Mining, Metals, & Materials

The metals and mining industry is experiencing a renaissance. Rapidly increasing demand, especially from China, has shifted the industry’s focus from cost containment to rapid development of new sources of supply. This growth has driven prices to all-time highs and led to a wave of consolidation. As our clients consider their best strategic direction in this environment, they’re pondering some critical questions:

• How long will the current boom and high prices last?
• Will prices return to “normal” levels? (and what are “normal levels”)
• How can we take advantage of the boom without sacrificing long-run competitiveness?
• How can we grow without over-paying for assets or opportunities?

With more than 30 years of experience helping global clients formulate strategies in both boom times and busts, CRA’s consultants can help you tackle these questions. Our team includes highly-trained professionals with backgrounds in business economics, corporate finance, materials science and engineering, geology, chemical engineering, and industrial organization.

Our consultants have depth and breadth across all issues related to the minerals, materials, and components manufacturing industries, as well as a thorough understanding of issues related to the use of materials and manufactured parts by most of the world's major industries. We have worked with companies in:

• Iron & steel, including raw materials (iron ore, scrap, DRI)
• Light metals (aluminum, beryllium, lithium, magnesium, titanium)
• Industrial minerals and materials
• Base metals (copper, cobalt, lead, nickel, tin, zinc)
• Refractory metals (tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, rhenium)
• Ferroalloys
• Metals distribution
• Aerospace materials
• Coal and coke
• Precious metals

We use this rich experience to provide our clients independent, reliable, and in-depth analysis and help them evaluate opportunities, design strategies, develop action and implementation plans, and make smart business decisions. Our consultants are particularly adept at spotting important investment opportunities – and threats to existing businesses – prompted by industry sea-changes.