Last week, Niron Magnetics opened its first production plant in Minneapolis, marking a significant advancement in U.S.-based magnet production. At the event, a local musician’s electric guitar rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” highlighted the technology in action: the guitar’s pickups contained magnets made of iron and nitrogen, a material originally developed in the University of Minnesota laboratories.

The new magnets offer an alternative to rare earth magnets, which currently rely on 17 metals produced largely by China. This reliance has raised national security concerns, as noted by U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota DFLer, who attended the event and underscored the need for a secure domestic supply of critical materials.

Niron CEO Jonathan Rowntree described the company’s iron-nitrogen magnets as “the first new magnetic material in 40 years.” The opening of the Minneapolis plant is a result of 20 years of research and federal funding support, and Niron is already planning a full-scale facility near St. Cloud, with additional plants under consideration.

The technology was developed by Professor Jian-Ping Wang, who discovered iron nitride’s magnetic potential in the 2000s and published his findings in 2010. His research gained attention amid rising tensions over rare earth supplies, as China temporarily restricted exports of these materials in 2010 during a territorial dispute with Japan.

Apex Knows Magnets

Niron Magnetics’ new plant represents progress made in diversifying the magnet supply chain and reducing dependence on imported rare earth elements. This breakthrough has wide-reaching implications for technologies from electric vehicles to renewable energy infrastructure, signaling a shift toward a more resilient U.S. supply of critical materials.

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