Yesterday evening, Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) gathered with customers from around the world – suppliers, employees and key stakeholders, including pastoralists, native title partners and local communities – to celebrate 15 years of milestones.
Fortescue Founder and Chairman Andrew Forrest AO was joined at the event by WA Premier Mark McGowan, former WA Premier Colin Barnett and China Iron and Steel Association Secretary General Liu Zhenjiang.
As part of the celebrations, Fortescue CEO Elizabeth Gaines and COO Greg Lilleyman hosted a group of customers from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India and Australia at the company’s first mine site, Cloudbreak.
Gaines explained that the tour was an opportunity to showcase Fortescue’s world-leading operations and assets and provide customers with first-hand insights into the company’s innovative mining processes.
“As the lowest cost supplier of seaborne iron ore into China, Fortescue has maintained strong and positive relationships with customers since our first shipment of iron ore a decade ago,” she said.
“Over the past 15 years, we have invested over US$22 billion in building our infrastructure and assets in the Pilbara to establish our position as a global supplier of iron ore.”
“This investment is set to grow with the Eliwana project which lays the foundation for the future development of our iron ore operations and provides greater flexibility to capitalise on market dynamics.”
Gaines acknowledged the role that China’s demand for iron ore has played in supporting the rapid development of Fortescue.
“The successful trading relationship between Australia and China has been vital to driving economic growth in both nations and while China remains our core focus, we look forward to building relationships with customers across the growth economies in our broader region, including South East Asia and India,” she said.