COVE CAPITAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Executive Officer
- Managing Partner
Pini Althaus has been an executive in the mining industry for more than 20 years.
Most recently, Pini founded USA Rare Earth, which owns the largest heavy rare earth deposit in North America. The project also contains high-tech metals, including lithium, gallium, zirconium, hafnium and beryllium. Pini opened the first rare earth and critical minerals processing facility in North America. Pini also acquired the only neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) permanent magnet manufacturing system in the Americas, formerly owned and operated in North Carolina by Hitachi Metals America, Ltd. These magnets can be used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and other renewables.
Given Mr. Althaus's early adoption and advocacy for the need for the United States (and the West) to establish a domestic supply chain for rare earths, lithium, and other critical minerals independent of China, Mr. Althaus became sought after by both Democrat and Republican administrations, and members of congress to advise the US Government the path and strategy to establish a domestic supply chain. Mr. Althaus was also instrumental in both President Trump's and President Biden's Executive Orders on critical minerals. Mr. Althaus is also greatly responsible for current bi-partisan legislation in the United States Congress pertaining to critical minerals, including the RARE Act and the Permanent Magnet Act.
Pini is also working with the United Nations on efforts to establish critical minerals supply chains in the Arab region, Asia and India.
As a leading industry expert, Mr. Althaus has made appearances on numerous news and media outlets, including The New York Times, FOX, WSJ, Financial Times, CNBC, Forbes, and the Global Times.
Pini is also leading a Cove Capital joint venture on the development of a proprietary technology that converts used rare earth magnets back into their original elements, thereby enabling them to be recycled.
Mr. Althaus has been an Executive Officer in the mining & resource sector since 2002. During that time, he successfully identified and acquired several significant mining projects. He was also responsible for coordinating and operating mining operations and activities, including but not limited to, geological and drilling programs in the U.S. Canada, Australia, China, and Latin America. He has also consulted on projects on the African Continent.
In 2018, Pini Althaus and colleagues were responsible for identifying the Hualilan gold project in San Juan, Argentina, which currently has a multi-million-ounce resource and continues to expand in what appears to be a world-class gold project. This project is being operated by Challenger Exploration Limited (CEL: ASX). Pini is a director.
In 2006 Pini founded Dominion Minerals Corp, which acquired a then marginal Cu-Au-Ag deposit project in Panama (Cerro Chorcha), and thereafter defined a significant open-ended resource. The NPV of this project was valued at $570 million.
In his various executive roles, Mr. Althaus has always been a strong proponent ESG standards, including implementing social economic programs that benefit the country where the mines are located, and any indigenous groups whose land the project may be on.