economic development
Hecla is a long-standing, important part of the communities where we live and work, both as an Economic Contributor and through our Community Engagement. We provide tremendous positive economic impacts to both the states of Idaho and Alaska. Hecla is the largest private-sector employer in Juneau, Alaska, and the second-largest private employer in Shoshone County, Idaho, contributing to a solid foundation for these local economies.
In 2010, expenditures with vendors, suppliers, and contractors totaled $200 million and employment opportunities included 656 direct jobs and more than 1,600 indirect jobs. In North Idaho’s Silver Valley, Hecla has been a driving economic force for more than 100 years, and the Greens Creek operation on Admiralty Island has been a staple of the Juneau and Angoon communities for 22 years.
Many Hecla employees play important roles in their communities by volunteering their time. Some are members of school boards, others provide education in health and safety, coach sports teams, promote mining education at the local and state levels, or participate in programs with local museums to preserve mining’s rich heritage. The Hecla Charitable Foundation, operational in 2009, has contributed $360,000 to our communities. And after an absence of nearly 25 years, Hecla has reestablished a community office in Wallace, Idaho – where it all began.