U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SLCA) announced today that it has completed the $750 million acquisition of EP Minerals, a global producer of engineered materials derived from industrial minerals including diatomaceous earth (DE), clay (calcium bentonite) and perlite. The company's unique industrial minerals are used as filter aids, absorbents and functional additives for a variety of industries including food and beverage, biofuels, recreational water, oil and gas, farm and home, landscape, sports turf, paint, plastics, and insecticides.
''This transformative acquisition achieves a key corporate objective to diversify our profit sources and add additional EBITDA from a broader industrial space to better balance our portfolio opposite our more cyclical Oil and Gas business," said Bryan Shinn, president and chief executive officer. "EP Minerals has a very attractive market structure, is a business with strong margins and very consistent cash flows with numerous growth opportunities and a robust pipeline of new products. Bottom line, this is a very diverse company with a rare combination of advantages and strengths and we are excited about the opportunity to work with the EP Minerals team to continue to grow its market-leading business,'' Shinn concluded.
The transaction is being financed by $1.28 billion in term loan facilities committed to by BNP Paribas and Barclays. The company also increased its revolving credit facility to an aggregate of $100 million.
About U.S. Silica
U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc., a member of the Russell 2000, is a leading producer of commercial silica used in the oil and gas industry, and in a wide range of industrial applications. Over its 118-year history, U.S. Silica has developed core competencies in mining, processing, logistics and materials science that enable it to produce and cost-effectively deliver over 200 products to customers across our end markets. The Company currently operates nine industrial sand production plants and eight oil and gas sand production plants. The Company is headquartered in Frederick, Md. and also has offices located in Chicago, Ill. and Houston, Texas.
