NEW YORK, Jul 22, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Minerals Technologies Inc. (NYSE: MTX) announced today that its
wholly owned subsidiary, Specialty Minerals Inc., has agreed to
construct a satellite precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) facility to
supply Ballarpur Industries Limited's (BILT) Sewa Unit at Gaganapur in
the state of Orissa, India. The facility will initially produce 15,000
metric tons of PCC per year and supply the paper-filling needs of the
Sewa paper mill. The facility will be owned and operated by the existing
joint venture company, SMI NewQuest India Private Ltd., and, subject to
completing various contractual and regulatory formalities, is expected
to be in operation early in the first quarter of 2011. Minerals
Technologies provides PCC to BILT's Ballarshah Unit in the state of
Maharashtra, India, and to its paper mill in Sipitang, Malaysia.
"We are very pleased that Minerals Technologies will provide PCC
technology to a third BILT paper mill, which continues to affirm the
value of our strategic relationship" said Joe Muscari, chairman and
chief executive officer of Minerals Technologies. "The addition of this
facility brings our total number of satellite PCC plants in the region
to ten, and is integral to our Asia growth strategy for PCC. We look
forward to building a long and mutually rewarding relationship with this
excellent paper company."
BILT, part of the $4 billion Avantha Group, is India's largest
manufacturer and exporter of paper. BILT's total paper sales for the
most recent year exceeded 700,000 metric tons.
PCC is a specialty pigment for filling and coating high-quality paper.
By substituting PCC for more expensive wood fiber, customers like BILT
are able to produce brighter, higher quality paper at lower cost.
Minerals Technologies originated the satellite concept for making and
delivering PCC on-site at paper mills and the concept was a major factor
in revolutionizing North American papermaking from an acid to an
alkaline-based technology. Minerals Technologies constructed its first
PCC satellite plant in 1986. Today, the company has 51 satellite plants
in operation or under construction around the world and continues to
lead the industry with consistent quality and technical innovation.
Minerals Technologies Inc. is a global resource- and technology-based
growth company that develops, produces and markets worldwide a broad
range of specialty mineral, mineral-based and synthetic mineral products
and related systems and services. Total sales for the company were
$907.3 million in 2009.
For further information about Minerals Technologies Inc. look on the
internet at http://www.mineralstech.com/
About Avantha
The US$4 billion Avantha Group is one of India's leading business
conglomerates. Its successful entities include BILT, Crompton Greaves,
The Global Green Company, Avantha Power & Infrastructure, Solaris
ChemTech, Salient Business Solutions, and Avantha Technologies.
International subsidiaries include Pauwels, SFI, Intergarden, Ganz,
Microsol, Sonomatra, MSE Power Systems and Puszta Konzerv.
The Group has business interests in diverse areas including power
transmission and distribution equipment and services, paper and pulp,
energy and infrastructure, food processing, farm forestry, chemicals, IT
and ITES. Led by Gautam Thapar, Avantha demonstrates strong leadership
globally and emerges as a focused corporate, leveraging its knowledge,
leadership and operations, adding lasting value for its stakeholders and
investors.
About Ballarpur Industries Limited
Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT), part of the US$4 billion Avantha
Group, is India's largest manufacturer of writing and printing (W&P)
paper. BILT's subsidiaries include Ballarpur Graphic Paper Products
Ltd., Sabah Forest Industries (SFI), Malaysia's largest pulp and paper
company, and BILT TreeTech Limited (BTTL), which runs BILT's farm
forestry programme in several states in India.
BILT has six manufacturing units across India, which give the company
geographic coverage over most of the domestic market. BILT has a
significant share of the high-end coated paper segment in India. The
company accounts for over 50 percent of the coated wood-free paper
market, an impressive 85 percent of the bond paper market and nearly 45
percent of the hi-bright Maplitho market, besides being India's largest
exporter of coated paper. BILT is the first Indian paper company to
feature among the global top 100.
For further information about BILT contact Shravani Dang, Group Head
of Corporate Communications at shravani.dang@bilt.com
SOURCE: Minerals Technologies Inc.
Minerals Technologies Inc.
Rick B. Honey, 212-878-1831
