Due Diligence for Morton Salt Acquisition

Clear Answers When the Stakes Are High

When Stone Canyon Industries Holdings (SCIH) acquired Morton Salt, the decision hinged on a clear-eyed understanding of complex underground and solution-mining assets, as well as the risks and opportunities embedded within them. SCIH engaged RESPEC to support its comprehensive due diligence, relying on our teams to move quickly, work independently, and deliver technically defensible conclusions under a compressed bid schedule.

RESPEC assembled a multidisciplinary team of 10 engineers and geologists spanning several disciplines. During a 2-month period, the team evaluated the technical soundness of six underground conventional rock-salt mines, one surface mine, and eight evaporite solution-mining facilities.

The scope focused on geological and hydrogeological risks, geotechnical and rock-mechanical conditions, mining methods and cost drivers, resources and reserves verification, and operational health and safety considerations. RESPEC delivered an executive summary that identified and quantified key risks while highlighting opportunities.

From Due Diligence to Durable Operations

The analysis provided SCIH with bottom-up technical inputs that directly supported valuation and bid calculations, contributing to the successful $3.2 billion acquisition. The acquisition was integrated into SCIH’s Kissner Group Holdings, which SCIH also acquired in 2020.

Following the acquisition, RESPEC continued supporting SCIH by providing recommendations to strengthen safety programs and introduce practical operational efficiencies. The result was continuity, from transaction support to safer, more reliable mining operations.