Jamaica Bauxite Partners is on track this year to achieve the highest production ever in the history of bauxite operations in St Ann.

Ms Pansy Johnson president of NJBP announced at the company's Long Service Awards ceremony held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre that "2011 will be our best production year, as we are on target to ship over five million metric dry tones of bauxite, representing an 18 % increase over 2010."

Ms Johnson said that the company has confirmed markets for the foreseeable future, substantiating what she said was a leap of faith taken by Noranda Aluminum when it invested in Jamaica in 2009 during the height of the recession.

Noranda Aluminum purchased 49% stake in the operations in September 2009 to become partners with the Government. The company has since improved production from 3.1 million tonnes in 2009 to its present annual capacity.

Ms Johnson described 2011 as a year of consolidation for the company, noting that employees recorded one of the best industrial safety performances in the Noranda group.

While commending employees for their contribution, she cautioned that there were many challenges ahead with the global industry becoming tougher and more competitive and the economic climate in Jamaica more demanding.

However, she expressed confidence in the company's ability to handle the challenges and said that Noranda will continue to work with all its stakeholders to ensure the stability of the organization.

Awards were presented to 71 employees for five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years' service through careers started with Kaiser Jamaica Bauxite and St Ann Bauxite Partners, the companies that preceded Noranda.

(Sourced from www.jamaicaobserver.com)