About us

U.S. Borax, Inc. is the leading producer of borates in the world. Borates are derived from borax, a mineral salt that the company mines and refines at locations in California and Argentina, then ships throughout the world. Uses for borates include glass and fiberglass production, ceramic glazes, detergents, soaps, agricultural nutrients, and pest control products. The company, famous for its "20 Mule Team" trademark and the long-running "Death Valley Days" radio and television program, is owned by British mining giant Rio Tinto plc. U.S. Borax traces its origins to the year 1872, when a gold prospector named F.M. Smith discovered a borax deposit at Teel's Marsh, Nevada. After establishing a mine there, Smith soon became a leading producer of borax, which was then being used in gold processing, ceramic glazes, detergents, water softening, soaps, and food preservation. Smith's San Francisco-based sales agent, W.T. Coleman, was also developing his own borax operations, and during the 1880s he acquired a number of borax mines in the California desert, including one at Death Valley. This rich deposit was located 165 hot, arid miles from the nearest train station at Mojave. To bring ore to the railroad, Coleman's employees devised a carefully engineered transport system. This was t…...