Mission Critical Minerals
Minerals Extraction Plant Headed to Borderplex
EL PASO, TEXAS — April 6, 2021 — The Borderplex Alliance, the City of El Paso, and El Paso County today announced that the Critical Materials Corporation (CMC) is opening a minerals extraction plant in the Borderplex region. These operations will support CMC’s production of battery-grade lithium for use by manufacturers of electric vehicles.
Steve McArthur, CMC’s CEO said, “This is a very important project for our company and so our President & COO has relocated to El Paso to supervise the plant refurbishment and start-up, which will bring millions of dollars of new investment to the local economy and add many new jobs.”
Tom Currin, CMC’s President & COO stated, “We have been graciously welcomed into the El Paso community and have already hired seven full-time employees. We intend to return potable water to EPWU and by using advanced salt splitting technology, to produce a number of products that will be used in the Permian Basin oilfields and regional refineries, as well as for agricultural fertilizer. CMC also has plans to expand its presence in the El Paso area by building a facility to produce lithium for electric vehicles.”
Oscar Leeser, Mayor of El Paso said, “As the Mayor of El Paso and a businessman in the automobile industry for 42 years, I’m incredibly proud that our region’s natural resources will help power the future of the auto industry. The investment that CMC is making demonstrates how desirable everything our region has to offer is to premier companies, as well as the success of our economic development efforts with the County of El Paso and The Borderplex Alliance. I am thrilled to welcome them to El Paso.”
El Paso County Judge Ricardo A. Samaniego said, “Our region is always looking to the future and trying to attract ambitious companies at the vanguard of innovation. We are grateful to CMC and our partners at The Borderplex Alliance and City of El Paso for helping us turn this dream into a reality.”
Jon Barela, CEO of The Borderplex Alliance said, “China’s dominance of critical materials and rare earth minerals threatens U.S. national security and commerce globally. We are proud to work with CMC to help open this minerals extraction plant which in addition to the added jobs and investment in our region, will help secure a long-term supply of critical materials based in North America.”
###
About The Borderplex Alliance
The Borderplex Alliance is an award-winning economic development and policy advocacy organization. The Alliance is independent, non-partisan, and private sector-led. Our mission is to bring jobs, hope, and opportunity to the Borderplex region.
