We are a leader in developing, manufacturing and/or marketing sorbent products.
Our sorbent products are principally produced from clay minerals, primarily
consisting of montmorillonite and attapulgite and, to a lesser extent, other
clay-like sorbent materials, such as Antelope shale, which we refer to collectively
as our “clay” or our “minerals.” Our sorbent technologies
include absorbent and adsorbent products. Absorbents, like sponges, draw liquids
up into their many pores. Examples of our absorbent clay products are Cat’s
Pride and Jonny Cat branded premium cat litter, as well as other private label
cat litters. We also produce Oil-Dri branded floor absorbents, Agsorb and Verge
agricultural chemical carriers and ConditionAde and Calibrin enterosorbents
used in animal feed. Adsorbent products attract impurities in liquids, such
as metals and surfactants, and form low-level chemical bonds. Examples of our
adsorbent products are Oil-Dri synthetic sorbents, which are used for industrial
cleanup, and Pure-Flo, Perform and Select bleaching clay products, which act
as a filtration media for edible oils, fats and tallows. Also, our Ultra-Clear
product serves as a purification aid for petroleum-based oils and by-products.
Agricultural and Horticultural Products
We produce a wide range of granular and powdered mineral absorbent products
that are used for crop protection chemical carriers, drying agents, bulk processing
aids, growing media components and seed enhancement media. Our brands include:
Agsorb, an agricultural chemical carrier and drying agent; Verge, an engineered
granule agricultural chemical carrier; Flo-Fre, a highly absorbent microgranule
flowability aid; Terra-Green, a growing media supplement; and Pel-Unite, an
animal feed binder.
Agsorb and Verge carriers are used as an alternative to agricultural sprays.
The clay granules absorb active ingredients and are then delivered directly
into, or on top of, the ground providing a more precise application than chemical
sprays. Verge carriers are spherical, uniform-sized granules with very low dust.
Agsorb drying agent is blended into fertilizer-pesticide blends applied by farmers
to absorb moisture and improve flowability. Agsorb also acts as a flowability
aid for fertilizers and chemicals used in the lawn and garden market. Flo-Fre
microgranules are used by grain processors and other large handlers of bulk
products to soak up excess moisture, which prevents caking. We employ technical
sales people to market these products in the United States.
Animal Health and Nutrition Products
We produce, or use contract processors to produce, several products used in
the livestock feed industry. Many of these products are sold under the Amlan
trademark. Our various Calibrin and ConditionAde products are used in animal
feed and each has different attributes that improve animal health and development,
such as adsorbing naturally occurring mycotoxins or managing intestinal bacterial
and fungal biotoxins. Our MD-09 moisture manager product is another feed additive
for the reduction of wet droppings in poultry. Pel-Unite and Pel-Unite Plus
products are specialized animal feed pellet binders. These products are sold
through a network of feed products distributors in the United States and/or
through agreements with animal health and nutrition products distributors in
Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Beginning in fiscal year 2014,
these products were also sold by sales people employed by our subsidiary located
in China, as further described in Foreign Operations below.
Bleaching Clay and Purification Aid Products
We produce an array of bleaching, purification and filtration applications
used by edible oil, jet fuel and other petroleum-based product processors around
the world. Bleaching clays are used by edible oil processors to adsorb soluble
contaminants that create oxidation problems. Our Pure-Flo and Perform bleaching
clays remove impurities, such as trace metals, chlorophyll and color bodies,
in various types of edible oils. Perform products provide increased activity
for hard-to-bleach oils. Our Select adsorbents are used to remove contaminants
in vegetable oil processing and can be used to prepare oil prior to the creation
of biodiesel fuel. Our Ultra-Clear product is used as a filtration and purification
medium for jet fuel and other petroleum-based products. These products are marketed
in the United States and in international markets. The products are supported
by our team of technical sales employees as well as by agent representatives
and the services of our research and development group.
Cat Litter Products
Branded products. We produce two types of mineral-based cat litter products,
traditional coarse and scoopable, both of which have absorbent and odor controlling
characteristics. Scoopable litters have the additional characteristic of clumping
when exposed to moisture, allowing the consumer to selectively dispose of the
used portion of the litter. Our coarse and scoopable products are sold under
our Cat’s Pride and Jonny Cat brand names. Our Cats Pride Fresh &
Light product line introduced a scoopable lightweight litter to the industry
that offers superior performance with the added convenience of being lighter
to carry and pour. In addition, we offer our coarse litter in a pre-packaged,
disposable tray under the Cat’s Pride KatKit and Jonny Cat brands. Moreover,
we offer litter box liners under the Cats Pride and Jonny Cat product lines.
Private label products. We also produce private label cat litters for other
customers that are sold through both independent food brokers and our sales
force to major grocery, drug, dollar store, mass-merchandiser and pet outlets.
During fiscal 2015 we began producing scoopable lightweight private label cat
litters.
Co-packaged products. We have two long-term supply arrangements (one of which
is material to our business) under which we manufacture branded traditional
litters for other marketers. Under these co-manufacturing relationships, the
marketer controls all aspects of sales, marketing, and distribution, as well
as the odor control formula, and we are responsible for manufacturing. The long-term
supply agreement that is material to our business is with Clorox, under which
we have the exclusive right to supply Clorox’s requirements for Fresh
Step coarse cat litter up to certain levels.
Industrial and Automotive Products
We manufacture and/or sell products made from clay, polypropylene and recycled
cotton materials that absorb oil, grease, water and other types of spills. These
products are used in industrial, home and automotive environments. Our clay-based
sorbent products, such as Oil-Dri branded floor absorbent, are used for floor
maintenance in industrial applications to provide a non-slip and non-flammable
surface for workers. These floor absorbents are also used in automotive repair
facilities, car dealerships and other industrial applications, as well as for
home use in garages and driveways. Our Oil-Dri branded polypropylene-based and
cotton-based products are sold in various forms, such as pads, rolls, socks,
booms and spill kits. In fiscal year 2015 we introduced a new product called
Snow & Go, with a combination of clay and salt to serve as a unique winter
traction aid that melts snow and ice and then absorbs the melted water before
it can re-freeze.
Industrial and automotive sorbent products are sold through a distribution
network that includes industrial, auto parts, safety, sanitary supply, chemical
and paper distributors. These products are also sold through environmental service
companies, mass merchandisers, catalogs and the Internet.
Sports Products
Pro’s Choice Sports Field Products are used on baseball, softball, football
and soccer fields. Pro’s Choice soil conditioners are used in field construction
or as top dressing to absorb moisture, suppress dust and improve field performance.
Pro Mound packing clay is used to construct pitcher’s mounds and batter’s
boxes. Rapid Dry drying agent is used to dry up puddles and slick spots after
rain. Sports products are used at all levels of play, including professional,
college and high school and on municipal fields. These products are sold through
a network of distributors specializing in sports turf products.
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