WE Soda Cuts 48 Management and Contract Jobs Following Acquisition of Genesis Alkali

WE Soda, now the world’s largest producer of natural soda ash, has announced the elimination of 48 nonunion positions at its southwest Wyoming trona operations, Green River Star reports.

The job cuts include 32 salaried management roles and 16 contracted positions, the company confirmed Monday.

The move follows WE Soda’s February 28 acquisition of Genesis Alkali, a former competitor with long-standing operations in the region. According to company representatives, the layoffs are part of a post-merger consolidation aimed at improving efficiency and eliminating role redundancy.

“Consolidations were needed for some salaried management positions to achieve efficiency, reduce redundancy and to strengthen the existing hourly workforce,” said JoAnna DeWald, WE Soda’s Vice President of Human Relations, in an email to WyoFile.

The layoffs do not impact hourly union employees, the company said. In fact, some union workers previously laid off by Genesis Alkali have since been rehired by WE Soda. United Steel Workers Local 13214 President Marshal Cummings noted that while he wasn’t fully briefed on the details of the latest terminations, he was pleased to see union positions remain unaffected.

“The relationship [with WE Soda] has been extremely positive,” Cummings said, adding that the new management team appears committed to improving operations and strengthening worker relations. WE Soda now employs approximately 900 people in the area.

The recent cuts come on the heels of a separate round of 30 layoffs carried out by Genesis Alkali in late 2023, a move that drew criticism from union officials after several new hires—some of whom had recently relocated—were let go.

WE Soda’s acquisition included the Westvaco underground trona mine, the Granger solution mining facility, and associated processing infrastructure in western Sweetwater County. The London-based company paid $1.4 billion for the Genesis Alkali operations and is now integrating them with its ongoing development, Project West—an expansive trona solution-mine initiative near Granger.

In a statement released in March, WE Soda CEO Alasdair Warren emphasized the strategic value of the acquisition. “We are now the largest producer of soda ash globally and the only producer that is 100% natural,” Warren said, highlighting the company’s focus on sustainability and operational excellence.

Southwest Wyoming contains the world’s largest known trona deposit, making the region a key hub for soda ash production—an essential ingredient in glass, chemicals, and other industrial products. Together, the trona and soda ash sectors support more than 2,000 jobs in Wyoming, compared to approximately 4,100 in coal mining, according to the Wyoming Mining Association.

The job cuts come amid broader activity in the regional mining sector, including a separate round of 28 layoffs by another company in nearby Kemmerer earlier this year.