Helene forces closure of quartz plants critical to tech sector

Officials continue to assess the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in the southeastern U.S., and the damage to one small North Carolina town could have a major impact on the tech industry.Spruce Pine, North Carolina, is one of the few places in the world for mining high-purity quartz, a key component needed for making microchips, solar panels and fiber-optic cables. But destruction from the hurricane forced mining operations in the town to end, with no reopening in sight.The Quartz Corp. an