Cleveland-Cliffs
North American Mining Operations
Michigan Operations
The Empire and Tilden mines operate separate mining pits and iron ore processing facilities, but share a single management structure. The LS&I Railroad is also part of these jointly managed operations. The Empire Mine has been mining and processing the low-grade iron ore reserves on the Marquette Iron Range since the early 1960s.
Empire Mine: Statistical Information
The numbers reported below are approximate totals for the combined Cleveland-Cliffs’ Michigan operations as of the end of 2006:
- Location: Marquette Iron Range in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Palmer, Michigan
- Workforce: 1,431 employees
- Annual Payroll (including benefits): $158 million
- Annual Local Services and Supplies: $247 million
- Includes Annual Electric Power Purchase: $79 million
- Michigan and Local Taxes: $6 million
- Specific Ore Tax: $5 million
- Total Annual Local Economic Impact: $405 million
EMPIRE FACILITY
Type of Ore: Magnetite
Empire produced its first pellets in 1963.
Through 2006, it had produced 234,828,711 tons of pellets.
2006 Production: 4.7 million tons
2007 Production Estimate: 5.0 million tons
Annual Rated Capacity: 5.5 million tons
The Empire Iron Mining Partnership is owned by:
The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company: 79%
Mittal Steel USA Inc. (formerly Ispat International NV: 21%)
The Empire Mine is managed by The Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company.
