Piedmont Enhances Senior US Executive Team

NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL, OTC-Nasdaq: PLLLY) ("Piedmont" or "Company") is pleased to announce the appointments of Mr. Patrick Brindle, Mr. David Buckley and Mr. Bruce Czachor as senior officers of the Company.

Mr. Brindle is joining Piedmont as Vice President – Project Management. He has over 18 years of experience in the development of US and global mining operations, minerals processing plants and materials handling projects, and has expertise in all phases of project development from concept design, pre-feasibility and feasibility study, detailed design engineering, construction and commissioning, including EPC projects in North and South Carolina. He most recently worked as Vice President of Engineering for DRA Taggart in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has a BS in Environmental Science and a BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Mr. Buckley is joining Piedmont as Vice President – Chief Process Engineer.  He is a 25-year veteran of the lithium business, having worked most recently as Chief Process Engineer of Quebec-based Critical Elements Corporation after senior positions with FMC's Lithium Division and Albemarle (former Rockwood Lithium).  Mr. Buckley has extensive experience in lithium extraction from both hard rock resources and lithium bearing brines. He also brings experience in converting the extracted lithium into lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and other downstream lithium chemicals. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Tech.

Mr. Czachor is joining Piedmont as Vice President – General Counsel. He is a former partner of major international law firm Shearman & Sterling, and brings almost 30 years of experience in corporate governance, securities, M&A and commercial transactions. Mr. Czachor has represented a range of clients from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, and he has extensive experience in the mining industry and with initial US listings.  He earned his BA from Binghamton University and his Juris Doctor from New York Law School.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "I am excited that Patrick, Dave and Bruce have chosen to join the Piedmont team.  Patrick is a highly experienced engineer and has been instrumental in taking many companies from scoping study through to production.  He will be coordinating the technical and permitting studies we are commencing in early 2018. Dave has decades of experience in the sector, including several years focused on the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt.  We are committed to building an integrated lithium business and Dave will be instrumental in the development of our downstream strategy.   I have known Bruce for over 25 years and; he will be extremely helpful in driving our US capital markets strategy and play an important role in the strategic and offtake conversations that are beginning to develop.  2018 year will be an exciting year for Piedmont, with metallurgical testing, a maiden Resource and Scoping Study all planned for the first half of the year."

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About Piedmont Lithium

Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; OTC-Nasdaq: PLLLY) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project ("Project") located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt ("TSB") and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world's lithium between 1950 and 1990.  The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 40 kilometers west of Charlotte, North Carolina.  It is a premier location to be developing and integrated lithium business based on its favorable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centers for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centers and downstream lithium processing facilities.

The Project was originally explored by Lithium Corporation of America which eventually was acquired by FMC Corporation ("FMC"). FMC and Albemarle Corporation ("Albemarle") both historically mined the lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites within the TSB and developed and operated the two lithium processing facilities in the region which were the first modern spodumene processing facilities in the western world.

The Company is in a unique position to leverage its position as a first mover in restarting exploration in this historic lithium producing region with the aim of developing a strategic, U.S. domestic source of lithium to supply the increasing electric vehicle and battery storage markets.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Piedmont's expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Piedmont, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Piedmont makes no undertaking to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this announcement, to reflect the circumstances or events after the date of that announcement.

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SOURCE Piedmont Lithium Limited