New Mine Permits Secured
Received County Line permits (Sept 2025) and Scarlet South permits (early 2026), plus an Isabella Pearl power grid permit — clears regulatory obstacles and enables ramp-up and restart of exploration/production activities.
Strategic $40M Joint Venture for East Camp Douglas
Signed a $40 million JV with Hawthorne Land & Minerals (Fortitude retains 60% and is operator). Hawthorne will fund up to $40M of exploration; Fortitude will only contribute after those funds are spent — accelerates district-scale exploration and potential discovery.
Capital Raise to Re‑engage Operations and Exploration
Completed a private placement of 2.5M restricted shares at $4.75 for $12M (proceeds to advance two permitted mines and restart drilling). Post‑placement shares outstanding = 26.8M (implied dilution ≈ +10.3%).
Installed Major Crushing Upgrade
Installed an 800 t/h crusher at Isabella Pearl (previous crusher ~250 t/h) — ~220% increase in crushing capacity, supporting higher throughput as multiple pits deliver ore to the plant.
Cost Reduction and Owner‑Operator Transition
Implemented broad cost controls (office relocation, eliminated bonuses, team reductions), terminated the mine contract in Sept 2025 and shifted to an owner-operator model to bring fleet and workforce in‑house — expected to reduce per‑ton mining costs and capture economies of scale across three mines.
Meaningful Working Capital and Mine Gross Profit
Year‑end working capital reported at $29.5M and mine gross profit of $10.0M for 2025 (mine gross profit represents ~54% of $18.4M net sales), providing a base to support near‑term operational activity.
Exploration Targets and Prospectivity Identified
Boots‑on‑the‑ground mapping and sampling generated multiple high‑priority targets on the Isabella Pearl trend (e.g., Prospect Mountain, Scarlet North/South) with analogous structural, vertical extent and high‑grade surface samples; management intends to rapidly restart drilling.