Rio Tinto's Luzenac Group is a leading talc producer with operations in Europe and North America. In 1988, Rio Tinto acquired a controlling interest in Talc de Luzenac, Europe's leading talc producer, which operates the world's largest talc mine in south-west France. Later, Talco e Grafite Val Chisone, an Italian producer with smaller mines in Italy and Spain was added, as well as a mine in Austria. Rio Tinto increased its holding in Luzenac to nearly 100 per cent in 1990. The European operations were complemented in the early 1990s by the acquisition of several talc operations in the US and Canada. The principal North American mines are in Montana and Vermont in the US, and Ontario and Quebec in Canada. These are managed by the Luzenac Group through Luzenac America. Luzenac produces more than one million tonnes of talc per year and markets the product globally for use mainly in paper coatings, paint and automotive plastics.