Ionic MT Taps Mining Vet to Scale Up Key US Critical Minerals Hub

PROVO, UT – March 04, 2026 – Ionic Mineral Technologies has appointed veteran mining executive Michael Stephan Wright as its new Chief Development Officer, a strategic move signaling the company’s shift from pilot-stage development to the full-scale production of its nationally significant Silicon Ridge critical minerals project. The appointment, effective March 8, places a seasoned leader at the helm of an initiative central to America’s push for supply chain sovereignty over materials essential for defense, electrification, and advanced technology.

Mr. Wright will be responsible for executing the entire scale-up of the Silicon Ridge project, a unique polymetallic deposit in Utah. His mandate includes overseeing the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) strategy, navigating permitting, and managing resource development and extraction operations. He will report directly to CEO Andre Zeitoun.

An Architect for a Cornerstone Project

Michael Wright joins Ionic MT with over 25 years of global experience delivering complex, large-scale mining and processing programs, some valued at up to $6 billion. His recent tenure as Vice President of Projects at Perpetua Resources saw him lead the approximately $2.2 billion Stibnite Gold Project, advancing it through design development and financing readiness while helping secure over $800 million in project equity. His extensive background includes senior roles at industry giants like Teck Resources, Newmont Goldcorp, Fluor, and Bechtel, across a wide array of commodities including gold, copper, and rare-earth elements.

This track record is precisely what Ionic MT needs as it prepares to transform its Utah-based asset into a major production hub. “Silicon Ridge is a cornerstone of America’s effort to build sovereign supply chains for strategic materials,” said Andre Zeitoun, CEO of Ionic MT. “Michael brings the technical discipline, financing experience and owner-team leadership needed to move Silicon Ridge from pilot to financeable, large-scale production. Under his guidance, we will accelerate safe, bankable execution while preserving strong community and regulatory engagement.”

Unlocking Utah's Mineral Treasure

Located in Utah's Lake Mountains district, the Silicon Ridge project is centered on a unique halloysite-hosted ion-adsorption-clay (IAC-Plus) deposit. The company holds a 13,000-acre state-leased position, with a validated 650-acre core underpinning what it calls a “shovel-ready” development pathway. Ionic MT has emphasized that its existing mining permits and a 74,000-square-foot processing facility in Provo enable a rapid move toward commercial operations.

Independent assay work has confirmed the deposit's extraordinary potential. It contains a full spectrum of both light and heavy rare earths, alongside a suite of critical technology metals including gallium, germanium, scandium, rubidium, cesium, lithium, vanadium, tungsten, and niobium. Initial results have shown a combined grade of approximately 2,700 parts per million (ppm), an enrichment factor that compares favorably to the world's leading IAC deposits in China, which typically range from 500 to 2,000 ppm. This robust mineralization has been confirmed in just a fraction of the total resource area, suggesting significant potential for expansion.

The Geopolitical Imperative for Domestic Supply

The development of Silicon Ridge is set against a backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions and growing concerns over supply chain vulnerabilities. The United States is heavily reliant on foreign imports for dozens of critical minerals, with China dominating the global production and processing of rare earths. Recent export restrictions on materials like gallium and germanium have highlighted the strategic risks of this dependency.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has identified critical material shortfalls exceeding $18.5 billion, and the Pentagon has moved to secure a $2 billion emergency stockpile of strategic minerals. Projects like Silicon Ridge are seen as a direct answer to this challenge. By developing a domestic source for materials crucial to AI semiconductor chips, permanent magnets for EVs, and advanced defense systems, Ionic MT is positioning itself as a key player in U.S. national and economic security.

A New Blueprint for Sustainable Mining

Beyond its strategic importance, the Silicon Ridge project aims to set a new standard for environmentally responsible mineral extraction. Ionic MT's proprietary, low-temperature ion-exchange process avoids the high-heat roasting and heavy acids characteristic of traditional hard rock mining. The company claims its patented technology is a lower-emission, nearly waste-free method that can achieve up to 95% mineral recovery.

This innovative approach enables a vertically integrated model that produces multiple high-value product streams from a single halloysite feedstock. In addition to recovered critical metals and rare earths, Ionic MT is producing:

• IonAL™ High-Purity Alumina: A precursor material for advanced ceramics, semiconductors, and aerospace applications.
• Ionisil™ Nano-Silicon: A proprietary anode material for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, which the company claims can improve energy density by 30-40% over traditional graphite. This material is currently undergoing qualification with Tier-1 battery manufacturers, targeting commercial qualification by 2027.

The company’s financial footing was recently solidified by an oversubscribed $29 million Series B financing round, with the capital earmarked for scaling production at its Provo facility. With Citigroup engaged as its capital markets adviser and a proven project-builder now on board, Ionic MT is making a clear statement about its readiness to execute.

“I’m honored to join Ionic MT at this pivotal moment,” said Michael Wright. “My immediate priorities are to establish an execution-ready owner’s organization, finalize EPCM and contracting strategies, and deliver a clear, financeable pathway from extraction and concentration to commercial production. Silicon Ridge’s halloysite feedstock not only hosts critical metals and rare earths but enables co-production of IonAL™ high-purity alumina and Ionisil™ nano-silicon—together forming a vertically integrated U.S. supply chain for advanced technologies.”