Sibelco announced that production has restarted at its mining and processing operations in Spruce Pine, located 80 kilometres northeast of Asheville

The company said in a news release that production and shipments are progressively ramping up to total capacity.

The hurricane showed that US semiconductor production depended on a single road connecting Spruce Pine to civilisation. After the storm, this road was blocked, leaving the town isolated.

 Sibelco CEO Hilmar Rode said: "While the road to full recovery for our communities will be long, restarting our operations and resuming shipments to customers are important contributors to rebuilding the local economy.”

 A Spruce Pine council member recently said that an estimated three-quarters of the town has a direct connection to the mines, whether through a job, a job that relies on the mines, or a family member who works at the facilities.

Sibelco, with support from its contractors, has been contributing to the local recovery efforts by clearing debris, repairing roads, providing road-building materials to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, installing temporary power generators for emergency shelters and local businesses, and