JS Link America to invest $223M in rare earth magnet manufacturing plant in Georgia

[Ben Graham]

Magnet manufacturer JS Link America announced Thursday it is investing about $223 million to establish a new rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing facility in Columbus, Georgia.   

JS Link’s new manufacturing facility will be located at the Muscogee Technology Park in Columbus. The 130,000-square-foot facility is predicted to have an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons, and the company said it will create approximately 520 new jobs in Muscogee County.   

JS Link America is a subsidiary of Seoul, Korea based biotechnology company JS Link that specializes in research and development. JS Link is nearing completion on a similar permanent magnet facility in Yesan, Korea, with an anticipated a pilot production run in September and annual capacity of 1,000 tons. 

Rare earth metals are essential in heavy magnets that power electric vehicles, consumer electronics and military applications, and MP Materials is the only US producer, out of its Mountain Pass mine in California. 

China dominates the global rare earth industry, controlling the vast majority of the world’s rare earth processing and refining capacity. 

“JS Link America strengthens Georgia’s role in securing the U.S. supply chain in industries such as aerospace, mobility, and energy,” Governor Brian Kemp said in a statement. 

“From day one, Georgia’s economic development team, local community leadership in Columbus, and Georgia Power all welcomed JS Link with a pro-business approach. Georgia’s universities with their engineering programs also provide ready-made labor force for JS Link America,” JS Link America CEO Jun Y. Lee added. 

 “JS Link plans to be a part of a value chain focused entirely on Western nations to meet the growing demand for permanent magnets sourced from strategic allies such as Korea. This new chain will cover the entire process, from the procurement of essential rare-earth materials to the final manufacturing of the magnets.”  

The 130,000-square-foot facility is predicted to have an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons. Operations are expected to begin in late 2027.  

Operations are expected to begin in late 2027, the company said.