Loud, dusty and far removed from innovation. We often think of mining as separate from modern manufacturing, but our visit to Imerys West Hub in this episode challenges that idea.

The conversation was recorded on site at the largest diatomaceous earth mine in the world, in Lompoc, California. During the recording, a sonic boom from a nearby SpaceX launch cuts across the background, a reminder of how closely materials, regulation, and advanced manufacturing often overlap.

Chris is joined by Ken Rasmussen, Operations Director at the site, who shares a practical perspective on what modern mining looks like when it’s done right.

Ken walks us through how diatomaceous earth is mined, processed, and shipped as a finished product from a single site, and why that matters. The material is used in industries most people don’t associate with mining, including water filtration, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and vaccines.

In this episode, we look at how mining fits directly into modern manufacturing, and what it takes to run an end-to-end operation on a global scale.

In this episode, find out:

Why “if you can’t grow it, you have to mine it” still applies to modern manufacturing
What diatomaceous earth is and why it’s critical for filtration, pharma, and medical applications
How a mining operation runs start to finish, from raw material to finished product
Why mining in California forces higher standards for safety, automation, and environmental control
How automation improves recovery, efficiency, and process visibility across the operation
What mining really looks like today versus common perceptions
How and why mining should coexist with communities instead of being pushed outside them

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Tweetable Quotes:

“If you can’t grow it, you have to mine it. It’s not magic. Everything we use has to come from somewhere.”
“Mining absolutely has to be part of communities, or else everything would need to be imported. There’s no other way around it.”
“The safety of our employees is first and foremost in everything we do. Every single person here has the authority to stop work if something doesn’t feel right.”

Links & mentions:

Imerys, a provider of mineral-based specialty solutions for industry globally, including construction, automotive, and consumer goods; their Lompoc, CA facility is the world’s largest diatomite mine.
SpaceX, a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk in 2002. Its primary mission is to revolutionize space technology by making rockets fully and rapidly reusable.

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.

Mentioned in this episode:

Industrial Marketing Summit 2026

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Industrial Marketing Summit 2026

273: The Only Podcast Ever Recorded in an Open-Pit Mine featuring Imerys' Ken Rasmussen