The Heart of a Global Industry

The most valuable strategic square acreage on the planet? Or a modest, charmingly low-key town in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina? The BBC provides a fascinating report on Spruce Pine - the Mineral City where the Unimin Corporation mines the world's main supply of high purity quartz from the local hills. High purity quartz is essential to the manufacture of silicon wafers.
posted by shoesfullofdust on Aug 2, 2009 - 18 comments