Iofina PLC CEO Dr Tom Becker talked with Proactive about the company's record-breaking 2025 performance and strategic growth plans heading into 2026.
The company posted a 17% increase in iodine production year-on-year, achieving double-digit growth across the fourth quarter, second half, and full year. Dr Becker attributed the strong performance to operational discipline, reinvestment into the business, and the commitment of Iofina's employees and partners.
"Iofina was pretty good in 2025," Becker said, highlighting production of 743 metric tons of crystalline iodine, up from 634 metric tons the previous year. The company expects to exceed market expectations with projected revenue of over $65 million and EBITDA above $11 million.
Becker emphasised that the uplift is volume-driven, with iodine pricing remaining steady in a tight range for the last three years. Demand for both raw iodine and iodine derivatives remained strong, with Iofina's global customer base growing steadily.
Looking ahead, Iofina is scaling its operations with a new iodine plant under construction in the Permian Basin. The facility, expected online in the second half of 2025, will be the largest in the company's portfolio, capable of producing between 170 and 220 metric tons annually. This expansion is being funded primarily through internal cash flows with minimal debt.
Proactive: Tom, very good to speak with you and Happy New Year! So 2025 — another record year with production up by more than 17%. What do you see as the main drivers behind that consistency across all your plants?
Dr Tom Becker: You know, 2025 for Iofina was pretty good. What's driving this is our employees' commitment to executing the job in front of them and working with our partners for delivery of the brine water for us to produce our iodine. But frankly, it's also us reinvesting back into the business and growing our iodine production through new plants.
We had record production not only in the fourth quarter, but the second half of the year and for the full year — all double-digit year-on-year growth. So a really strong year for Iofina in 2025. And we look to push that momentum into 2026 as well.
Proactive: That's right — you're guiding to revenue and EBITDA beating market expectations. How much of that uplift is volume-driven versus pricing?
Dr Tom Becker: Pricing has been fairly consistent throughout the year. In fact, iodine pricing has been steady for the last three years, in a relatively tight, consistent range, which we believe will continue into 2028. So for us, the main drivers are increased production and controlling cost.
As a result, we're happy to report that we’re going to exceed expectations in the marketplace. We expect revenues to be over $65 million, and EBITDA to be over $11 million. We're very proud of those indications, as we finished the year with a strong sales cycle in the second half and were able to get orders out the door and recognised before year end.
Proactive: Iodine prices stayed above $70 throughout 2025. How confident are you that demand can support those levels into 2026 and beyond?
Dr Tom Becker: We’ve seen strong demand for iodine and our iodine derivatives in 2025. Some derivatives have had ups and downs, but for the most part it's been good for Iofina.
Raw iodine demand — our crystalline iodine — is seeing consistent demand. Our sales team has built a core group of customers around the world who are increasing their iodine purchases from Iofina as we continue to grow our production.
We made 743 metric tons of crystalline iodine last year, compared to 634 metric tons the previous year. It’s on us to ensure the right sales cycles and partnerships are in place so we can sell the iodine or derivatives we produce as we expand.
Proactive: We chatted about it recently, Tom, and your new Permian Basin plant will be the largest you’ve ever built. What does it change for Iofina in terms of scale, margins and growth profile?
Dr Tom Becker: Yes, we’re very excited about our new partnership with Western in the Permian Basin. That means we’ll now have three core areas of iodine production: northwest Oklahoma, central Oklahoma — where we built our last three plants — and now the Permian Basin, where we've just started construction.
Our partner in the Permian handles over 2.6 million barrels of brine water a day — although not all of that has economically viable iodine levels. Our geology team has done extensive work in the region identifying viable areas.
This new plant, currently under construction, is expected to be online in the second half of 2025, with around twice the capacity of our typical IOsorb plants in Oklahoma. We estimate production of between 170 and 220 metric tons.
What’s great is we’re funding these expansions primarily through internally generated cash, with just a small amount of bank debt. So we believe we have a solid business plan and sound financial judgement. We're not getting ahead of ourselves, but we're not sitting still either — we’re being aggressive in the right way to expand production heading into 2026.
Proactive: Tom, I’m sure we’ll be having many more conversations as the year progresses. Thank you very much for taking the time today.