LaFleur Minerals Engages Leading Executive Search Firm to Recruit Senior Mining Executive as Company Advances Toward Gold Production

By GlobeNewswire On May 11, 2026

LaFleur Minerals is pleased to announce that it has engaged The Bedford Consulting Group Inc. (“Bedford”), a leading North American executive search and talent advisory firm, to support the recruitment of a senior mining executive. This strategic appointment comes at a pivotal stage as the Company advances toward the restart of gold production at its 100%-owned Beacon Gold Mill in Québec. The recruitment initiative reflects LaFleur’s transitions from an exploration-stage company toward a production-focused gold company, and underscores the Company’s commitment to strengthening leadership capacity to execute on its growth strategy, optimize operations, and deliver shareholder value.

Strong Operational Momentum and Value Creation Milestones

Over the past 12 months, LaFleur has achieved a series of significant milestones that have strategically positioned the Company for near-term production and long-term scalable growth, creating an ideal opportunity for a seasoned mining company “builder” executive to join the team:

The Company completed a C$7.8 million financing in December 2025, providing the capital required to initiate restart and recommissioning activities at the Beacon Gold Mill. This financing marks a critical inflection point as LaFleur advances toward production and cash flow generation. (refer to press release dated January 5, 2026).

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The Company completed a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) that highlights a capital-efficient and scalable gold production restart plan for Beacon Gold Mill anchored by feed from its nearby Swanson Gold Deposit. Key base-case metrics (at US$2,750/oz gold) include an after-tax IRR of 65%, NPV (5%) of C$101 million and all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of US$1,569/oz (refer to press release dated March 3, 2026). The project maintains significant leverage to prevailing gold prices, currently near US$4,700/oz, offering substantial upside potential. The Company subsequently filed an independent NI 43-101 technical report supporting the results of the PEA for the Company’s 100%-owned Swanson Gold Deposit and Beacon Gold Mill (refer to press release dated March 27, 2026).

The Company expanded its mineral resource base with an updated 2026 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Swanson Gold Deposit which includes an Indicated Mineral Resource of 2.96 Mt at 1.69 g/t Au for 160.3 koz of contained gold (combined open-pit and underground) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 1.08 Mt at 1.93 g/t Au for 66.8 koz of contained gold (combined open pit and underground), which represents a 30% increase in indicated ounces compared to the 2024 estimate, driven by optimized cut-off grades and improved geological modeling. (refer to press release dated March 3, 2026).

The Company continues to receive excellent drill results its 100%-owned flagship Swanson Gold Project near Val-d’Or, Quebec, as reported in recent press releases that outlined results such as:

Drill Highlights from press release dated April 21, 2026

2.29 g/t Au over 68.30 metres (SW-25-079)

1.18 g/t Au over 255.04 metres (SW-25-080)

1.65 g/t Au over 136.1 metres (SW-25-081)

Drill Highlights from press release dated February 4, 2026:

2.05 g/t Au over 158.25 metres (SW-25-066)

1.15 g/t Au over 80.3 metres (SW-25-073)

1.37 g/t Au over 80.8 metres (SW-25-074)

2.97 g/t Au over 66.0 metres, including 91.1 g/t Au over 1.5 metres (SW-25-075)

3.15 g/t Au over 51.4 metres, including 92.9 g/t Au over 0.75 metres (SW-25-077)

These results confirmed a large-scale gold discovery at the Company’s Swanson Gold Deposit, highlighting the presence of broad, continuous zones of gold mineralization that extend well below the limits of the current resource model, expanding and confirming the potential for a large-scale gold system.

The acquisition of the McKenzie East Gold Project in Québec’s Val-d’Or district, contiguous with the McKenzie Break Gold Deposit currently owned by Fresnillo plc, expands the Company’s gold asset base and supports its nearby Beacon Gold Mill production strategy (refer to press release dated April 28, 2026).

The Company entered into a proposed C$30 million gold prepayment facility and doré offtake agreement with Trafigura Canada providing a significant source of non-dilutive capital to accelerate the restart and expansion of the Beacon Gold Mill and advance development at the Swanson Gold Deposit. The facility is expected to support near-term production growth, including increasing mill throughput from 750 tonnes per day to 1,250 tonnes per day, while also establishing a framework for longer-term expansion potential to 3,000–4,000 tonnes per day. In addition to funding, the agreement introduces strong institutional backing and a long-term commercial relationship, with Trafigura securing offtake rights and a right of first refusal on future project financing tied to potential expansion. As one of the world’s leading commodity trading firms, Trafigura’s involvement enhances LaFleur’s financial flexibility, execution capability, and access to global gold markets, strengthening the Company’s position as it transitions toward scalable gold production. (refer to press release dated April 15, 2026).

LaFleur is presently at the cusp of restarting gold production at its fully permitted and recently refurbished Beacon Gold Mill and adjacent tailings pond, while continuing to aggressively advance exploration work following the highly encouraging results emerging from the Swanson Gold Deposit. This creates a compelling opportunity for an experienced mining company-building executive to join LaFleur at a pivotal stage of growth and help drive the next phase of the Company’s development through the advancement of its existing asset base and the consolidation of additional gold resources in the vicinity of the Beacon Gold Mill.

The mandate provided to Bedford Consulting Group is to identify and engage with mining industry executive candidates who have a demonstrated history of:

Building early-stage mining companies from brownfield stage towards production or PFS stage with sale or merger exits in excess of $750 million
Excellent industry reputation, capital markets expertise and mining industry contacts
Excellent ability to build teams across various sectors required for a gold production company
Entrepreneurial skillset and ability to undertake transactions that are accretive to the Company

The Bedford Consulting Group Inc. is a specialized executive search and compensation advisory firm with over four decades of experience and a dedicated practice serving the global mining, metals and resource sector. The firm partners with public and private companies, investors, and boards to recruit C-suite leaders, operational executives, and directors who can drive performance across the full mining lifecycle, from exploration through to production. With a strong presence in Canada and international reach through offices in Australia and the United States, Bedford combines deep industry networks with rigorous search execution and proprietary compensation insights, including its widely recognized Mining Compensation Study. The firm is particularly well positioned to identify CEOs capable of delivering strategic growth, capital markets credibility, and operational excellence in complex, global mining environments. The firm’s global reach and sector-specific expertise position it well to identify leadership capable of executing LaFleur’s next phase of growth.

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