USA Rare Earth, a company specializing in rare earth metals and advanced magnet manufacturing, officially broke ground on a new facility in Blacksburg, South Carolina, on September 9, 2026. The project marks a significant investment of approximately $1.2 billion in the Upstate region and is anticipated to create roughly 490 high-skill manufacturing jobs.
The new plant will occupy about 800,000 square feet on a 124-acre site within the Bailey Industrial Park in Cherokee County. It is designed to produce roughly 6,400 metric tons of sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets annually, along with 5,000 metric tons of strip-cast rare earth metal and alloy. These magnets are critical components in high-performance electric motors and other advanced technology sectors, underscoring the plant’s strategic role in the U.S. industrial supply chain.
Commissioning of operations is planned for 2028. USA Rare Earth intends for this facility to complement its existing magnet production operation located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, thereby supporting a vertically integrated domestic ‘mine-to-magnet’ supply chain. This integration aims to enhance U.S. resilience in critical materials manufacturing and reduce dependency on foreign sources.
The hiring associated with this project is expected to bring a boost to the local workforce, creating specialized manufacturing positions with competitive wages. The facility’s presence also adds capacity to the domestic supply of essential materials needed for energy, defense, and advanced manufacturing industries.
This development is part of a broader trend of investment and expansion in rare earth and critical mineral processing facilities across the U.S., responding to global supply chain vulnerabilities and national security considerations.
