GREEN RIVER — The Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition and Genesis Alkali’s Granger expansion project is getting a $665,000 boost through the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services’ Pre-Obligation Grant Program. This grant provides funding to support training in maintenance and operations, safety, technology and engineering.

Shaye Moon, Business Training and Support Program Manager, says, “The Department of Workforce Services’ Workforce Development Training Fund is eager to partner with Genesis Alkali to further develop a skilled workforce in the mining, manufacturing and processing industries in Wyoming.”

This training is slated to take place over the next several months, with an anticipated 363 trainees.

“Genesis Alkali is grateful for the Pre-Obligation grant awarded by the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services. Our training and development efforts have been taxed as a result of recruiting more than 300 employees in the last two years, driven by the pending start up of our expanded Granger plant as well as the continued baby boomer retirement cycle,” Vice President of Manufacturing Fred von Ahrens says.

The business training funds are being used to support:

• Training Granger employees
• Enhancing leadership development program and rolling it out to each level of management,
  from the top down
• Skill training miners, operators and mechanics

“The Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition recognizes the importance of partnering with our industry leaders to help them be successful in having a trained and skilled workforce for current and future expansions,” says Kayla McDonald, Economic Development Specialist. “We value the relationship we have with Genesis Alkali and our Sweetwater County manufacturing and industrial partners, and we stand ready to assist in helping grow and train our county’s workforce through similar future partnerships.”

The Granger expansion project in Green River will increase soda ash by approximately 700,000 tons per year over current rates. Genesis Alkali has hired and is training 120 employees to directly support the restart of the Granger facility and expansion; these employees will receive training on the new manufacturing equipment at the facility.

Genesis Alkali is training an additional 240 employees who will support their main production site and underground mine in Green River to ensure the site maintains essential technical skill sets, and will apply for a Business Training Grant for each of the different training opportunities highlighted in their Pre-Obligation application as a way to access the pre-obligated funds.

“Thank you for helping us strengthen our 21st century workforce,” von Ahrens says.