TSXV:FCO.H - Post by User
Post by
pcnisbeton Apr 10, 2005 12:37pm
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Post# 8885114
Other factor for significant appreciation
Other factor for significant appreciationInteresting that Idle and the rest bring in batteries, but leave the big growth field for technology forgotten.
One of the biggest growth areas in tech right now is nanotechnology. Thin film and nanowire tech is in its infancy but leaping in sales by over 20% per year. So how is FCO potentially linked to any of that?
High purity metals are critical to most of those applications. The Big Creek Metalurgical Facility is one of the best locations in western North America to service those types of materials to growing Nanotech firms.
They are still in shake out at FCO's refinery, but as they improve the average run metals, they are moving to getting to the point when they will be able to produce multiple 9's in fineness for their end products. High Purity metals do not sell for the price you see listed on Handy and Harman daily and can improve the bottomline for that facility.
Just as an example, NA Degerstroms produces high purity lead at their shop in Spokane. Whereas lead sells for less than $0.50 a pound on the metals markets, High Purity Lead goes for close to $10 a pound. Degerstroms has contracts with most of the big electronics firms to produce their West Coast needs for lead, yet the complete refinery is tucked into one corner of the metalurgy offices and run by three guys.
High Purity silver and later high purity cobalt will be big value added commodities.