One of the two companies that manufacture high-purity quartz used for making semiconductors and other high-tech products from mines in a western North Carolina community severely damaged by Hurricane Helene is operating again.

Two North Carolina facilities that manufacture the high-purity quartz used for making semiconductors, solar panels and fiber optic cables have been shut down by Hurricane Helene.

Companies mining high-purity quartz in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, have paused operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The quartz is a critical component of the chipmaking process — and it’s only found in Spruce Pine.