DRAGOON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Gunnison Copper is in the early phases of developing a second mine site in Cochise County, with plans to produce 175 million pounds of copper a year for 21 years.
Craig Hallworth, president and CEO of Gunnison Copper, said the project will be a major contributor to domestic copper production, reducing the need to rely on other countries for the critical material.
"It's a significant amount. We can make that amount every single year. There's 3.2 billion pounds of copper in our latest plant," Hallworth said.
The company is already working with businesses like Amazon Warehouse to source local copper from its Johnson Camp Mine in Dragoon, which reopened last summer and currently produces 25 million pounds of copper a year. Since reopening, the Johnson Camp Mine has continued to ramp up production.
Hallworth said domestic copper production is critical for the country's long-term future.
"To ensure our future prosperity, not just now, but also future generations, our children. We really need to have the manufacturing for critical things here in the United States," Hallworth said.
He described the scale of the new project as nationally significant.
"This thing's got scale. It's got very big scale. It's going to be nationally significant," Hallworth said.
Beyond the economic impact, the expansion is expected to bring jobs to a rural area of Cochise County that has few large employers.
"There just isn't a lot of big employers with high-paying jobs, so that's why I think it's so important here. Because the demographics, if you look at that, there's a lot of working families," Hallworth said.
Nikki Laurence, a Gunnison Copper employee, was able to give up an hour-and-a-half commute when the Johnson Camp Mine reopened. She said mining opportunities are making a difference for Dragoon and the surrounding areas.
"And the mine was not here. People were leaving for work. You know. You know, they weren't staying, or having careers, so they're more successful," Laurence said.
The Gunnison project is expected to bring at least 500 new permanent jobs to the county, along with additional temporary jobs during construction. Gunnison Copper has four more years of studies to complete at the second site before moving forward.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
