Hertha Metals Hits Iron Purity Target, Appoints New Leadership Ahead of New Facility
08/18/2026 - Hertha Metals announced it has met rare earth magnet manufacturer specifications, appointed Alec Glenn as its new vice president of operations and will open a new facility, Chalyx.
“High-purity iron is one of the least visible materials behind the magnets that power everything from electric vehicles to defense systems, and today almost none of it is made in America. We've now demonstrated that we can produce magnet-grade iron domestically, creating a new pathway to build a domestic supply chain,” said Laureen Meroueh, chief executive officer and founder of Hertha Metals.
The company said it is the first in the U.S. to achieve iron production at 99.95% purity. While production of iron at this purity usually requires an electrolytic refining process, Hertha meets the same requirements with its pyrometallurgical process. By achieving iron production at this purity on commercial-grade equipment, it qualifies the company to be a viable supplier.
The company said it will move from demonstration to commercial scale, focusing on building the new Chalyx plant. They hired Glenn to lead the buildout and will use Mark1, a developer-as-a-service for emerging industrial technologies, to bring expertise to unique industrial projects and support engineering and project development.
Glenn most recently served as vice president of reliability at JSW Steel USA. He also worked for AM/NS Calvert and Nucor Corp. He will lead operations at Hertha through the building and start-up of the new facility.
The company said Chalyx will break ground later this year.
The company said it is the first in the U.S. to achieve iron production at 99.95% purity. While production of iron at this purity usually requires an electrolytic refining process, Hertha meets the same requirements with its pyrometallurgical process. By achieving iron production at this purity on commercial-grade equipment, it qualifies the company to be a viable supplier.
The company said it will move from demonstration to commercial scale, focusing on building the new Chalyx plant. They hired Glenn to lead the buildout and will use Mark1, a developer-as-a-service for emerging industrial technologies, to bring expertise to unique industrial projects and support engineering and project development.
Glenn most recently served as vice president of reliability at JSW Steel USA. He also worked for AM/NS Calvert and Nucor Corp. He will lead operations at Hertha through the building and start-up of the new facility.
The company said Chalyx will break ground later this year.
