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About › Why partner with U.S. Borax

Why partner with U.S. Borax?


 

Why choose 20 Mule Team® borate products?

The short answer: We have a long history of customer service—and a modern commitment to research and innovation—to deliver the quality products and quality care. 
U.S. Borax Experts

Your experts in the field: Helping you access boron benefits 

U.S. Borax—and our parent company, Rio Tinto—are leaders in research and innovation. Our experts understand the uses of borates and boron benefits in a variety of industries and environments. We work to advance borate science, finding better ways to provide new products and applications that harness the many properties of this versatile resource. We know how to help our customers optimize formulations and maximize the benefits of borates in specific applications.   

From the moment you begin your project, U.S. Borax is ready and willing to help with technical and scientific support, backed by nearly a century of research. When you use our products in your products, you get: 

  • Pre-sale support, including assistance with formulaic development 
  • Institutional knowledge that spans industries and geographic regions 
  • Global sampling and test data for a variety of uses, including your own research 
  • Extensive handling, shipping, packaging, storage, and health and safety data 
  • Post-sale technical and scientific product support for organizations of all sizes, anywhere in the world 
We’re committed to helping industry, agricultural, and manufacturing organizations develop solutions to the challenges of modern living.  
Contact technical support
U.S. Borax customer service

Dedicated to customer service 

We don’t stop at R&D. Our responsive, local customer service experts and logistics coordinators are available and committed to answer any question. We care about your business, and we treat you accordingly, with individualized, start-to-finish service, including help with your continuous improvement projects. 
  • Get one-on-one technical support, with quick responses and dedicated resources. 
  • Our customer service representatives have the technical expertise to understand and respond to your questions and needs. 
  • Whether you run a family-owned corn farm in Iowa or a nuclear power plant in Prague, we’re dedicated to fulfilling your quality borate sourcing needs. 
Customer support resources
U.S. Borax supply chain

There for  you: Quality borates, when and where you need them 

From the original 20 mule team to today’s global shipping networks, U.S. Borax has more than a century of world-class logistics experience. As part of Rio Tinto, we maintain mining, refining, and shipping facilities on four continents, as well as a global network of sales offices and stock points. 
  • We enable on-time delivery, whether you’re a small manufacturing facility or a large distributor. 
  • Our extensive warehouse network is supported by the global power of Rio Tinto, ensuring that every customer, anywhere around the globe, receives timely service and shipments. 
  • Our transparent supply chain provides documented traceability—invaluable for highly regulated industries. 
  • We have the institutional and technical knowledge to help distributors and manufacturers increase efficiency. 
  • We provide reliable ROI with high-quality borate products and a stable global supply chain. 
Global Supply Chain
Operational excellence: Boron operations at sunset

Commitment to operational excellence 

Quality is a priority for our customers globally and remains critical to ensuring our success in the market. Producing high-quality borates safely is core to our business strategy. All of our sites are ISO certified and are committed to continual improvement. We realize this dedication through the integration of quality initiatives into our everyday culture. Our business improvement programs use a Lean Six Sigma approach to strive to eliminate defects and improve service delivery.

Our operational excellence approach at our facilities enables us to identify and manage quality risks, using visual workplaces and defect-elimination programs. We thoroughly investigate customer complaints, partnering with our customers to resolve issues whenever and wherever they arise, and working to prevent any recurrence. 

U.S. Borax operations
Buy local suppliers and vendors

Local business opportunities

With our long history in California, we are dedicated to supporting local and regional businesses to create stability in our communities. By working with local and diverse suppliers—both large and small—we contribute to foster a strong economy.

U.S. Borax and Rio Tinto are always interested in building new supplier partnerships. Explore opportunities through our Buy Local supplier portal.

Learn more

Safety and sustainability

We mine a remarkable mineral that is essential to human progress. That progress should not come at the cost of human or environmental wellness. We are proud of our world-class safety practices, our advances in environmental stewardship, and our commitment to the community where we live. 

US Borax Workplace Safety

Sustainability  

US Borax Workplace Safety

Workplace Safety 

US Borax Community

Community  

We’re more than your vendor. We’re your partner. From consistent, high-quality borates to world-class technical expertise and consistent, superior customer service, U.S. Borax delivers.

Brochure: U.S. Borax Overview (PDF)

U.S. Borax, part of Rio Tinto, is a global leader in the supply and science of borates—naturally-occurring minerals containing boron and other elements. We are 1,000 people serving 650 customers with more than 1,800 delivery locations globally. We supply around 30% of the world’s need for refined borates from our world-class mine in Boron, California, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles.  Learn more about Rio Tinto.

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