The Only U.S. Fluorspar Mine
In an era when supply chains are fragile, foreign powers control critical minerals, and national security depends on what we can produce here at home, few companies stand out like Ares Strategic Mining Inc.. This isn’t just another industrial operation. It’s part of a larger mission — a return to self-reliance, strategic strength, and American leadership.
Learn more about ARES Strategic Mining
The Strategic Mineral Gap: A National Weakness
For decades, the United States has watched its control over key resources slip away. One example is fluorspar — a non-metallic mineral officially designated a Critical Mineral by the U.S. government. It’s essential for steelmaking, electronics, clean energy, and defense systems. Yet America imports nearly 100% of its supply.
Fluorspar isn’t a luxury resource. It’s part of the backbone of modern industry:
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Steel and Aluminum: In its metallurgical form, fluorspar helps remove impurities and lower melting temperatures during production.
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Clean Energy and Electronics: In its acid form, it’s essential for manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, refining uranium, producing aluminum, and fabricating semiconductors.
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National Defense: Fluorochemicals derived from fluorspar are used in uranium enrichment and critical defense technologies.
When America depends on foreign governments for these inputs, it gives away leverage. If supply chains are disrupted or weaponized — whether through war, embargo, or economic pressure — our industries can be left vulnerable. That’s why fluorspar isn’t just an industrial commodity. It’s a national security resource.
ARES Strategic Mining: Reclaiming the Ground Beneath Our Feet
The Only U.S. Fluorspar Mine
ARES owns and operates the only fully permitted fluorspar mine in the United States, the Lost Sheep Mine in Utah. This alone makes the company strategically important. With no other domestic operation of its kind, ARES occupies a unique position — one that directly strengthens American self-reliance.
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The Lost Sheep property includes over 5,900 acres and 353 claims.
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The site holds high-grade fluorspar with low impurities, verified through technical studies.
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The mine already has active permits in place, which is often the largest barrier to entry in this sector.
ARES is also expanding its footprint with the Campbell-Croster project in Kentucky, a deposit estimated at more than 600,000 tons of high-quality fluorspar. These efforts mark a serious commitment to creating a domestic fluorspar industry, something the U.S. hasn’t had in decades.
More information about their mining sites and mission: https://www.aresmining.com/about-ares
A Strategic Mission, Not Just a Business Plan
The company’s stated goal is clear: return fluorspar manufacturing to North America. But more than words, ARES is building the infrastructure — not just mining, but processing and manufacturing capacity. That vertical approach means America won’t just dig the resource out of the ground and ship it abroad. It will refine, process, and control it here at home.
That kind of strategy isn’t about short-term profits. It’s about long-term national strength.
Momentum on the Ground
In recent years, ARES has made significant progress:
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Secured $11 million in state funding from Utah to accelerate development.
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Installed a flotation plant on site, which will allow the company to process fluorspar domestically rather than relying on foreign facilities.
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Acquired key equipment and mobilized construction crews to restart active mining and processing.
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Expanded to additional properties in Kentucky to secure greater resource stability.
This progress hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Utah legislature identified fluorspar — and the gallium associated with ARES’s deposits — as resources of strategic value. That recognition is more than a symbolic gesture. It reflects a growing understanding among policymakers that domestic production is critical to national resilience.
Strengthening America’s Strategic Position
Securing the Supply Chain
America has learned a hard lesson over the past two decades: when critical resources are concentrated overseas, foreign governments hold the upper hand. From microchips to rare earth elements, these supply chains are vulnerable to coercion, inflation, or outright disruption.
ARES offers a way to secure one of those strategic links. By developing fluorspar and related materials here at home, the U.S. can reduce dependence, stabilize prices, and strengthen its ability to defend itself economically and militarily.
The Gallium Advantage
In addition to fluorspar, ARES has identified gallium as a co-product in its deposits. Gallium is a critical element in advanced electronics and defense technologies, including semiconductors and high-efficiency power systems. Global supplies are limited — and much of it is controlled by foreign governments.
Developing this domestic resource gives the United States a critical edge in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and defense technologies.
No Domestic Competitor
ARES currently faces no domestic competition in this niche. That’s a rare situation — and a strategic advantage. By moving quickly and building capacity, the company can anchor an entirely new U.S. supply chain, while others are still years away from securing permits.
Aligned with National Interests
The U.S. government has been increasingly vocal about the need to reshore critical mineral supply chains. Fluorspar and gallium are on that list. ARES is not operating in isolation — its work aligns directly with growing federal and state efforts to prioritize domestic resource development.
That alignment opens the door to strategic partnerships, public-private initiatives, and preferential treatment in future procurement and funding programs. When the private sector and national interest align, industries can be built that last for generations.
Visit Ares Strategic Mining to explore their role in securing America’s critical mineral future.
Realistic Challenges
Every major industrial project faces headwinds, and ARES is no exception. Bringing a mine into full operation is complex, expensive, and subject to delays. Managing costs, avoiding project overruns, and sustaining investor confidence are critical.
Commodity markets can be volatile. Prices for fluorspar and gallium depend on global demand cycles. And like any mining operation, ARES must maintain environmental compliance and community trust.
But those are manageable challenges — and they pale in comparison to the cost of remaining dependent on foreign supply chains.
A Return to American Strength
To fully understand ARES, you have to look beyond the balance sheet. This company represents something larger — the return of industrial capacity to American soil. When critical resources are mined, refined, and controlled here at home, the nation becomes stronger. It gains independence, security, and the power to chart its own course.
For more than a century, America built greatness on its ability to produce — steel, energy, transportation, innovation. Today’s generation faces a new kind of industrial challenge: critical minerals. Companies like ARES are part of the solution.
Every ton of fluorspar mined in Utah is one less ton America has to buy from foreign powers. Every processing plant built here strengthens domestic manufacturing. Every job created in the heartland is another step toward a secure and self-reliant nation.
The Road Ahead
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Scaling up production will give ARES the capacity to supply a significant share of U.S. fluorspar demand.
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Vertical integration through domestic processing will capture more value and reduce foreign dependency.
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Strategic partnerships with manufacturers and defense contractors could anchor long-term stability.
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Expansion through multiple sites like Kentucky will build a secure, distributed supply network.
These steps won’t just benefit the company. They will help shield the nation from future shocks and make sure critical industries are never left waiting for a foreign shipment.
A Call to National Resolve
The United States became great by building. That hasn’t changed. The future will belong to the nations that control their resources, protect their industries, and secure their supply chains.
ARES Strategic Mining stands at the intersection of those priorities. Supporting domestic mining isn’t just good business — it’s an act of national defense. It’s a statement that this country will not surrender its future to foreign control. It will build it, mine it, and own it — right here on American soil.
Learn more: https://www.aresmining.com/about-ares
Disclosure: Craig Bushon is an investor in ARES Strategic Mining Inc.
Disclaimer: The information above is for educational and informational purposes. It reflects publicly available data and analysis and should not be construed as investment advice.
