Durham, North Carolina — On March 31, 2025, Vulcan Elements hosted the grand opening of its state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D facility in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. This milestone marks a significant step toward the company’s mission of onshoring a secure, traceable, and commercially operational rare earth magnet supply chain. This facility directly supports United States’ strategic objectives of reducing its dependence on China for rare earth magnets and critical supply chains while bringing manufacturing jobs and investments back to America.
The grand opening convened leaders in the rare earth industry, key government partners, and allies in the private capital market. As Vulcan’s CEO, John Maslin, reflected, the opening was a “special moment for the country because this commercial and R&D facility is directly onshoring one of the most important supply chains in the world, and strengthening our manufacturing and industrial base for decades to come.” Before founding Vulcan Elements, Maslin served as an Officer at the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program (Naval Reactors), in various roles including as the financial manager for the Ballistic Missile Submarine Program.
The newly-commissioned, 21,000 square foot facility will manufacture rare earth magnets, specifically Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnets, for Department of Defense programs and commercial applications using a proprietary process that enables production in the United States. The facility also serves as Vulcan Elements’ research and development hub.
The event opened with remarks from Dr. Chris Miller, author of the New York Times bestseller Chip War: the Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology. Dr. Miller described how rare earth magnets are one of three critical components—alongside batteries and semiconductors—required for nearly every advanced technology. Without rare earth magnets, as Dr. Miller put it, “America’s entire advanced economy would be frozen, and nearly all military capabilities rendered inoperable.”
Congressman Pat Harrigan, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, underscored the national importance of the grand opening, which he called the “dawn of an era of independence from China for the technologies that matter most, and a key milestone in bringing manufacturing back to America.” Congressman Harrigan described how the facility’s opening comes at a pivotal moment for the Nation and the critical minerals industry, especially in light of President Trump’s March 20th Executive Order on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. This Executive Order underscored the urgency of investing in domestic production of critical minerals, and it defined “mineral production” to encompass “all goods that incorporate processed minerals… such as permanent magnets.” Vulcan Elements’ operations directly align with this national directive and will reinforce America’s industrial base resilience, technological edge, and economic dynamism for decades to come.
United States Senator Thom Tillis has been a strong advocate in Washington for Vulcan Elements’ mission of onshoring the rare earth magnet supply chain. As he made clear to the company’s leadership, Vulcan Elements “embodies the future of American manufacturing and economic leadership.”
The event also featured remarks from Dr. Nadia Schadlow—a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute—who was the architect of the 2017 National Security Strategy of the United States: thedocument that put strategic competition with China on the map. Dr. Schadlow reflected on the Department of Defense’s dependence on China for rare earth magnets for many of its most critical military platforms and the vulnerabilities, for example, that led DoD to pause the F-35 program in 2022 after discovering Chinese material in the F-35’s magnets. Vulcan Elements, she concluded, is an example of the exact type of supply chain shifts that the Pentagon needs now.
North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley highlighted North Carolina’s investments in frontier manufacturing and engineering initiatives, with Vulcan Elements as “the model for pioneering innovation and research in one of the most important sectors for the Nation’s economy and defense.”
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams welcomed the 100 attendees to North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, emphasizing that Vulcan Elements’ presence in Durham makes the city a center for all three of the critical components that enable advanced technologies and electronics: semiconductors, batteries, and magnets. Durham Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Geoff Durham concluded the program by thanking the attendees for supporting Vulcan’s growth and for believing in its mission and values—the elements that make Vulcan a “beacon of opportunity for the United States and the American people.”
Rare earth magnets convert electricity into motion. They are essential components in almost every advanced machine and electronic device—from data centers that enable AI and semiconductor fabrication plants to electric motors, satellites, drones, and virtually all military platforms. Without assured access to rare earth magnets—especially NdFeB magnets, which are lightweight and heat-tolerant—nearly every technology that the United States depends on would be at risk.
The minerals used to produce these magnets are mined in very few countries, making them strategically important and a critical resource for many nations. China dominates the global rare earth supply chain, controlling nearly 90% of all critical mineral processing and producing over 90% of the global supply of NdFeB magnets.
Vulcan Elements manufactures permanent sintered NdFeB magnets for critical defense and commercial applications. Vulcan Elements is committed to strengthening the domestic rare earth magnet supply chain by advancing technological innovations, galvanizing America’s manufacturing workforce, and collaborating with public and private sector stakeholders.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Jonah Glick-Unterman
Chief of Staff
Email: [email protected]
