Lumina Sustainable Materials to open mineral processing, research hub in Jeffersonville
JEFFERSONVILLE, IN. (Nov. 12, 2024) An international supplier of specialized minerals will develop its first U.S. facility at Ports of Indiana-Jeffersonville to supply Midwest manufacturers with greener mineral additives. Lumina Sustainable Materials will invest $14.3 million at the Jeffersonville port to establish a multimineral processing facility, logistics base, and test laboratory to serve the rapidly growing polymers, electronic glass, coatings, aerospace, and building and construction markets. The new operation, located at 1302 Port Road, plans to add 50 full-time positions by 2027 with an average hourly wage of $35 per hour.
“The total value package offered by Ports of Indiana and the State of Indiana is unmatched,” said Lumina Sustainable Materials CEO Brian Hanrahan. “The ability to ship by barge into the Midwest, to leverage logistics facilities and services, and to partner with the port on future expansions and container exports makes Jeffersonville a perfect place for our U.S. processing and research facility. We mapped our target customers for polymers, coatings, and building and construction, and Jeffersonville is in the center of it all.”
Lumina sources minerals from around the world and is working with Purdue University, NASA, and NASA subcontractors to develop innovative mineral-based products, improve lunar simulants, and support research projects involving space travel. The company will renovate and repurpose an existing building at the Jeffersonville port that has been vacant for more than 10 years and will partner with Ports of Indiana to develop a shared laboratory facility for research and educational uses by community partners and schools. The Jeffersonville facility will use the port’s barge and rail services and serve as Lumina’s processing and logistics hub for the Western Hemisphere. In addition to mineral processing, the Jeffersonville site will manufacture advanced polymer additives, including concentrates of novel flame retardants, performance modifiers, and lightweight mineral fillers.
“Lumina’s decision to establish its first U.S. facility in Jeffersonville speaks volumes about our city’s appeal as a center for innovation and growth,” said Mayor Moore. “This investment brings exciting opportunities for new high wage jobs and strengthens our position as a logistics and research hub for advanced industries. We’re proud to welcome Lumina to Jeffersonville and look forward to partnering with them as they bring economic and environmental value to our community and around the world.”
“We’re thrilled our Jeffersonville port can serve as a launch pad for Lumina’s first U.S. facility,” said Ports of Indiana CEO Jody Peacock. “This is an innovative company that has done extensive research to find an ideal U.S. location to support its global supply chain. We’re excited to partner with Lumina to grow business and develop facilities that will create innovative products and drive further research and education in our community.”
Funded by investors in Canada and Switzerland, Lumina primarily processes anorthosite, a silicate mineral, that replaces less environmentally friendly raw materials in the production of electronic glass, plastics, paint and fiberglass. The product comes from the White Mountain Mine in western Greenland, which has the largest anorthosite deposit on earth. The only larger deposit is on the moon. Anorthosite will be shipped from Greenland to New Orleans by ocean vessel and transloaded to barge for transport to Jeffersonville.
Lumina works with allied mineral suppliers from around the world, sourcing pyrophyllite from Canada, barium sulfate from Morocco, bauxite from Guyana and graphite from Greenland. It is also developing the first vertically integrated manufacturing operations for producing battery anodes from mine to finished active anode material.
“International companies like Lumina continue to choose Indiana for U.S.-based growth thanks to our pro-growth business environment and skilled talent pipeline,” said Ann Lathrop, chief strategy officer at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC). “We are excited to welcome Lumina to our ecosystem of innovators statewide that is developing new solutions and creating new products to advance the future economy.”
Based on the company’s job creation plans, the IEDC committed an investment in Lumina of up to $725,000 in the form of incentive-based tax credits. These tax credits are performance-based, meaning the company is eligible to claim incentives once Hoosiers are hired.
“Considering Lumina could have located anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, we’re extremely honored they picked our Jeffersonville port,” said Lance Allison, president and CEO of One Southern Indiana. “It’s gratifying for our regional economic development team to partner with a forward-looking company like Lumina that is committed to providing economic and environmental value to our region.”
About Lumina Materials: Lumina is an innovative material science company tackling today’s most pressing manufacturing challenges with industry-leading sustainability. With customers around the world, Lumina is developing infrastructure for growth in North American and Europe while exploring additional materials and technologies to create sustainable solutions for critical markets. Lumina is a privately-owned business shipping minerals such as anorthosite from Greenland to customers on three continents and developing high impact products that extend beyond industrial minerals through custom chemistry and processing solutions. www.luminamaterials.com
About Ports of Indiana
Ports of Indiana is a statewide port authority operating three ports on the Ohio River and Lake Michigan. Established in 1961, Ports of Indiana is dedicated to growing Indiana’s economy by developing and maintaining a world-class port system, and by serving as a statewide resource for maritime issues, international trade, and multimodal logistics. www.portsofindiana.com
About One Southern Indiana
One Southern Indiana (1si) was formed in July of 2006 as the economic development organization and chamber of commerce serving Clark and Floyd counties. 1si’s mission is to help businesses innovate and thrive in the Southern Indiana / Louisville metro area via the three pillars of Business Resources, Economic Development, and Advocacy. For more information on One Southern Indiana, visit www.1si.org.
Contacts:
Lumina Sustainable Materials
Brian Hanrahan | CEO / Commercial North America and R&D
Brian@Lumina.gl
Ports of Indiana
Eric Powell | Director of Communications
Epowell@portsofindiana.com | 317-233-6231
One Southern Indiana
Ellinor Smith | Content Marketing and Media Relations Manager
EllinorS@1si.org | 217-320-4832
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