John Swallow (Idaho Strategic): The Golden Age of Gold Mining
Jan 24, 2025
auto_awesome
John Swallow, CEO of Idaho Strategic, has transformed his company's fortunes from near bankruptcy to a thriving $160M enterprise. In this conversation, he highlights the boom in gold prices and the importance of employee ownership and community. John discusses ambitious drilling plans and strategic partnerships while maintaining a focus on sustainable growth. He also delves into the intriguing history of the Murray Gold Belt and the rising significance of rare earth elements, showcasing the dynamic landscape of the gold mining industry.
John Swallow transformed Idaho Strategic from near-bankruptcy to profitability, illustrating the potential of strategic business planning and execution.
The company's proactive exploration in historically significant mining areas like the Murray Gold Belt positions Idaho Strategic for substantial future growth.
Idaho Strategic fosters a strong workplace culture of teamwork and shared success, significantly enhancing employee satisfaction and retention.
Deep dives
Consistent High-Risk Adjusted Returns
The aim of the investment community at Macro Ops is to consistently achieve high risk-adjusted returns while fostering a continuous learning environment. Members of the community, which includes experienced professionals and motivated retail investors, share a common passion for investing and a desire to improve their skills. The collective's reputation for providing differentiated research and educational resources, coupled with a vibrant Slack community, has led to exceptional retention rates among its members. This unique atmosphere has created an engaging and supportive space for investors to thrive and learn.
Successful Profitability and Growth Strategies
Idaho Strategic Resources has recently achieved profitability after years of planning and diligent work, marking a significant milestone in the company's journey. The introduction of revenue bonus targets has not only motivated the workforce but also fostered a sense of shared success, culminating in bonuses that equated to extra paychecks for employees. Additionally, the company is actively pursuing drilling projects in historically significant mining areas, such as the Murray Gold Belt, thereby positioning itself for future growth. This proactive approach to operations underscores their confidence in both management strategies and market conditions.
Multi-Faceted Exploration Plans
Idaho Strategic is exploring multiple properties and projects, diversifying its drilling focus without overextending resources. The company faces the challenge of effectively prioritizing which areas to drill, balancing commitments between the Murray Gold Belt and a new promising site called Eastern Star. This project is set for further development alongside existing operations, showcasing the company’s commitment to maximizing its resource potential. The collaboration with other firms, such as Aluca, demonstrates a collective approach to cost-sharing and efficiency in exploration.
Future Market Opportunities in Critical Minerals
Critical minerals, including rare earth elements, are gaining recognition as valuable assets, especially amid increasing demand from domestic markets. The company's focus on expanding its rare earth portfolio aligns with a national push for resourcing strategies that reduce dependency on imports, particularly from China. The anticipation of shifting global market dynamics, influenced by both technological advancements and environmental considerations, builds an optimistic outlook on the future of such resources. Idaho Strategic's historical insight into mineral wealth positions it well to exploit emerging opportunities in this evolving sector.
Cultural Foundations and Employee Engagement
The workplace culture at Idaho Strategic is built on principles of teamwork, shared success, and community, which has fostered strong employee satisfaction and loyalty. New hires are not just employees but are seen as integral parts of the company’s mission and are encouraged to take ownership of their roles. The importance placed on maintaining a supportive, close-knit environment, combined with profit-sharing initiatives, creates a stress-free atmosphere where employees thrive. This cultural commitment enhances productivity and fosters long-term success as the organization continues to expand and evolve.
I'm thrilled to have John Swallow, CEO of Idaho Strategic, back on the podcast.
John has been one of my favorite guests over the years. He's built Idaho Strategic $IDR from a near-bankrupt entity to a $160M+ company today (as of this podcast).
I first had John on the podcast last February. Things were a lot different then. Gold is much higher now. IDR is profitable. They have no net debt.
But John isn't satisfied. He's building a real company. One that will last for decades after he's gone.
This is the story on how he plans to do that, what makes IDR unique, and why building a business by starting small still makes sense.
Finally, a big thanks to our sponsors for making this episode happen.
Mitimco
This episode is brought to you by MIT Investment Management Company, also known as MITIMCo, the investment office of MIT. Each year, MITIMCo invests in a handful of new emerging managers who it believes can earn exceptional long-term returns in support of MIT's mission. To help the emerging manager community more broadly, they created emergingmanagers.org, a website for emerging manager stockpickers.
I highly recommend the site for those looking to start a stock-picking fund or just learning about how others have done it. You'll find essays and interviews by successful emerging managers, service providers used by MIT's own managers, essays MITIMCo has written for emerging managers, and more!
TIKR
TIKR is THE BEST resource for all stock market data, I use TIKR every day in my process, and I know you will too. Make sure to check them out at TIKR.com/hive.
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
