Willcox International Advances West Virginia Rare Earth Project, Converting Coal-Based Byproducts into High-Value MREC

Project demonstrates consistent ~500ppm rare earth and critical mineral concentrates through multi year development for production of mixed rare earth carbonate

Willcox International Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS:WINH)

FISHERS, IN, UNITED STATES, March 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Willcox International Holdings Inc., (“WINH” or the “Company”) (OTCPK: WINH), a developer of high-value rare earth elements, critical minerals, and infrastructure-related materials for defense and industrial markets, today announced continued advancement of its Wyoming County, West Virginia rare earth project.

The project was marketed and funded with long term focus on the extraction and concentration of rare earth elements and critical minerals from unconventional resources - specifically, coal-based byproducts that have already been mined, processed, and stored on the surface. Over three years of testing and analysis, the Company has consistently identified concentrations exceeding ~500 parts per million (ppm) of rare earth and critical minerals within these materials. Additionally, this approach transforms historical environmental liabilities into strategic mineral assets.

These previously mined and landfilled materials will be further processed, concentrated, and conditioned on-site to produce a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) product, creating a high-value feedstock with minimal additional mining costs.

Tarlis Thompson, CEO of the Company’s mining operations stated, “Over the past three years, our team and partners have systematically validated and advanced what we believe to be one of the most compelling unconventional rare earth resource opportunities in the United States. By leveraging previously mined coal byproducts, we are able to access meaningful concentrations of both light and heavy rare earth elements and critical minerals without the need for traditional mining.”

“These materials - originating from clay-rich zones associated with metallurgical coal and historically processed through heavy media separation - have been stored in surface landfills on the property. Through our work, we are confident that these materials can be economically concentrated and conditioned into a mixed rare earth carbonate product to be further refined domestically through existing partnerships.”

“Through our collaboration with American Resources Corporation and ReElement Technologies, we are aligning upstream resource development with downstream refining capabilities. The MREC produced from this site is expected to serve as a direct feedstock into ReElement’s advanced chromatographic refining platform, enabling the production of ultra-high-purity materials for defense and commercial applications.”

“We continue to work with industry partners to optimize front-end leaching, concentration, and conditioning processes to further enhance recovery rates and scalability. This integrated approach positions the project to contribute meaningfully to the development of a domestic and allied supply chain for critical minerals.”

Strategic Resource Optionality

In addition to its rare earth potential, the Wyoming County Coal property also contains mid- and low-vol metallurgical coal resources, which may be monetized as market conditions improve.

The Company has previously acquired underground mining equipment and maintains the ability to support future production through leasing arrangements with local operators. Metallurgical coal pricing has declined from peak levels in recent years, contributing to mine closures among higher-cost producers; however, tightening supply dynamics may present future opportunities for economic recovery.

Expanded Mineral Potential

The Company has not yet completed comprehensive testing for additional high-value elements such as germanium (Ge), gallium (Ga), and other defense and technology-critical materials. A program is being developed to further evaluate the presence of these elements, which are commonly associated with similar clay-based deposits in the Appalachian and Illinois basins.

Supporting U.S. Supply Chain Resilience

Rare earth elements and critical minerals are essential to modern defense systems and advanced technologies. Materials such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), and terbium (Tb) are key inputs for high-performance permanent magnets used in precision-guided systems, aerospace platforms, and advanced electronics.

Other critical minerals - including lithium, cobalt, gallium, and germanium - play vital roles in energy storage, semiconductors, and optical systems.

As global supply chains remain highly concentrated and demand continues to increase, the development of domestic and allied sources of these materials has become a strategic priority. Projects such as Wyoming County Coal demonstrate how unconventional resources can be leveraged to strengthen supply chain resilience while reducing reliance on foreign-controlled processing capacity.

About Wilcox International Holdings Inc. (OTC:WINH)
Wilcox International Holdings Inc. is focused on the development of high value rare earths, critical minerals and other metal products for the global defense and infrastructure market. The Company is engaged in the extraction and processing of raw materials that feed the defense and infrastructure marketplace with a focus on critical minerals and steelmaking materials. The Company has a growing portfolio of operations located in the Central Appalachian basin as well as iron ore and vanadium assets in Jamaica. The Company is focused on partnering with best-in-class partners to enable a low-cost model centered on growth that provides significant opportunity to scale its portfolio of critical mineral related assets in the future. For more information visit www.willcoxintl.com

Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond American Infrastructure Holding Corporation’s control. The words “believes”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “would”, “could”, “continue”, “seeks”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “expects”, “intends”, “estimates”, or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.

Company Contact:
investor@willcoxintl.com

Investor Relations
Willcox International Holdings Inc.
+1 317-855-9926
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.