Imerys UK , producer of industrial minerals English China Clays , producers of industrial minerals

Imerys UK , producer of industrial minerals English China Clays , producers of industrial minerals

The Group's origins were in mining and in metallurgy. Created in April 1880, its core business remained the extraction and processing of nickel ore for almost a century.

The 1970's were the first turning point. A holding company brought the group's companies together under the name Imetal, then diversified and extended its activity.

From 1990 onward, the Group focused its development on Industrial Minerals and implemented an ambitious acquisitions policy. Imetal established strong positions in white pigments, first in kaolins (Dry Branch Kaolin Company, United States) then in calcium carbonates (Georgia Marble, United States). It entered the graphite market (Timcal, Switzerland; Stratmin Graphite, Canada). The Group then expanded through acquisitions in refractories (C-E Minerals, United States; Plibrico, Luxembourg), clays (Cératéra, France), ceramic bodies (KPCL, France) and technical ceramics (Refral, France; Lomba and Cedonosa, Spain).

Between 1994 and 1998, Imetal doubled in size, one-third by organic growth and two-thirds by external growth. In 1998, business was structured around two sectors (Minerals Processing, Metals Processing) with an operating division-based organization.

In 1999 it acquired English China Clays (ECC). Founded in 1919, this UK company was a major producer of white pigments (kaolin and calcium carbonates). Following this operation, the Group completed its business refocusing on minerals processing by divesting its Metals Processing activity, comprised of the North American companies Copperweld and Copperweld Canada (world leader in bimetallic wires, American leader in speciality tubing).

To reflect this change, Imetal changed its name to Imerys on September 22, 1999. The Group completed the refocusing process by withdrawing from activities that no longer corresponded to its core business, including dimension stones (Georgia, USA) and trading. The speciality chemicals distribution business (CDM AB, Sweden) was divested in 2004, followed in 2005 by trading in mainly basic refractories (American Minerals, Inc, USA) and roofing products distribution (Larivière, France). Since 2000, the Group has developed by leveraging its unique know-how. From a varied portfolio of rare resources, Imerys turns industrial minerals into specialities with high added value for its customers. Organized into business groups that correspond to its main markets, the Group constantly broadens its product range, extends its geographic network into high-growth zones and takes up positions on new markets. See http://www.imerys.com/scopi/group/imeryscom/imeryscom.nsf/pagesref/NDEN-7BQMSU?OpenDocument&lang=en for more information (accessed Nov 2009)