The Specialty Minerals segment produces and sells the synthetic mineral product
precipitated calcium carbonate ("PCC") and processed mineral product
quicklime ("lime"), and mines mineral ores then processes and sells
natural mineral products, primarily limestone and talc. This segments products
are used principally in the paper, building materials, paint and coatings, glass,
ceramic, polymer, food, automotive and pharmaceutical industries.
The Refractories segment produces and markets monolithic and shaped refractory
materials and specialty products, services and application and measurement equipment,
and calcium metal and metallurgical wire products. Refractories segment products
are primarily used in high-temperature applications in the steel, non-ferrous
metal and glass industries.
The Performance Materials segment is a leading supplier of bentonite and bentonite-related
products. This segment also supplies chromite and leonardite and operates more
than 25 mining or production facilities worldwide.
The Construction Technologies segment provides products for non-residential
construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. It serves
customers engaged in a broad range of construction projects, including site
remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment
on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications
including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well, and horizontal drilling.
The Energy Services segment provides services to improve the production, costs,
compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in oil and gas
industry. This segment offers a range of services for off-shore filtration and
well testing to the worldwide oil and gas industry.
The Company currently manufactures several customized PCC product forms using
proprietary processes. Each product form is designed to provide optimum balance
of paper properties including brightness, opacity, bulk, strength and improved
printability. The Companys research and development and technical service staff
focuses on expanding sales from its existing and potential new satellite PCC
plants as well as developing new technologies for new applications. These technologies
include, among others, acid-tolerant ("AT®") PCC, which allows
PCC to be introduced to the large wood-containing segment of the printing and
writing paper market, OPACARB® PCC, a family of products for paper coating,
our FulFill® family of products, a system of high-filler technologies that
offers papermakers a variety of efficient, flexible solutions which decrease
dependency on natural fibers, and New YieldTM, an innovative technology that
converts a paper and pulp mill waste stream into a functional pigment for filling
paper.
Uncoated Wood-Free Printing and Writing Papers – North America. Beginning
in the mid-1980s, as a result of a concentrated research and development effort,
the Companys satellite PCC plants facilitated the conversion of a substantial
percentage of North American uncoated wood-free printing and writing paper producers
to lower-cost alkaline papermaking technology. The Company estimates that during
2016, more than 90% of North American uncoated wood-free paper was produced
employing alkaline technology. Presently, the Company owns and operates 14 commercial
satellite PCC plants located at paper mills that produce uncoated wood-free
printing and writing papers in North America.
The Company offers a broad range of monolithic and pre-cast refractory products
and related systems and services.
The Construction Technologies segment provides products for non-residential
construction, environmental and infrastructure projects worldwide. It serves
customers engaged in a broad range of construction projects, including site
remediation, concrete waterproofing for underground structures, liquid containment
on projects ranging from landfills to flood control, and drilling applications
including foundation, slurry wall, tunneling, water well, and horizontal drilling.
The Energy Services segment provides services to improve the production, costs,
compliance, and environmental impact of activities performed in the oil and
gas industry. The composition of customers within this segment varies from year
to year and is significantly dependent on the type of activities each customer
is undertaking within the year, regulations, and overall dynamics of the oil
and gas industry.