Ingrid + Edwin Leach are the original Co-Founders of American BlueGreen and are proud to have played a role in shaping the model for economic development in a remote mountainous region of Pakistan. Through the export of the area?s prized mineral-rich natural resource, Himalayan Crystal Salt, to the Western world, they have helped build a bridge from the past to the future.

In the Northwestern Province of Pakistan, at the foot of two mountains, local people have worked for generations in cooperation with Nature as they gathered one of their daily essential needs-salt. Without the use of mechanical or explosive techniques they mine the salt by hand. Once mined the salt is hand-selected, hand-crushed and sun-dried.

American BlueGreen has partnered with the people of this remote community to preserve the traditional mining methods and respect the indigenous culture. With sufficient salt in the mine to serve many future generations, a growth management program has been established in line with current production capacity and available workforce. This and other initiatives give the region an opportunity to develop and improve while preserving the integrity of the people.

Regulations are in place forbidding child labor. Workers are paid a fair wage and are given shorter work days commensurate with the difficulty of the work. And American BlueGreen gives back, too! Scholarships are available to children of the workers if they wish to pursue higher education in larger Pakistani cities. Regional schools have been modernized along with many other projects that are helping make the province vibrant.