Vancouver, BC, Canada, Feb. 22, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Tellurium Corp. (CSE: FTEL) (the “Company” or “First Tellurium”), has entered a joint supply and sales agreement with Malami Consulting, LLC (“Malami”). Through their global network and established strategic relationships, Malami has secured a supply of Tellurium and Critical Metals and made these supplies available to First Tellurium.
“I couldn’t be more impressed with the pedigree of Malami management,” stated Tyrone Docherty, CEO of First Tellurium. “Individuals who served their country and safeguarded freedom are a cut above.”
Docherty added, “I take my hat off to individuals like Malami’s CEO, Robert Kimes—a former U.S Marine who served with distinction. Malami’s Director and Senior Advisor Rear Admiral (retired) Scott P. Moore—the former commander of Navy Special Warfare Development Group, and advisor to the President of the United States on counterterrorism while serving on the National Security Staff at the White House—and Malami’s Co-founder Martin Fritz, who was a former member of the Austrian armed forces, specializing in nuclear, biological and chemical defence.
“These individuals, by utilizing their special skills and global relationships in the private sector, have been able to recognize and secure supply contracts of critical metals and direct those assets to First Tellurium. This opportunity to work with Malami should allow us to enter into supply agreements with our customers prior to the commercialisation of our own mining properties.”
Malami Consulting, LLC | Malami Group, Ltd is an American and Swiss-based boutique consulting and professional services company. Headquartered in Delaware, USA, Malami has Strategic Operations offices located in Germany, Switzerland, and Dubai. It manages select client assignments around the globe. Current core business operations are centered in emerging and frontier markets, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, East Africa, and Central and Eastern Asia.
Malami’s founders and senior management have decades of distinguished military service globally and continue to assist governments and corporations with a variety of special services. These relationships have enabled Malami to secure significant international trade deals.
Malami CEO Robert Kimes stated, “We understand the current demand for tellurium and other critical and rare minerals and how that demand is sure to increase in the future. We also understand the critical role these minerals play in the global green energy push, such as solar panels, batteries, semiconductors and more. In seeking a company to partner with, we wanted experienced management who believes in environmentally friendly and ethical mining. First Tellurium fit the bill. Their management team has decades of combined industry knowledge, their partnerships with NGO’s, Indigenous people, and industry veterans, combined with their view of maintaining and rehabilitating habitat were key to our decision in reaching out. We choose our customers and partners carefully and are pleased to have partnered with First Tellurium. Although tellurium and other critical metals are not our core business, it is important to us to have a partner that can see that these materials get into the right hands, as First Tellurium positions themselves for the coming boom in demand from American and European companies.”
Founders and management of Malami have served America in many of its most important international affairs, including the highest of military offices within the U.S. government.
Malami Team Members
Robert Kimes, CEO and Founder
Robert served in the U.S. Marine Corps with distinction and is a security specialist with decades of international leadership. After his time in service to his country, Robert went on to work overseas as a consultant and security and logistics management specialist. He was tasked with various high-level and high-risk assignments, spearheading operations in over 13 countries.
He co-founded Santinini Venezia Trading in Iraqi Kurdistan and represented an UAE Oil and gas firm. Robert established key corporate and commercial relationships not only in Kurdistan but throughout the Ukraine, the Middle East, and Africa. For the past decade, Robert has been focused in the metals industry out of Hamburg, Germany. He has gained invaluable insight to the inner workings of this specialty trade.
Martin Fritz, Co-Founder, Director and CTD
Martin was educated in Austria where he graduated from the Higher Technical College Innsbruck and joined the Austrian Armed Forces nuclear, biological and chemical defence division. Martin then segued to the State Fire Fighter Academy where he managed the development and maintenance of the state’s radio communication system, managed the heliport and was chief operations manager of the live fire training centre. He then became a commercial helicopter pilot and founded an Austrian heavy lift company that deployed the world’s largest helicopters including the MIL MI 26T, the Kamov KA32, and the MIL MI 8. Robert then relocated to the U.S. and co-founded Malami where his technical training and managements skills are heavily utilized on servicing their client base.
Raymond Bryden, COO
Raymond has over 30 years in international business and is well connected. He is a specialist on gold trading internationally and his contractual experience and knowledge in this field is unparalleled. He is focused on the company’s Artisanal and Alluvial mining partners, enabling them to better manage their resources and trade these valuable commodities in an ethical and responsible way. Raymond is also well-versed on precious stones, especially throughout Africa and the Middle East. His knowledge, connections, and expertise provide a wide spectrum of business opportunities for Malami.
Rear Admiral (retired) Scott P. Moore, Director & Senior Advisor
As a former commander of Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Scott planned and directed over 2,000 missions in Afghanistan, Africa, and the Middle East. He also commanded Navy SEAL Team Two immediately following 9/11.
His most public endeavor was his on-scene command of the Captain Phillips sea rescue. Other critical roles include advising the President of the United States on counterterrorism while serving on the National Security Staff in the White House; devising and implementing regional counterterrorism strategies for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon; and coordinating NATO operations directly. He finished his military career as the Deputy Commander at Naval Special Warfare Command, where he was responsible for training and equipping a 7,000 person force and implementing over $600 million in training facility modernization upgrades.
He is the founder and President of Karakoram Group (https://www.kgiinc.com), an international risk management firm which enables corporations to operate securely and safely in challenging global environments. Karakorum Group specializes in security and risk problem solving and is comprised of former senior tactical leaders from the nation’s top counterterrorism units. Clients have included Fortune 100 companies, Exxon Mobile, Chevron, Sesame Street, private equity groups and private clients. A seasoned strategic planner and risk mitigation expert, Scott gained his insights during his 30-plus years as a Navy SEAL officer.
He is also a Board member of All Eagles Oscar, a nonprofit specializing in brain therapy for Special Operations veterans. He also served as the Chairman of SEAL Kids, a nonprofit that focuses on keeping SEALs in the fight by assisting with their children’s educational needs at home, and continues his support in an advisory role.
“Malami is a unique corporation, managed by a unique group of individuals, and represents a unique opportunity for us,” stated Tyrone Docherty, CEO of First Tellurium. “Their global view and high standard of ethics are in line with our core beliefs, and is one of the cornerstones of our relationship. We are elated that Malami has chosen to partner with us to provide a sales channel for the rare earth elements and minerals they have secured. This opportunity should allow us to begin supplying our strategic clients with the elements they require—hence, setting the foundation of commercial supply for our Company.”
What is Tellurium (Te)
Tellurium is a naturally occurring element found in the earth's crust, but is extremely rare.
The largest use of tellurium (Te) in the past decade or more has been in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic solar panels. Tellurium, along with cadmium, is an essential component of the thin photovoltaic layer which generates the electricity from solar radiation.
Increasingly used in thermoelectric devices, including solar panels. Tellurium is also used in vulcanization of rubber, percussion caps, battery plate protectors and electrical resistors.
About First Tellurium Corp.
First Tellurium’s unique business model is to generate value and revenue through mineral discovery, project development, project generation and cooperative access to untapped mineral regions.
Our polymetallic (tellurium, gold, silver copper, tungsten) Deer Horn Project in British Columbia Canada and our Klondike tellurium-gold property in Colorado anchor a diversified search for metals. Unlike other exploration and mining companies we are focused on tellurium, which for most is a bi-product of copper and gold mining. Whereas for us, copper and gold are the bi-products of tellurium. At First Tellurium we feel that the element is greatly undervalued, as it is in short supply, and the demand is high. We have positioned ourselves with a rich asset base to meet the local supply and demand concerns of this rare element.
The Company also has a working alliance with Indigenous peoples, and we feel the future of mineral exploration is generating revenue by exploring responsibly and leveraging diverse partnerships in Indigenous territory with sustainable exploration.
First Tellurium proudly adheres to and supports the principles and rights set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in particular the fundamental proposition of free, prior and informed consent.
For more information, please visit https://firsttellurium.com
On behalf of the board of directors of First Tellurium Corp. “Tyrone Docherty” Tyrone Docherty President and CEO | For further information please contact: Tyrone Docherty 604.789.5653 tyrone@firsttellurium.com |
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its regulations services accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking information
All statements included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions made by the Company based on its experience, perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. In addition, these statements involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will prove inaccurate, certain of which are beyond the Company’s control. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company does not intend to revise or update these forward-looking statements after the date hereof or revise them to reflect the occurrence of future unanticipated event.
