Sterling began operations in Mexico, with the Baroness Silver Project in 2004. It was the first environmentally-safe thiosulphate project in Zacatecas. Sterling's President Ray De Motte and in Mexico General Manager the late Martin Sutti, spearheaded development of properties in Mexico. The Baroness reached solid profitable commercial production, and by 2006 surface material from the San Acacio project was also being processed