Founder on how the idea for a refinery originated

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - With Westwin Elements in the process of building a nickel and cobalt refinery in Lawton, many people in the community have questions on how this would affect the future of the city.

7News sat down with Founder/CEO KaLeigh Long on where she got the idea from in the first place.

Long said this mission began with her time in the Congo, and even though the West was being supplied with these refined metals they didn’t want to acknowledge the human rights abuses involved in the process.

Long said she took it upon herself because other companies in the industry she spoke with said it would be another five to seven years before they looked into starting a refinery.

She added her previous campaign and advertising work helped build political relationships and meet international producers since she says refining critical minerals is not an American industry.

Long said the US is in a race against China, and this is her way of serving her country.


“We do business the right way. We don’t poison rivers, we don’t enslave children. Something as everyday as your cellphone, somewhere in that supply chain there was likely severe human rights abuses in that. This is a solvency to those human rights abuses, what we’re doing at Westwin.”


The next townhall for Westwin Elements will be December 5 for anyone who has questions or wants to learn more about the company.

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