60 to lose jobs as Covia shuts New Canaan offices

Mining and mineral processing firm Covia will close its New Canaan offices in 2020 at a cost of 60 jobs. Layoffs will begin in the first quarter of 2019.

Covia was created in May after New Canaan-based Unimin Corp. merged with Independence, Ohio-based Fairmount Minerals. The combined company reported a net loss of $289 million for the quarter ended Sept. 30, which it said was driven primarily by $295 million of pretax impairments, restructuring and merger-related charges.

New Canaan First Selectman Kevin Moynihan has been exploring the purchase of Covia”™s 258 Elm St. office as a possible location for its police department and board of education. The purchase price is around $8 million to $9 million.