Montana
Montana antimony smelter expands amid federal push for domestic sources
Thirteen miles west of Thompson Falls and the banks of the Clark Fork River, a dirt road leads to a cluster of weathered green buildings and rusted remains of mining operations long quiet, until recently.
The humming comes from furnaces blasting pieces of slag into molten metal. This is Stibnite Hill, a smelting facility nestled in the Coeur D’Alene mountains. Inside, Plant Manager Rob Hill is in charge.
“This is what’s called sodium antimonate. It’s like wet sand. We run it with coal and soda ash into this furnace. It’s about 60 percent antimony.”
Hill works for United States Antimony Corporation, or USAC. It’s a small company that has quietly operated here since 1969. Now, that’s changing.
Antimony is an ingredient used in certain military applications, including flame retardants, infrared sensors and nuclear weapons.
Antimony is an ingredient used in certain military applications, including flame retardants, infrared sensors and nuclear weapons. As the Trump administration’s policies to bolster domestic mineral extraction have rolled out, the lesser-known metalloid took center stage.
“We became literally the only game in town so we really had to start running,” Hill says.
Stibnite Hill contains the only smelting facility for this material in the country. As a result, USAC was recently charged with replenishing domestic stockpiles. The project raises hopes and concerns for locals who have experienced the impacts of mining industries in western Montana.
For several decades, the U.S. has relied on foreign imports for antimony. Recent trade wars have compromised those imports.
In 2023, China, Russia and Tajikistan controlled about 90 percent of global antimony production. In December 2024, China banned all exports of it to the United States. That ban has since been lifted, but trade today remains stringent.
Last year, United States Antimony Corporation won a $248 million sole-source contract to resupply the federal government. CEO Gary Evans says they were the only company qualified to bid.
Last year, United States Antimony Corporation won a $248 million sole-source contract to resupply the federal government.
CEO Gary Evans says they were the only company qualified to bid.
“When the government needed more antimony ingots, which are used as an inventory supply for future wars, they contacted us.”
The company grew significantly over the last three years. Their revenues more than doubled in 2025, as did their stock value. Most of that growth came prior to their first antimony deliveries to the federal government.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte attended the groundbreaking ceremony and issued a press release supporting the company’s growth.
“We’ve been able to basically take an older, sleepy company and revitalize it with a new board, new management team and new directions,” Evans says.
The goal is to smelt 400 tons of antimony per month, ideally with ore mined from Montana, Idaho or Alaska. The expansion project cost $20 million and will add about 25 new jobs.
The goal is to smelt 400 tons of antimony per month, ideally with ore mined from Montana, Idaho or Alaska. To meet demands, the company must expand production capacity up to 500%.
The expansion project cost $20 million and will add about 25 new jobs.
One January morning, Plant Manager Rob Hill stands next to a cylindrical stone furnace, roaring with heat.
“What we need to do is get the antimony out of it,” he says. “We just load it into there, heat it up, it melts down. We’ll pour this whole thing up, this whole furnace will pour into these molds …”
In the next room, wooden pallets are stacked with dozens of shiny, grey antimony ingots.
“There’s over 100,000 pounds sitting here right now,” Hill says.
Their primary role today is smelting, but officials say they plan to reopen the underground antimony mine here too. Company officials say some surface mining has already begun.
Just down the road, Kevin Bush owns the Wild Coyote Saloon, a restaurant, bar and campground. He says the uptick in activity has been good for business.
“I thought it was good, we needed jobs in this area, so yeah, I had no problems with it.”
Inside the saloon, Plains-local Medric Jones sips a drink with his wife. He grew up a half hour from Thompson Falls and remembers mines supplying most of the jobs around.
“That’s jobs for the people in the middle of nowhere. It’s jobs for these people, us people,” Jones says.
But the legacy of mining in the region also spurs concerns. Prospect Creek, a tributary of the Clark Fork River that runs adjacent to Stibnite Hill, is already on the state’s list of impaired waterways due to mining pollution.
Cesar Hernandez is with grassroots conservation organization, the Cabinet Resource Group.
“The organization I represent is not against mining, but if it has to be done it needs to be done right,” Hernandez says.
He’s concerned about any mining projects approved under an era of weakened environmental protections and mining regulations.
“This isn’t just an issue of jobs and big money, but there will be increasing impacts from whatever goes on up at the mine.”
U.S. Antimony Corporation officials responded to these concerns saying they plan to “put the land back” in better shape than it was before.
Back in Thompson Falls, Robert Hill reflects on his 32 years with the company. He says the rapid growth has been impactful.
“This little backwoods Montana rural company is suddenly a hub of some very, very important materials, and we’re a name and we are not used to that. We really aren’t. It’s a unique position to be in, for sure,” Hill says.
The full expansion is estimated to be complete by the end of April. They plan to provide $75 million worth of antimony to the government in 2026.
Requests for interviews with local government officials about the project were denied.
BILLINGS — A new report highlighting aging roads and bridges across Montana is raising concerns in Billings, but transportation leaders say long-term investments and infrastructure projects are already underway to address the problem.
Watch the story below:
Montana transportation leaders address aging infrastructure at Billings summit
The report from national transportation research group TRIP found seven bridges in the Billings area are in poor condition, while another 186 are rated fair. Statewide, nearly one-third of Montana’s major roads are considered in poor condition, and 7% of bridges are classified as structurally deficient.
New report flags Billings bridges, rough roads as infrastructure concerns
The report did not identify the specific bridges in Billings.
For residents like Alisha Oster, who works at a gas station near the Blue Creek bridge that spans the Yellowstone River, concerns about aging infrastructure feel personal. She said crossing the bridge can feel unsettling, especially when large trucks pass through.
“When you go across it, it sounds like it’s cracking sometimes,” Oster said. “It just sometimes makes me feel like I’m just going to fall.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
Crews rehabilitated the Blue Creek bridge in 2024, but Oster said the report heightened concerns about other bridges in the Billings area.
“So it is concerning, not just this bridge, but like all the other bridges around Billings,” she said. “What happens if the bridge does cave in?”
Transportation leaders said the report’s findings were expected and reflect challenges the state has already been working to address.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“We’re well aware that it was going to come out,” Montana Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington said. “The results are not surprising. Some of Montana’s roads and bridges need attention.”
On Thursday, transportation officials, contractors, and local leaders gathered at the Northern Hotel in downtown Billings for the 2026 Infrastructure Summit, where discussions focused on long-term transportation and infrastructure needs across the state.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
Dorrington said the summit brought together stakeholders from transportation, water, and wastewater systems, local governments, and private industry.
“We all came together … all interested in trying to do the very best of what we can for Montana’s transportation system,” Dorrington said.
David Smith, executive director of the Montana Contractors Association and chair of the Montana Infrastructure Coalition, said many rural and county-owned bridges across Montana are decades old and in need of repair or replacement.
“We have a lot of off-system bridges, which are county bridges that are in old shape,” Smith said. “They’re 70, 80, 90 years old, so they need attention.”
Dorrington said MDT monitors thousands of bridges statewide through a rotating inspection schedule and has already developed long-term investment plans to address deteriorating infrastructure.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
“In Montana, out of 5,000 (bridges), we have a lot that are going to need to be rebuilt, in addition to being maintained,” Dorrington said. “We look at the report as an indicator.”
He said the state plans to invest $1 billion into bridge projects over the next five years, including repairs or replacements for roughly 40 bridges annually.
Montana bridges are breaking down, but state has $1 billion plan to fix them
Still, officials acknowledged that inflation and rising construction costs continue stretching transportation dollars thinner.
“We still receive about the same amount of fuel tax revenues, and cars are more efficient,” Smith said. “So the income level for the state has been pretty flat through the years, but the cost of construction has greatly increased.”
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
The TRIP report warned that delaying repairs only increases long-term costs. According to the report, every dollar of deferred road and bridge maintenance can lead to an additional $4 to $5 in future repair costs.
Aging roads and rising costs put pressure Montana’s infrastructure system
Despite the challenges, officials pointed to major projects already completed in Billings as evidence that infrastructure investments are improving safety and capacity. Smith highlighted the recently completed $72 million Yellowstone River bridge replacement on Interstate 90.
“It increased the safety and the capacity for the interstate through Billings,” Smith said. “It’s been a great project, but it’s not cheap.”
Leaders at the summit also discussed future transportation projects, including planned improvements to the Johnson Lane interchange in Lockwood, which is expected to become a diverging diamond interchange.
Isabel Spartz/MTN News
The summit also focused on broader infrastructure concerns beyond highways and bridges, including water systems, wastewater facilities, rail infrastructure, and airports.
While construction projects may frustrate drivers in the short term, leaders argued that proactive investment can prevent larger infrastructure failures and more expensive repairs later.
“It’s important that associations and government work together to try and make sure that we’re in front of those things and anticipating where there might be failures in the future and mitigate that,” Smith said.
After approval from the board of trustees, Cancer Support Community Montana will expand and add a physical location in Helena.
Established in 2004, the non-profit currently has chapters in Missoula and Bozeman, while Helena has been operating as a chapter-in-development.
Now that members have voted to become a full chapter, they’re looking to find a permanent space in Helena where people can gather for support and connection.
Recent data shows nearly 600 people in the Helena area are diagnosed with cancer each year.
The non-profit offers free support programs with the goal of fostering community and breaking down barriers to care.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 20, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 20 drawing
10-28-30-46-57, Powerball: 25, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 20 drawing
05-14-26-39-46, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 20 drawing
14-18-25-30, Bonus: 07
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 20 drawing
12-27-37-40-66, Powerball: 17
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from May 20 drawing
02-37-39-42-43
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 20 drawing
14-23-27-44-50, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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