Evtac opened in 1965 as the Eveleth Mining Company, with Evtac being the operating company. The mine used the new (at the time) process for making taconite out of low grade Iron ore, a process which essentially saved the mining industry across the Iron Range as the high grade ore was becoming harder to find. The mine ran out of orders in 1999 and had to shut down for a few weeks. The mine again shut down in 2003, and it appeared that it would be for good. While in bankruptcy, a bidding war erupted, but both bids were eventually thrown out when a partnership was established with a company from China that opened a new market for Taconite. The company restarted operations at a reduced rate. The company later reincorporated as United Taconite and was sold to Cleveland Cliffs, a global operator of mines. A recent mine expansion project has the facility producing record levels of taconite as of 2008.
