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Cliffs Elects New Board Member
03/11/2010 - Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.’s Board of Directors has elected James F. Kirsch as a director. Kirsch also currently serves as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Ferro Corp.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.’s Board of Directors has elected James F. Kirsch as a director. Kirsch also currently serves as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Ferro Corp.
“Jim brings to our board over 25 years’ experience in technology-based materials, with broad-based knowledge acquired from such well-known industrial names as Ferro Corp. and The Dow Chemical Co.,” said Joseph A. Carrabba, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Cliffs. “He is a proven strategic leader, highly accomplished executive, and known change-agent. His insight will be extremely valuable to our board as we continue the execution of our strategic plans.”
Kirsch, 52, joined Ferro in 2004 as President and Chief Operating Officer. He became President and CEO in 2005 and added responsibilities as Chairman in 2006.
Prior to joining Ferro, Kirsch served as President of Premix Inc. and Quantum Composites, manufacturers of thermoset molding compounds, parts, and subassemblies for the automotive, aerospace, electrical, and HVAC industries. Before that, he served as President and a director for Ballard Generation Systems and Vice President for Ballard Power Systems in Burnaby, B.C., Canada.
Kirsch began his career with The Dow Chemical Co., where he spent 19 years in positions of increasing responsibility, including Global Business Director of propylene oxide and derivatives and Global Vice President of electrochemicals.
“I am enthusiastic about joining Cliffs’ board and being part of the company’s exciting growth story,” said Kirsch. “I believe my experience in the materials space and with industrial companies will complement what I consider to be a very insightful and determined group of directors.”
Kirsch received a bachelor’s degree in marketing from The Ohio State University. In addition to Cliffs, he currently serves as a member of the board of directors of the Greater Cleveland Partnership and John Carroll University.
Cliffs Natural Resources, an international mining and natural resources company, is the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America, a major supplier of direct-shipping lump and fines iron ore out of Australia and a significant producer of metallurgical coal.
The company is organized through three geographic business units in North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. The company’s North American business unit comprises six iron ore mines owned or managed in Michigan, Minnesota and Canada and two coking coal mining complexes located in West Virginia and Alabama. The Asia Pacific business unit comprises two iron ore mining complexes in Western Australia and a 45% economic interest in a coking and thermal coal mine in Queensland, Australia. The Latin American business unit includes a 30% interest in the Amapá Project, an iron ore project in the state of Amapá in Brazil.
Other projects under development include a biomass fuel production plant in Michigan and Ring of Fire chromite properties in Ontario, Canada. Over recent years, Cliffs has been executing a strategy designed to achieve scale in the mining industry and focused on serving the world's largest and fastest-growing steel markets.
