Long will address why base metals deserve the same strategic attention as rare earth elements

Westwin Elements, America’s only Class 1 nickel refinery, today announced that its Founder and CEO, KaLeigh Long, will speak at Critical Minerals Expo North America, October 28–29, 2026, at the Cobb Convention Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

Critical Minerals Expo North America brings together more than 1,500 industry leaders and decision-makers from across the mining, processing, refining, manufacturing, recycling, technology, and policy sectors.

Long will participate in the October 28 panel, “Spotlight on Base Metals: Planning Ahead for Future Supply Chains.” The discussion will examine the importance of base metals and the policies and investments required to secure their future supply.

Rare earth elements play an essential role in modern technology and national defense, but they represent only part of America’s critical minerals challenge. Base metals such as nickel, copper, and zinc support the industrial economy at a far greater scale. They supply defense systems, aircraft, advanced alloys, stainless steel, energy infrastructure, transportation, and manufacturing.

“It is a privilege to join industry leaders at the Critical Minerals Expo North America to make the case for base metals as a national priority,” said Long. “Nickel is foundational to our defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing industries. America cannot achieve mineral security without the domestic capacity to refine the materials our industrial base depends on. Restoring domestic nickel refining is not just an economic priority. It is a matter of national security.”

Securing mineral resources requires more than access to feedstocks. Without domestic processing and refining, the United States must still send essential raw materials abroad before American manufacturers can use them. This dependence creates a strategic vulnerability at the most consequential point in the supply chain.

“For a resource to support American industry, it must be refined to the purity and morphology that manufacturers require,” Long added. “Refining is the critical link between our mineral resources and industrial strength, and the United States should approach domestic base-metal refining with the same urgency it has brought to rare earth supply chains.”

About Westwin Elements

Westwin Elements is scaling America’s only Class 1 nickel refinery, delivering high-purity Class 1 nickel and specialized nickel products for national security and industrial applications. Using carbonyl refining technology, Westwin is driving critical mineral independence and reshaping the future of sustainable metal refining.

For more information, visit www.westwinelements.com.

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