OPERACIONES METALÚRGICAS S.A.

Our Company

OMSA was born in Oruro, Bolivia in 1988, after the collapse of the London Metal Exchange (LME) in 1982 caused a mining crisis in the country. This crisis displaced hundreds of "relocated" miners to other departments and left the tin mining activity in Bolivia in a depression that took 20 years to recover.

History

“The first tin smelter in Bolivia” was founded by Mr. Mariano Peró Aramayo, who introduced rotary furnaces for the reduction of 50% tin concentrates.

It was the first Tin smelter in the world to obtain rotary furnaces for tin reduction. On May 30, 1937, the construction of the industrial plant began and in 1940 metallic tin was exported with a 99.85%. high grade of purity. During the following years, suppliers of local raw materials were secured, technical experience was gained in Bolivian hands, and the international market was expanded. In 1979, due to national political conflicts, economic stability could not be maintained and by 1982, after the drop in international LME tin prices, this company closed its doors, leaving extensive technical knowledge and experience that would later be used for the revival of a new company.

Fernando Peró Diez Canseco had the brilliant idea of building a new company thinking of a modern and demanding world, thus constituting OM, Operaciones Metalúrgicas in 1988. With a business vision and local and foreign competition, he built a small plant seeking to ensure a balance between the little raw material produced in the country and the weak international market. Due to strict environmental regulations in Bolivia, in April 1992 OM had to leave its original location in the vicinity of the city, to move to the sector that later, thanks to the push of OMSA, would be called "Huajara Industrial Park". Production was halted for a period of 6 months while the plant was rebuilt in its current location. At the same time, the expansion and construction of a modern plant with the equipment brought from Germany from the Berzelius smelter began to be considered. For the approximate period of two years until January 1994, only volatilization dusts were produced, which would allow maintaining the flow of resources and completing the construction.

With the arrival of Mariano Peró Taborga, in 1996, the administration is empowered, it becomes a Public Limited Company and production growth is planned to reach 300 tons of monthly production. Already in the 21st century, OMSA, renewed, empowered and having paid all the debts to build a new smelter, begins to grow and ensure its production. In 2004, 2009 and 2015, production was increased to the current levels of 320 tons per month, producing two qualities of high-purity metallic tin that is sold worldwide, contributing to the national economy and world development.

Today, OMSA, with 26 years of producing tin ingots of the highest quality and a 86 year tradition, faces the challenges of Post-Covid, investing in management systems, technology and sustainability, our current objective being to become the best smelter of tin in Bolivia.