Minerals Technologies Inc. announced today that it has signed a commercial agreement with a paper company in India to provide Fulfill® E-325 technology at a paper mill in that country. The papermaker wished to remain unnamed for competitive reasons. This marks Minerals Technologies' third such agreement in India for the new, high-filler technology.
The company now has 14 agreements with paper mills that have adopted the Fulfill® E-325 technology introduced in late 2010, which verifies the technology's commercial progress. The FulFill® brand offers papermakers a variety of efficient, flexible solutions that allows paper companies to increase loading levels of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) to replace higher cost pulp, and increase PCC usage.
"We are very pleased that this paper company, to which we have been supplying PCC, will adopt our new FulFill® technology. FulFill® will provide the papermaker a competitive advantage and allow them to continue producing quality paper but at a lower cost," said Robert S. Wetherbee, president and chief executive officer of Minerals Technologies. "We now have commercial agreements with papermakers in Asia, Europe, South Africa and North and South America, which validates the revitalization of our new product development pipeline and our commitment to advance our technology leadership throughout our global satellite network."
PCC is a specialty pigment for filling and coating high-quality paper. By substituting Minerals Technologies' PCC for more expensive wood fiber, customers are able to produce brighter, higher quality paper at lower cost. In 1986, 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 papermaking in North America. Today, the company has 58 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 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. The company recorded sales of $1.01 billion in 2012.