Sumter, S.C. – December 12, 2025 – eVAC Magnetics LLC and Vacuumschmelze (VAC) Group announced today that it has shipped the first neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets from its manufacturing facility in Sumter, S.C.

This delivery marks the first rare-earth magnet production for commercial use in the United States in the 21^st Century and represents a historic step in strengthening America’s rare-earth supply chain.

“This first shipment demonstrates that VAC delivers cutting-edge magnets from right here in the United States for a range of commercial and military uses,” said Dr. Erik Eschen, Chief Executive Officer of VAC Group. “Our investment in South Carolina was a promise to protect America’s industrial dominance and strengthen its national security. VAC promised to get this state-of-the-art facility built on time and our outstanding team in South Carolina delivered ahead of schedule.”

With U.S. civilian and military demand for rare-earth permanent magnets rising each year, the eVAC facility is ready to meet the needs across both markets. Commercial applications for eVAC magnets are nearly endless and are essential in countless industry applications, such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, and medical devices. And eVAC’s Sumter facility is also on track to fulfill one of its primary missions: to bolster the United States’ military production capacity.

Rare-earth magnets support mission-critical applications across all service branches, powering electric propulsion, actuators, guidance systems, sensors, and much more. As the Pentagon makes strides to boost efficiency and modernize our armed forces, eVAC is standing by to produce the magnets that power essential equipment across all systems and all branches.

“This milestone is significant, but it represents more than just one delivery,” said Scott Pelhank, VP Global Sales of VAC Group. “This shipment represents that our commitment to reshoring domestic capacity, reinforcing our industrial independence, hardening our national security, and creating stable, quality, upwardly mobile jobs right here in America is real, not just an aspiration.”

eVAC Magnetics’ South Carolina facility sources key raw materials through a strategic partnership with MP Materials, which supplies neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) feedstock from its Mountain Pass mine in California, which is the second largest NdPr resource in the world.

Opened in fall 2025, eVAC Magnetics’ facility will quickly scale to an annual production capacity of 2,000 metric tons of magnets by the first quarter of 2026, with the ability to scale up to six times that amount in the coming years, thanks to additional strategic partnerships throughout the western hemisphere.

The eVAC Magnetics facility has created approximately 300 jobs for South Carolinians in a range of manufacturing and management positions, and aims to grow to a staff of 1,000 or more in the coming years.

As the western world’s only producer of permanent magnets VAC Group has demonstrated the ability to produce, and scale, at a rate unmatched by any other rare-earth manufacturer. eVAC looks forward to continuing its growth in the United States with the support of both private and public investments and continuing to play a critical role in protecting America’s national and economic security.