By KEVIN SHANNAHAN

Rapides Parish and central Louisiana posted an impressive economic win as Ucore Rare Metals, Inc. hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for its Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex at England Airpark.

Ucore CEO Pat Ryan was joined by his leadership team, representatives from Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, leaders of England Airpark, representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense, and other dignitaries. Officials from Louisiana Economic Development and various central Louisiana governmental agencies and elected officials were joined by leaders from the Rapides Chamber of Commerce as well as Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy in turning over the first shovels of dirt.

The 80,800-square foot facility will be refining rare earth oxides from rare earth concentrates sourced from U.S.-friendly countries around the world. The raw materials will arrive at the port of New Orleans and be shipped to England Air Park in one-ton sacks. UCORE will then refine the concentrates using its patented Rapid SX process and extract the various rare earth metals.

The facility is projected to produce 11,000 tons of rare earth oxides each year. The complex is expected to produce over 100 direct jobs and approximately 298 indirect jobs. Alexandria’s Ratcliff Construction was selected to build the facility’s infrastructure within the existing former warehouse.

These metals are absolutely essential in a modern economy. They are critical components in everything from cell phones to electronics, lasers and petroleum refining, to name a few applications. They are also essential components in many systems essential to our military and national security.

Presently, the vast majority of the world’s supply of rare earth metals are produced in communist China, making the USA vulnerable to stoppages. The Louisiana Rare Earth Element Processing Facility is a key early step providing America with a future free of foreign leverage in this critical area.