Nonsense indeed.
Compared to all other companies in the Ring, Noront for all practical purposes is no longer a Junior.
With the huge claim hold, value of known and potential resources and finally with the state of readines, it qualifies as a mid-sized company. What is impeding it from being recognized as such is not it's fault but of lack of infrastructures which are inevitable to arrive.
It is just a matter of time, Ed.