Published: February 20, 2025 |

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United States Antimony Corporation (USAC) has appointed two new vice presidents of the company in different divisions. Rodney (Rod) Blakestad is now vice president of the Mining Division and Leo Jackson is now vice president of the Mexican Antimony Division.

“Rod’s extensive background in hard rock mineral development, especially in Alaska, makes him an excellent addition to our leadership team,” said Joe Bardswich, executive vice president and chief mining engineer at U.S. Antimony.

“His leadership will be critical in optimizing our operations and ensuring we remain at the forefront of the domestic antimony market with our own ability to supply existing downstream operating facilities,” added Bardswich.

Rodney Blakestad is an economic geologist with a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Alaska (1973) and a Juris Doctor in environmental and natural resources law from the University of Denver (1989). With more than 45 years of experience in the hard rock mining space, he has played a key role in mineral exploration and development, including project funding, acquisitions, and management of open-pit gold and copper mines. His expertise spans porphyry systems, gold deposits, volcanic massive sulfides, PGM deposits, and brine systems, contributing to major discoveries such as Fort Knox in Alaska. Recognized as a Qualified Person under Canadian NI 43-101 and a Certified Professional Geologist, he continues to lead and advance mineral projects with a strong technical and regulatory foundation.

Rod Blakestad joins U.S. Antimony with decades of experience in resource development and strategic growth initiatives. Rod and his wife are in the process of moving to Alaska where he will oversee all the Company’s mining operations in the state. His expertise in mineral exploration and regulatory compliance will play a key role in advancing the Company’s long-term development plans in sourcing critical minerals.

“Leo’s deep industry expertise and hands-on leadership will be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to solidify our position as North America’s leading antimony producer,” said John Gustavsen, president of the Antimony Division at U.S. Antimony.

“His ability to streamline processes and enhance production efficiency aligns with our commitment to strengthening North American supply chains for all industries that require this critical mineral,” added Gustavsen.

Leo Jackson was born and raised in the southwestern United States. He attended Sul Ross State University in West Texas and received a business degree with a minor in Spanish. Capitalizing on his fluency in Spanish and his keen interest in geology, he has lived and worked in Mexico for more than 40 years, first working in the production of industrial minerals such as fluorspar and celestite. Approximately 25 years ago, he began his association with United States Antimony Corporation as a member of the board of directors. During his association with the company, Leo has overseen permitting at the smelter at Madero in Coahuila, Mexico, and has overseen labor-related negotiations. He has been involved in the purchase of real estate for both the smelter and the flotation facility in the state of Guanajuato and has consistently been involved in logistics of importing antimony oxide and metal from Mexico to the United States as well as supplies from the United States into Mexico.

Leo Jackson brings extensive experience in mineral processing and operations management with a proven track record in optimizing production and supply chain logistics. He has been a contracted consultant to the company for more than 15 years and is fluent in speaking Spanish. His leadership will be instrumental in advancing U.S. Antimony’s operational capabilities located in Mexico as the Ccompany scales up to meet ever growing demand for its products.

The appointments of Messrs. Blakestad, and Jackson come as U.S. Antimony continues to strengthen its bench strengths and operational foundation. Their leadership, along with the existing management team, will support the company’s mission to provide a reliable supply of antimony, a critical mineral essential to national defense, energy storage, and industrial applications.

United States Antimony Corporation and its subsidiaries in the U.S. and Mexico sell processed antimony, zeolite, and precious metals products in the U.S. and Canada. The company processes antimony ore primarily into antimony oxide, antimony metal, and antimony trisulfide. Its antimony oxide is used to form a flame-retardant system for plastics, rubber, fiberglass, textile goods, paints, coatings and paper, as a color fastener in paint, and as a phosphorescent agent in fluorescent light bulbs. Its antimony metal is used in bearings, storage batteries, and ordnance. Its antimony trisulfide is used as a primer in ammunition. In its operations in Idaho, the company mines and processes zeolite, a group of industrial minerals used in soil amendment and fertilizer, water filtration, sewage treatment, nuclear waste and other environmental cleanup, odor control, gas separation, animal nutrition, and other miscellaneous applications. They recover certain amounts of precious metals, primarily gold and silver, at our plant in Montana from antimony concentrates.

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