RADERSBURG — Antimony is a substance that’s used in a wide variety of industrial and military applications. Now, because of a new operation in Broadwater County, all the steps needed to produce it can be done in Montana.
“That makes this state very unique: the only place in the world that can happen, other than Russia and China,” said Gary C. Evans, chairman and CEO of United States Antimony Corporation.
(Watch the video for a closer look at what this facility means for Montana antimony production.)
On Tuesday, Evans and other company leaders, along with Gov. Greg Gianforte, officially marked the opening of USAC’s critical minerals mill, near Radersburg. The company held a “rock-breaking” instead of a ribbon-cutting, with leaders swinging hammers into a piece of ore.
Antimony is produced from the mineral stibnite. USAC operates a mine at Stibnite Hill near Thompson Falls. The raw material from there – and eventually from mines in Alaska – will be brought to Radersburg. There, it will be processed to a higher concentration, before it’s sent to the company’s smelter in Thompson Falls for the final steps to produce ingots of almost pure antimony.
USAC was originally leasing a mill in Philipsburg for the middle step of their process, but leaders determined they needed a facility of their own.
“Radersburg was our missing link,” Evans said during the event.
Antimony can be used in solar panels and in fire retardants. As an alloy with lead, it can strengthen everything from plates in lead-acid batteries to bullets.
Because of its military applications, the Trump administration has made it a priority to encourage antimony production in the U.S. – currently, the vast majority comes from China. Last year, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded USAC a $245 million contract to supply antimony for the national defense stockpile. The department announced $27 million to help the company modernize its facilities in March.
Gianforte told MTN he believes there’s still room for growth for mineral production in Montana.
“We have the critical minerals that are necessary to provide for additional national security for our country, and this investment by U.S. Antimony is a good first step in re-shoring these supply chains,” he said.
Gianforte said he’s also excited about the possibility that the facilities USAC has installed at Radersburg – including a laboratory for analyzing minerals – will be useful for others in the state’s mining industry.
USAC leaders said the Radersburg facility could eventually support about 20 to 22 jobs, depending on production levels. Evans told MTN the company spent just under $5 million for the property, and they’ve made several million dollars more in improvements.
Evans said they’ve been grateful for how leaders in Montana support mining.
“Everybody understands the importance of what we do,” he said.
USAC has already brought 800 tons of raw material to the Radersburg mill, and they’re now ready to start processing.
