Phoenix Tailings has selected Rochester, New York, as the site of a $1.2 billion-plus rare earth processing project aimed at reducing America’s reliance on foreign suppliers of critical minerals and strengthening its domestic manufacturing base.
The company will establish Freedom Separation at Eastman Business Park, creating a commercial-scale facility designed to process both mined and recycled rare earth materials into separated oxides used in domestic rare earth metal production.
At full capacity, the facility is expected to process more than 18,000 tons of rare earth feedstock annually and produce more than 4,400 tons of separated rare earth oxides, positioning it among the world’s largest operations of its kind. Production is scheduled to begin ramping up in 2027, with full production targeted for 2028.
The project is expected to support more than 200 direct jobs in New York, including 90 at launch. Across its wider separation-and-metallization platform, Phoenix Tailings projects more than 500 jobs across facilities in New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, along with a future location.
For Rochester, the investment brings a major industrial project to a region with deep manufacturing roots. For the United States, it represents another push to expand domestic capacity to process the rare earth materials essential to modern technology and national security.
Selected following a nationwide search, Eastman Business Park offers the industrial infrastructure Phoenix Tailings needs, alongside a workforce experienced in engineering, advanced manufacturing, chemical processing and plant operations.
Phoenix Tailings CEO and co-founder Nick Myers said the Rochester location also carries personal significance, citing his family’s manufacturing ties to the region.
“My grandfather, Nicholas Sfikas, started Rochester 100 Inc. just 15 minutes from the site of our new facility. Growing up watching him build his amazing company, and having worked on the factory floor myself, I know firsthand the depth of talent and manufacturing expertise in Rochester.
“Technology can give America control over its critical supply chains, but it takes skilled, determined people to turn that promise into production. Rochester has those people. They know how to build, how to innovate, and how to run world-class industrial operations. I am proud that Phoenix will build the future of American rare earth processing here.”
The facility will be able to handle a range of mined and recycled feedstocks, giving the company flexibility in sourcing the materials needed for production.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul welcomed the project, highlighting its expected job creation and role in building a domestic supply chain for critical minerals.
“I am committed to supporting innovative projects andcompanies that are ready to invest in New York and bring good-paying jobs,” Governor Kathy Hochul said.
“Phoenix Tailings will not only create at least 90 new jobs at Eastman Business Park, further supporting our state’s innovation economy, but they will also play a critical role in bolstering our national security by building a supply chain for rare earth elements in New York, reducing reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals.”
US Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, also backed the investment, pointing to the region’s manufacturing potential and the strategic importance of reducing dependence on foreign processors.
“I’m proud to welcome Phoenix Tailings to the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. This new investment will bring rare earth mineral manufacturing operations, along with at least 90 new, good-paying jobs, to Eastman Business Park. This is critical for reducing our reliance on foreign processors and protecting our national security."
The Freedom Project has secured a $500 million conditional loan commitment from the Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital under the Trump administration.
