BLACKSBURG, S.C. — USA Rare Earth, Inc. (Nasdaq: USAR) (“USA Rare Earth,” “USAR” or the “Company”), a rare earth, critical minerals and advanced materials company, this week broke ground on its new rare earth metal and magnet manufacturing facility in Blacksburg, South Carolina, marking a major step in the Company’s effort to build a secure, integrated rare earth supply chain for the United States and its allies.
Located on a 124-acre site in Bailey Industrial Park in Cherokee County, the approximately 800,000-square-foot facility represents an approximately $1.2 billion investment and is expected to create roughly 490 high-skill, high-wage manufacturing jobs in South Carolina’s Upstate. Once online, the facility is targeting production capacity of 6,400 metric tons per annum (tpa) of sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets and 5,000 tpa of strip-cast metal and alloy, with commissioning targeted to begin in 2028.
“Breaking ground in Blacksburg is an important moment because it moves our vision from plans on paper to infrastructure taking shape,” said Barbara Humpton, Chief Executive Officer of USA Rare Earth. “We’re building the capabilities America needs to make critical rare earth materials and magnets at home, while making a long-term investment in the people and communities that will help us do it. We’re proud that the next chapter of USA Rare Earth’s growth is being built here in South Carolina.”
Investing in South Carolina and the Upstate
USA Rare Earth selected Blacksburg following a comprehensive evaluation of nearly 275 potential sites across the country. South Carolina stood out for its skilled advanced manufacturing workforce, reliable power, transportation infrastructure, proximity to customers and suppliers, and strong support from state and local partners. Located along the Interstate 85 corridor, the operation will add to an advanced manufacturing ecosystem that has made the Upstate an important center of American industrial production.
As part of its broader commitment to Cherokee County and the region’s growing manufacturing economy, USA Rare Earth today 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 businesses locating, launching and growing in the county while helping strengthen the local talent pipeline and broader business ecosystem.
“This Blacksburg community has the infrastructure, talent and manufacturing heritage to support what we’re building, but just as important has been the commitment we’ve seen from people across Blacksburg, Cherokee County and South Carolina,” said David Bushi, Senior Vice President of Manufacturing at USA Rare Earth. “We intend to build something here that creates opportunity locally and strengthens American manufacturing for decades to come.”
“South Carolina’s greatest strength has always been our people and their ability to build things the world depends on,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. “USA Rare Earth’s decision to put down roots in Blacksburg is another tremendous vote of confidence in our workforce and in the manufacturing future of our state. Today, we celebrate the start of a project that will create new opportunities for families across Cherokee County and the Upstate while helping America rebuild a critical industry here at home.”
Building a Secure, Integrated Rare Earth Supply Chain
The groundbreaking also marks an important milestone in USA Rare Earth’s broader strategy to build and grow a secure, globally integrated rare earth value chain that reduces reliance on concentrated sources of supply. Rare earth metals and permanent magnets are essential inputs across defense, aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, physical AI, mobility, energy, healthcare and other advanced industries. Yet the United States remains heavily dependent on foreign sources for many of these critical materials and manufacturing capabilities, with China dominating significant portions of the global rare earth supply chain.
USA Rare Earth is working to change that by building capabilities across the full value chain — from mining and processing to separation, metal- and alloy-making and permanent magnet manufacturing.
The Blacksburg facility will complement USA Rare Earth’s existing magnet manufacturing operation in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where the Company commissioned its first commercial production line earlier this year. Together, Blacksburg and the planned expansion at Stillwater are expected to provide USA Rare Earth with 10,000 tpa of domestic NdFeB magnet manufacturing capacity. The Company is also investing in and expanding capabilities across its broader global platform, supporting local production and economic development while connecting critical rare earth resources with advanced manufacturing markets globally.
“A secure rare earth supply chain isn’t built with a single mine or a single factory. It requires rebuilding every link,” said Gregory Bowman, Chief Global Policy Officer of USA Rare Earth. “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.”
Partnership Turning Vision Into Reality
USA Rare Earth is working with a team of construction, development, engineering and technology partners to bring the Blacksburg facility online.
Clark Construction Group and Frampton Construction are serving as design-builder through the Clark/Frampton joint venture, with Trammell Crow Company serving as developer. McMillan Pazdan Smith is serving as project architect in collaboration with Bennett & Pless, Thomas & Hutton and Salas O’Brien. Chang Robotics is bringing expertise in advanced manufacturing, automation and robotics.
“Large-scale manufacturing investments succeed when ambition is matched by disciplined execution,” said Spencer Middleton, vice president with Clark Construction. “Our focus is on translating the significance of this project into a construction effort that is equally rigorous, bringing the right people, resources, and planning together to deliver for USA Rare Earth and South Carolina.”
“Projects of this scale demand a different level of alignment from the start,” said Dave Florence, chief strategy officer at Frampton Construction. “The decisions made early, the trust established across the team, and the ability to solve problems together all shape what happens in the field. We’re proud to help deliver an investment that will expand advanced manufacturing in South Carolina and strengthen domestic production for years to come.”
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