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$1.2 billion project expected to bring hundreds of jobs to Cherokee county

USA Rare Earth magnet manufacturing at Stillwater, OK facility.
USA Rare Earth, Inc.
/
usare.com
USA Rare Earth magnet manufacturing at Stillwater, OK facility.

USA Rare Earth, Inc. is investing $1.2 billion to build a new manufacturing facility in Cherokee County expected to create nearly 500 jobs.

USA Rare Earth, Inc. is expanding its operations to South Carolina. In a $1.2 billion investment, nearly 500 jobs are expected to come to Cherokee County.

USA Rare Earth, Inc. is a global company specializing in rare earths, critical minerals, and advanced materials. The company's operations serve advanced manufacturing for both commercial and defense technologies supporting the U.S. and its allies.

The new facility at Bailey Park in Blacksburg will produce neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets and refined rare earth metals. Additionally, the campus will perform
critical functions such as electrolysis, metallothermic reduction, strip casting, jet milling, dry pressing, sintering, heat treatment, machining and coating.

Operations are expected to begin in April 2028. Anyone interested in joining the USA Rare Earth team should visit the company’s careers page.

Jada Washington is a News Producer at South Carolina Public Radio.