USA Rare Earth, Inc. broke ground on a new rare earth metal and magnet manufacturing facility in Blacksburg, South Carolina. The Washington, D.C.-based firm expects the $1.2 billion project to strengthen the U.S. rare earth supply chain, which supports defense, aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, physical AI, mobility, energy, healthcare and other advanced industries.
The approximately 800,000-square-foot facility, located on a 124-acre site in Bailey Industrial Park in Cherokee County, looks to create roughly 490 manufacturing jobs. Once operational, the plant will target an annual production capacity of 6,400 metric tons of sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets and 5,000 metric tons of strip-cast metal and alloy.
USA Rare Earth expects commissioning to begin in 2028.
“A secure rare earth supply chain isn’t built with a single mine or a single factory,” USA Rare Earth Chief Global Policy Officer Gregory Bowman said. “Blacksburg adds critical manufacturing capacity to that broader platform and brings the United States closer to producing more of the materials and magnets our industries depend on outside of Chinese control. What starts with a groundbreaking here in South Carolina ultimately strengthens America’s industrial and national security.”
USA Rare Earth selected Blacksburg following a comprehensive evaluation of nearly 275 potential sites across the country.
The new facility will complement the company's existing magnet manufacturing operation in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which commissioned its first commercial production line earlier this year. Together, Blacksburg and a planned expansion at Stillwater are expected to give USA Rare Earth 10,000 metric tons per year of domestic NdFeB magnet manufacturing capacity.
USA Rare Earth also announced a $250,000 contribution to Spartanburg Community College to support its new SPARK Center in Cherokee County. The new center will connect education, workforce development and economic development, providing resources to support local businesses.
