Mason Graphite announces appointment of key executives with strong construction experience

— Photo courtesy Mason Graphite Inc.

Mason Graphite Inc. (“Mason Graphite” or the “Company”) (TSX.V: LLG; OTCQX: MGPHF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Yves Perron as Vice-President, Engineering and Construction and Mr. Michel Clément as Project Controller. The appointments are pursuant to a secondment agreement recently concluded with Stornoway Diamond Corporation wherein Mr. Perron and Mr. Clément will be dedicated to the construction of Mason Graphite’s Lac Guéret Project during its anticipated construction period.

Benoît Gascon, President and CEO of Mason Graphite commented: “We are very pleased to welcome Yves and Michel to our team. Both have been central to the success of the construction of Renard, a diamond project of nearly $1B of construction capital recently completed in Quebec. We are sure to benefit from their recent experience, the latest major operation built in the Province.”

Mr. Yves Perron, Eng., MBA, was appointed Vice-President, Engineering and Construction by Stornoway Diamond in June 2012 and has over 20 years of experience in project management in the industrial sector within major international firms. Prior to joining Stornoway, Yves was Vice-President, Business Development and Project Manager at Delsaer and Seneca. He also held several management positions in areas of production, operation start-ups, maintenance, engineering and project management with ArcelorMittal and Xstrata. Mr. Perron holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Université du Québec – École de Technologie Supérieure in Montréal and a DEC in Civil Engineering Technology. In addition, he holds an MBA from Université du Québec in Montréal as well as an Executive MBA from Université Paris Dauphine.

Mr. Michel Clément, Eng., PMP, was appointed Project Controller by Stornoway Diamond in January 2015 and has over 20 years of experience in project management in the mining and industrial sectors, notably with Rio Tinto Alcan, the Iron Ore Company of Canada and Alderon Iron Ore. He also held different engineering positions, including Project Leader, with Rolls-Royce. M. Clément holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Université de Sherbrooke and also holds the Project Management Professional designation of the Project Management Institute.

Over and above the nominations announced today, which were formalized on August 9th 2018, the Company has made several key hires in the last few months in the engineering, procurement and construction teams, in line with its construction strategy, which is Owner’s Built. Following the obtention of the Decree in June, the different CA 22 permits, which are an extension of the previously obtained Government Decree, are expected to be obtained shortly. Their issuances are dictated by the Decree but a process must be respected. The Management remains very confident on being able to begin construction shortly as recently communicated to the local communities. The coming winter period is not a hurdle as the first construction activities will be clearing, stripping, construction of accesses and platforms, activities efficiently executed during the cold months. While a more detailed Corporate Update will soon be communicated, the Company is pleased to report that the negotiations for the remaining of the financing are advancing well. As of June 30th 2018, the cash position stands at $40M.

An update on the Company’s Battery Material Program will also be provided soon as progresses have been achieved and discussions with key customers are underway.

Mason Graphite is a Canadian mining and processing company focused on the development of its 100% owned Lac Guéret natural graphite deposit located in northeastern Québec. The Company is led by a highly experienced team that has over five decades of experience in graphite production, sales, and research and development. For more information, visit www.masongraphite.com.

Forward-looking statements apply.