Chelated Minerals International (formerly Key Minerals Corporation) was the original patent holder for nutritional mineral chelates and is currently the leading manufacturer of amino acid chelates/aspartates/ascorbates/citrates, supplying dietary ingredients to the human nutrition market as a bulk raw material supplier.Albert Z. Richards, a multi-faceted inventor, founded the company in 1961. Mr. Richards was recognized as the leading authority on producing solar evaporated salt and developing a patent for a salt harvester.Recognizing the need for chelated mineral supplementation, Mr. Richards was awarded the first patent