HG Ventures Invests in and Partners with American Rare Earth To Expand Battery Recycling

INDIANAPOLIS --HG Ventures, a venture capital investment firm and division of The Heritage Group that supports a sustainable future in materials, infrastructure, environmental solutions and industrial systems, announced today that it has invested in and formed a strategic partnership with American Rare Earth LLC, a subsidiary of the American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) to scale up recycling of batteries, magnets and e-waste to recover and supply critical and rare earth metals to U.S. and global markets and contribute to the circular economy. Through its investment, HG Ventures has an ownership stake in American Rare Earth, as well as rights and warrants for subsequent investment.

The companies will pair American Rare Earth’s recycling technology and capabilities processing waste materials to recover and produce raw materials, with HG Ventures’ and The Heritage Group’s industry knowledge and supply chain expertise and connections to scale U.S. rare earth and critical metals production to supply manufacturers of electric motors and magnets.

With American Rare Earths’ first purification facility expected to be operational in the first half of 2022, this partnership further strengthens American Rare Earth’s foothold into various feedstock relationships for battery and magnet material including from spent electric vehicle and windmill motors and e-waste for which there is currently no comprehensive, sustainable, end-of-life solution. Additionally, the partnership opens up relationships with public and private customers demanding these purified metals to drive the growth and success of the electrification and clean tech markets while advancing national security interests.

American Rare Earth and Heritage are expediting the path to being the United States’ first and lowest cost producer of domestically-sourced, purified and sustainable battery and magnet metals.

“We look forward to partnering with American Rare Earth to expand production of rare earth elements and critical metals by recycling electric motors, batteries and other e-waste, which will help address U.S. supply chain and sustainability challenges,” said Jonathan Schalliol Director at HG Ventures. “As demand for batteries and smart electronics soars, this partnership aims to help drive growth in the U.S. raw materials market to expand our country’s domestic manufacturing capabilities. The U.S. has the opportunity to lead in closed-loop and circular material supply, and it starts with this type of cross-sector collaboration.”

The partnership will also enable Heritage portfolio companies to work directly with American Rare Earth and utilize their technology and processes to produce rare earth and critical metal raw materials.

“We are thrilled to team up with HG Ventures and benefit from their outstanding expertise, network and shared vision to redefine how critical and rare earth elements are sourced, processed and purified as part of a sustainable, circular supply chain,” said Mark Jensen, CEO of American Resources Corporation. “Scaling up a closed-loop and circular supply of these increasingly important materials will bring impactful solutions to the domestic supply of rare earths and critical metals, and enable the U.S. to compete on a global basis.”

The partnership builds on HG Ventures’ proven track record delivering new solutions and advancing socio-economic progress through science, world-class R&D, business, venture capital and strategic acquisitions.

About HG Ventures
HG Ventures is the corporate venture arm of The Heritage Group, headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind. HG Ventures supports innovation and growth across The Heritage Group by investing and partnering with innovative, high-growth companies to support a sustainable future. We leverage the world-class expertise of The Heritage Group operating companies and research center to offer a unique value proposition to our portfolio company partners. www.hgventures.com.

About The Heritage Group
Founded in 1930, The Heritage Group (THG) is a fourth-generation, family-owned business managing a diverse portfolio of companies specializing in heavy construction and materials, environmental services, and specialty chemicals. Companies within the THG portfolio include Heritage Environmental Services, Heritage Construction + Materials, and Monument Chemical. With more than 5,000 employees and 30 operating companies worldwide, THG aims to build a safer, more enriching and sustainable world by harnessing the power of family.

About American Resources Corporation
American Resources Corporation is a next-generation, environmentally and socially responsible supplier of high-quality raw materials to the new infrastructure market. The Company is focused on the extraction and processing of metallurgical carbon, an essential ingredient used in steelmaking, critical and rare earth minerals for the electrification market, and reprocessed metal to be recycled. American Resources has a growing portfolio of operations located in the Central Appalachian basin of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia where premium quality metallurgical carbon and rare earth mineral deposits are concentrated.

American Resources has established a nimble, low-cost business model centered on growth, which provides a significant opportunity to scale its portfolio of assets to meet the growing global infrastructure and electrification markets while also continuing to acquire operations and significantly reduce their legacy industry risks. Its streamlined and efficient operations are able to maximize margins while reducing costs. For more information visit americanresourcescorp.com.

About American Rare Earth LLC
American Rare Earth is redefining how critical and rare earth elements are both sourced and processed while focusing on the recycling of end-of-life products such as rare earth permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, as well as coal-based waste streams and byproducts to create a low-cost and environmentally-safe, circular supply chain. American Rare Earth has developed its innovative and scalable “Capture-Process-Purify” process chain in conjunction with its licensed intellectual property including 16 patents and technologies and sponsored research partnerships with three leading universities to support the domestic supply chain’s growing demand for magnet and battery metals. For more information visit arareearthcorp.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.