Construction Grade Limestone to the United States.
Jamaica has one of the purest deposits of limestone globally with over 50 billion tonnes of proven limestone reserves. The Lydford Mining export shipment of 36,000mt tonnes of 3/4″ stone is to be used in the production of concrete aggregates. The shipment is destined for Savannah, Georgia. The loading for this first shipment is scheduled to take four days. The process involves 1,000 trucks, which represents the start of a series of regular shipments into the Southeastern U.S. markets.
JAMPRO ‘s President, Diane Edwards was on site, alongside Edgar Cousins and Jackie Millington of Lydford Mining. In addition, the buyers from Twin Rivers Land & Timber team including Clay and Ashley Crosby, CEO and CFO respectively. They were all there to witness this historic occasion and observe the loading of the ship.
President Edwards spoke on the occasion. “JAMPRO was instrumental in introducing Lydford Mining to Mr. Crosby, as the connecting of buyers with Jamaican exporters is a core function of JAMPRO and we are pleased that this connection has borne substantial fruit and an anticipated long-term relationship”.
Growth Projection for Limestone Market
The Limestone global market size was valued at US$73.51billion in 2020. It is projected to reach US$113.6 Billion by 2028 according to Verified Market Research. The global projection bodes well for Jamaica and the potential of this milestone achievement for the Lydford Mining Company. The company is also a major producer, and exporter of value-added Limestone Aggregates, Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC) for the Food/Pharmaceutical market, as well as for Flue-gas Desulphurization in the United States.
Regionally, it supplies markets for construction grade material and has supplied sand and gravel to customers in Aruba, Guantanamo Bay, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Lydford Mining also supplies materials manufactured to specification for the Construction, Animal Feed, Fertilizer, Paint, Plastics, and Soap industries to the domestic market.
“Lydford Mining is on a strategic path to double its business in 2023, while ensuring sustainable measures for the environment are in place to ensure we remain the premier producer of Limestone Aggregates in Jamaica” commented Edgar Cousins, Director, Lydford Mining.
