Polaris Materials Corp. is reporting that on July 19, a self-discharging Panamax ship carrying 77,000 tons of aggregates from the Orca sand and gravel quarry, made the first delivery into the company’s new terminal in the Port of Long Beach, Calif.
The products were offloaded using a new computerized conveying and stacking system specifically designed to maintain the integrity of the gravel products when stockpiled in large quantities. These materials are intended for projects demanding high technical performance and the company has been actively promoting their exceptional quality to consulting engineers and specifiers and expects to maximize sales opportunities from the considerable interest that has been generated.
The company is also pleased to confirm that it now anticipates that sales volumes from its main Strategic Alliance Partner, during the second half of the current year, are expected to be in line with the original budget for this period.
The company has received assurances that the original marketing plan for the year is now back on track and is actively supporting its partner in a new supply chain management initiative to provide better coordination and planning of logistics. In addition, further supply opportunities with third parties are being actively and jointly pursued.
The outlook for the year, after considering the impact of the second quarter, is that sales volumes for the year should be approximately in line with those in 2014, however, the potential for upside exists while the company’s focus remains on margin expansion through pricing and cost control.
For the first six months of 2015 sales volumes were 16 percent lower than the same period last and revenue was 5 percent lower. Subject to finalization of the second quarter accounts, which will be released in August, the company generated cash from operations in the second quarter in the range of $1.0 to $1.5 million.
Herb Wilson, president and CEO, commented: “The arrival of the first ship into the Long Beach terminal was a milestone event that went smoothly and proved the value of the innovative berthing solution the company developed. The large product inventory now available on the site enables us to actively pursue supplying major projects and infrastructure where the high performance characteristics of concrete made with the Orca aggregate can add considerable value.”
He continued: “We are pleased that our marketing plans are back on track and are actively supporting new initiatives intended to make the logistics more efficient. The market in San Francisco remains strong and the East Bay market is beginning to improve through increased housing development, an inevitable reaction to the high property values in the San Francisco to San Jose corridor.”