Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/882975
50 www.resourceworld.com O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 W hen Bob Archer recently handed over the reins after 13 years as CEO of Great Panther Silver Ltd. [GPR-TSX; GPL- NYSE], he left the company in good shape. Under his watch, Great Panther emerged as a low cost silver producer with two mines in Mexico and a newly acquired polyme- tallic project in Peru that has the potential to increase the company's production by 75% from current levels. With US $57 million in the bank, the company is well positioned to augment the organic growth expected to come from existing operations. Overseeing what is expected to be a new phase of growth is Jim Bannatine, the company's newly appointed President and CEO. During an interview, the former Aura Minerals Inc. [ORA-TSX] CEO described himself as "a small company guy" with a lot of experience running mining opera- tions in Latin America that are similar to the ones in Great Panther's portfolio. When he spoke to Resource World, Bannatine had just spent two weeks in Mexico getting familiar with the compa- ny's flagship Guanajuato Mining Complex in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato and the newly refurbished Topia Mine in Durango. Both are 100%-owned. Guanajuato is located in a historic min- ing district that dates back to the days before the Spanish found gold deposits in the region in the 1540s. One of its eight mining areas – known as La Valenciana – accounted for two-thirds of the world's silver production in the 18th century, cre- ating wealth that is now reflected in the civic and religious colonial architecture. The Guanajuato Complex includes a sat- ellite operation known as the San Ignacio Mine, about 20 km west on the main operation. Roughly 65% of the company's production is generated by Guanajuato. The other 35% comes from the Topia Mine located high up in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Following a recent processing plant upgrade and plans to transition to a new handling facility for dry stack tailings, Topia produced 386,867 ounces of silver in the second quarter ended June 30, 2017. However, in late July, the company said in a press release that it is still awaiting a permit that will allow it to complete the transition to the new tailings handling facility. The company plans to produce up to 4.1 million ounces of silver equivalent Miners drilling a round at the flagship Guanajuato Mining Complex in the central Mexico. Photo courtesy Great Panther Silver Ltd. Great Panther Silver operations expanding to Peru by Peter Kennedy MINING