Any company’s major new operation can stumble if the project’s neighbors are surprised by it, or learn about it first from third-parties. Franconia Minerals (TSX: FRA) has delivered on a smart, homespun strategy to help its project stay on-track. “We visit with our neighbors,” explained Bill Brice, Director of Government and Community Relations.
Franconia is a mining company presently focused on developing several large copper, nickel and platinum group metals deposits in the Duluth Complex of northeastern Minnesota. The Duluth Complex is potentially the largest untapped Cu-Ni-PGM resource in the world. While Franconia and its peers will bring thousands of well-paid jobs back to this historic mining region, new mining projects always attract scrutiny. Franconia understands that attention must be paid to those who have environmental and other community-related concerns.
Bill spoke at a special symposium earlier this month about Franconia’s approach to such concerns. The company has endeavored to communicate face-to-face with those who live near its planned project. So while the company developed a video describing the projects’ scope, local economic benefits, and environmental safeguards for viewing at town hall meetings across the region, and while it hosted tours of its facilities for local townspeople and others interested in the project, Bill most importantly made sure he made himself available to say “hi” to people with property and interests around the project and explained what the company was up to. If someone has a question or a concern about the project, Franconia wants that person to feel sufficiently comfortable and familiar with the company to call it directly, and not someone else who may not be fully informed. And the caller comes to expect a straightforward answer from the company, not oblique platitudes.
This is far better than having your neighbors hear about your project from someone else who doesn’t fully understand what you’re aiming to accomplish. The takeaway: be the first to explain who you are.
Franconia’s approach is not exclusively applicable to mining or other heavy industrial projects, but to any company with a new initiative or expansion plan that might impact the citizens of its local community. EVC Group’s public affairs practice identifies and engages with activists and other community members that can have an impact on our clients’ businesses. We assist Franconia with web-site and local media dimensions of its community-relations effort, and have had successes in this realm with pharmaceutical and medical device companies, as well.
Bill explained his approach earlier this month at “Mining in Minnesota,” a symposium for institutional investors sponsored by Northland Securities, EVC Group and Leonard, Street and Deinard. Convened at the Cornell Club in New York City, the symposium featured presentations from the companies preparing to mine copper, nickel, and platinum group metals in the Duluth Complex, and the leadership of local regulatory authorities, associations and NGOs involved with Minnesota’s mining industry. Franconia delivered this presentation at the event. For more information on the program, please contact us.