U.S. Silica
U.S. Silica is a global industrial minerals and logistics company that mines and processes silica sand, diatomaceous earth, perlite, and clays from 26 U.S. facilities, serving Oil & Gas and industrial customers in 40+ countries with 800+ products and the proprietary SandBox last-mile delivery platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1894
- HeadquartersFrederick, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What U.S. Silica does
U.S. Silica is a global industrial minerals and logistics company that mines, processes, and distributes silica sand, diatomaceous earth (DE), perlite, bentonite, and engineered clays from 26 operating mines and processing facilities across the United States, supplemented by 2 exploration-stage properties. The company produces more than 800 differentiated products under a registered trademark portfolio that includes MIN-U-SIL, Sil-Co-Sil, Celatom, EverWhite, Florisil, PurifiDE, White Armor, and SandBox, and sells to thousands of customers in more than 40 countries across North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Annual frac sand production capacity is 6.2 million tons.
The business is organized into two reporting segments. Oil & Gas supplies frac sand proppants (Northern White, 100 Mesh, Southern Premium, Shale Frac Sand, microproppants under Micro Stim/Micro Stim Plus) and the proprietary SandBox Logistics automated mine-to-wellhead delivery system, serving E&P and oilfield services companies. Industrial & Specialty Products serves glass, foundry, filtration, building products, fillers and extenders, chemicals, recreation (golf, volleyball, baseball/softball infield products, pool filter sand), and testing (ASTM sands) markets. Revenue is generated primarily through volume-based transactional product sales supplemented by long-term supply contracts with Oil & Gas enterprise customers; pricing incorporates energy surcharges tied to NYMEX Henry Hub natural gas spot prices, with semiannual price increases of up to 20% on ISP products executed from January 2025 through July 2026. Distribution is executed via a national direct sales force, customer portal, and proprietary multi-mode logistics network.
The operating company traces to Pennsylvania Glass Sand, founded in 1894, was renamed U.S. Silica in 1986, IPO'd on the NYSE under ticker SLCA in 2012, and was taken private by Apollo Funds on July 31, 2024 for $15.50 per share (approximately $1.1 billion), financed by a $950 million senior secured credit facility ($775 million Term Loan plus $175 million revolver) and $350 million of 8.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2031. Major acquisitions have included Cadre (2014), NBR Sand (2016), SandBox Logistics (2016), Mississippi Sand (2017), and EP Minerals (2018, approximately $750 million), the last of which added the Celatom DE, perlite, and engineered clays franchise. CEO Bryan Shinn, who has led the company since 2012 and previously drove EBITDA from approximately $50 million (2009) to nearly $400 million (2018), continues to lead the post-Apollo enterprise alongside the existing executive team.
U.S. Silica firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U.S. Silica
- Legal name
- U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.
- Website
- http://www.ussilica.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1894
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- U.S. Silica is a global industrial minerals and logistics company that mines and processes silica sand, diatomaceous earth, perlite, and clays from 26 U.S. facilities, serving Oil & Gas and industrial customers in 40+ countries with 800+ products and the proprietary SandBox last-mile delivery platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U.S. Silica industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Minerals
- NAICS
- Industrial Sand Mining (212322), Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (2123), Other Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (21239), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992), All Other Miscellaneous Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (327999)
- SIC
- Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz) (IMAKAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial Sand (Silica Sand for Foundry, Glass & Industrial Uses) (IMAKAHAK), Silica (Quartz, Fumed, Precipitated) (IMAEAFAD), Mineral/Particulate Thickeners (Silicates, Clays, Calcium Carbonate as texturizers) (AFAJAMAJ)
Keywords
Where U.S. Silica is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Frederick
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
U.S. Silica business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Industrial Minerals Product Sales: U.S. Silica generates primary revenue through the sale of industrial minerals including silica sand, attapulgite, bentonite, and diatomite. Products are sold to customers in Oil & Gas, industrial manufacturing, building products, and specialty chemical sectors. Revenue is transactional and consumption-based based on volume purchased.
- SandBox Logistics Services: Proprietary logistics services providing automated delivery of proppants to well sites. This service model generates recurring revenue from Oil & Gas customers through transportation and handling fees, creating a services revenue stream alongside product sales.
- Specialty Mineral Products: Sale of specialty branded mineral products for filtration, functional additives, absorbents, and specialty applications. Includes high-value products like Florisil for chromatography and PurifiDE for filtration applications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Volume-based pricing for industrial mineral products |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Contract pricing for large volume Oil & Gas customers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
U.S. Silica product offering
Product offeringCore offering
U.S. Silica is a global industrial minerals producer that mines, processes, and sells more than 800 diversified silica, diatomaceous earth, perlite, clay, and aggregate products. The company operates two reportable segments: Oil & Gas (frac sand proppants and SandBox well-site delivery services) and Industrial & Specialty Products (whole grain, ground and fine ground silica, filtration media, foundry and glass sands, building products, recreation sands, chemicals, testing sands, and absorbents). Products are sold primarily to industrial manufacturers and oil & gas operators through direct enterprise sales, long-term supply agreements, and a customer portal.
Product overview
U.S. Silica is a global performance materials company offering over 800 diversified industrial mineral products across multiple categories. The portfolio includes core silica products (whole grain, ground, fine ground silica under brands like Sil-Co-Sil® and MIN-U-SIL®), diatomaceous earth products (Celatom® brand for filtration and absorption), perlite filter aids, specialized clays, limestone and sandstone aggregates. The company operates two main business segments: Oil & Gas (frac sand proppants including 100 Mesh, Northern White, Southern Premium, and microproppants, plus SandBox Logistics™ delivery service) and Industrial & Specialty Products (products for glass, foundry, building materials, filtration, recreation, coatings, chemicals, and absorbents). Acquired subsidiaries include EP Minerals (diatomaceous earth, perlite, engineered clays) and SandBox Logistics™ (proppant logistics). Products are used in oil and gas hydraulic fracturing, glass manufacturing, foundry casting, water filtration, construction, sports turf, and industrial absorbency applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EP Minerals: Industry leader in the production of products derived from diatomaceous earth, perlite, engineered clays, and non-activated clays
- SandBox Logistics
- EverWhite
- Florisil
- White Armor
- PurifiDE
- Celatom
- CelaPerl
- Sil-Co-Sil
- Min-U-Sil
- CelaBrite
- CelaPool
- Lighthouse
- Mystic White
- Play Ball!
- BallGame Changer
- Snow White
- PRO WHITE
- OPTIJUMP
- Q-ROK
- Celasorb
- Axis
- Micro Stim
- Floor-Dry
- Drill-n-Dry
- Oil Absorbent
Products and services
- MIN-U-SIL Fine Ground Silica Fine ground silica with silica contents above 99.5%, available in 5 different grades from 5 to 40 micron topsize with narrow size distributions for paints, coatings, plastics, sealants, and specialty industrial applications.
- Sil-Co-Sil Ground Silica Ground silica produced from high purity silica powder, precision ground from 45 to 250 micron topsize with at least 99.5% SiO2 content, for glass, foundry, fillers and extenders, and building products applications.
- Celatom Diatomaceous Earth (DE) Products Diatomaceous earth (DE) product line with high mechanical strength, natural filtration and absorption capabilities, surface-mined from Nevada and Oregon deposits, with multiple grades for filtration, agriculture, industrial, oil & gas, and environmental applications.
- Celatom Perlite Filter Aid Hydrated volcanic rock perlite filter aid that expands up to 20 times its original size when heated above 1600°F, used for filtration of juices, wastewater, beverages, and industrial chemicals.
- Shale Frac Sand Series Regional quartz proppant produced from regional sandstone formations in the Southern and Northeastern United States for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing operations.
- Microproppants (Micro Stim and Micro Stim Plus) Ultrafine mesh, high-quartz silica sands (Micro Stim and Micro Stim Plus) for propping open induced or secondary fractures in unconventional oil and gas formations.
- U.S. Silica 100 Mesh Frac Sand Monocrystalline whole grain alpha-quartz mineral proppant with exceptional strength, integrity, and purity for hydraulic fracturing operations.
- U.S. Silica White (Northern White) Frac Sand Northern White sand proppant derived from St. Peter and Wonewoc formations with superior crush strength properties for hydraulic fracturing operations.
- Southern Premium Frac Sand Regional proppant produced from Hickory and Queen City formations for proximity to Permian Basin, Eagle Ford, and other basins.
- White Armor Cool Roof Granules Cool roof granules with the highest solar reflecting properties for asphalt roofing applications, protected by multiple patents.
- SandBox Logistics Well-Site Delivery Service State-of-the-art proppant storage, handling, and well-site delivery service providing mine-to-wellhead automated logistics solutions to oil and gas operators, with patented just-in-time mobile silo delivery.
- Whole Grain Silica for Glass Manufacturing High SiO2-purity whole grain silicas for container glass, flat glass, insulation, specialty, and automotive glass applications.
- Low-Iron Glass Sands Low-iron glass sands using special processing techniques for improved glass performance and optimization of glass containers and solar glass panels.
- Whole Grain Silica for Foundries High-quality silica products for the North American foundry industry for high-integrity castings in various binder systems and metals.
- Celatom Filtration Products (FP, FW Grades) Calcined diatomaceous earth filter aid grades (FP, FW) with wide-range filtration capabilities and various particle size removal properties for industrial filtration applications.
- Mystic White II Premium Pool Filter Sand High-purity, bright white pool filter sand exceeding manufacturer specifications for optimal pool filtration performance.
- Lighthouse Pool Filter Sand Specially graded sand optimizing pool filtration for above-ground and in-ground pools.
- CelaPool and CelaPerl Filtration Products Pool and spa diatomaceous earth and perlite filtration products designed for easy handling with low dust and less waste, providing sparkling water clarification.
- FilPro Filtration Sands and Gravel Heavy-duty filtration sands and gravel produced from hard ore quartz sands for industrial filtration applications.
- Florisil Chromatography and Cannabis Purification Media Magnesium silicate product for removing pesticides and contaminants, used in cannabis extraction and chromatography applications.
- PurifiDE High-Purity Filter Aid High-purity diatomaceous earth filter aid for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and high-value spirits filtration applications.
- EverWhite Quartz Surfaces Product line for countertops and engineered quartz surfaces.
- Floor-Dry Industrial Absorbent Highly purified, kiln-fired diatomaceous earth absorbent with superior liquid absorption that absorbs twice as much liquid as calcined clay.
- Oil Absorbent DE and Drill-n-Dry Absorbents All-purpose diatomaceous earth absorbents for quick cleanup of water, oil, and grease, plus highly porous amorphous silica for environmental remediation.
- Q-ROK Construction Silica Subangular whole grain silica sand with very low absorption for construction projects, GFRC, grouts, mortars, and masonry applications.
- C-33 Sandstone and Limestone Aggregates Sandstone and limestone aggregates supporting construction, building development, and utilities applications, including anti-skid certified sandstone grades for road construction.
- Recreation Sands (PRO WHITE, OPTIJUMP, SurePlay, Snow White) Premium recreation sands including golf bunker sand, volleyball sand, top dressing silica sand for greens and tees, and washed play sand for playgrounds and recreational applications.
- BallGame Changer and Play Ball! Infield Conditioners Patented calcined clay infield conditioner (BallGame Changer) with KT3 surface technology plus Play Ball! clay drying agents, mound clay, and standard infield conditioners for baseball and softball fields.
- CelaBrite Paint Pigment Extender Paint pigment extender and flatting agent for paints and coatings, also used as an anti-blocking agent.
- Celasorb Pulp and Paper Treatment Pitch and stickies treatment solution for pulp and paper production, reducing cost through lower addition rates.
- Axis Premium Soil Amendment All-natural soil amendment for improving soil structure of golf courses, landscaping, and sports turfs.
- ASTM Testing Sands Original Ottawa ASTM testing sands for laboratory and field testing applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving customers in 40+ countries globally
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use U.S. Silica
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
U.S. Silica technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
U.S. Silica partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
U.S. Silica competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Imerys: Imerys is a global specialty minerals leader with diatomaceous earth, perlite, kaolin and engineered clays that compete head-to-head with U.S. Silica's EP Minerals franchise in filtration, absorbents, and performance minerals.
- Minerals Technologies Inc. Minerals Technologies Inc. is a specialty minerals producer serving paper, steel, construction, and environmental markets with precipitated calcium carbonate, bentonite, perlite, and refractory products, broadly comparable to U.S. Silica's specialty and industrial minerals portfolio.
- Sibelco: Sibelco is a global industrial minerals incumbent producing silica, nepheline, feldspar, ball clays and more across dozens of end markets, comparable to U.S. Silica as a broader, geographically diversified minerals platform.
Direct peers
- Covia Holdings: Covia (formerly Unimin/Sibelco's North American industrial minerals arm) is a direct peer in industrial silica sand, proppants, and specialty minerals serving oil & gas, glass, foundry, filtration, and building products with a similar mine-to-customer model.
- Smart Sand: Smart Sand is a pure-play frac sand producer with Northern White reserves and a mine-to-well-site logistics platform, directly comparable to U.S. Silica's Oil & Gas segment and SandBox-style last-mile delivery model.
- Preferred Sands: Preferred Sands produces resin-coated and uncoated frac sand as well as specialty silica products for industrial applications, overlapping with U.S. Silica's White Armor proppant line and ground silica grades.
- Atlas Energy Solutions: Atlas Energy Solutions is a Permian-focused frac sand producer and logistics provider (including the Dune Express conveyor system), competing directly with U.S. Silica's regional sand and SandBox offerings in the Lower 48 oilfield.
- Badger Mining Corporation: Badger Mining is a privately held producer of high-purity silica sand and proppants serving oil & gas, glass, foundry, and filtration customers, directly overlapping with U.S. Silica's industrial minerals portfolio.
- Hi-Crush (now part of Pronghorn): Hi-Crush / Pronghorn is a frac sand producer and well-site logistics provider that competes head-to-head with U.S. Silica on Northern White proppant supply and silo-based just-in-time sand delivery to E&P customers.
Emerging players
- EP Minerals (predecessor business, now part of U.S. Silica): EP Minerals, now wholly owned by U.S. Silica, was an independent diatomaceous earth, perlite and engineered clays producer; its standalone capabilities and customer base benchmark the specialty minerals niche where U.S. Silica competes against Imerys and EP Minerals' prior peers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
U.S. Silica social profiles
Digital presenceU.S. Silica compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
U.S. Silica financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U.S. Silica leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
U.S. Silica subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
U.S. Silica funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U.S. Silica M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about U.S. Silica
What does U.S. Silica do?
U.S. Silica is a global industrial minerals producer that mines, processes, and sells more than 800 diversified silica, diatomaceous earth, perlite, clay, and aggregate products. The company operates two reportable segments: Oil & Gas (frac sand proppants and SandBox well-site delivery services) and Industrial & Specialty Products (whole grain, ground and fine ground silica, filtration media, foundry and glass sands, building products, recreation sands, chemicals, testing sands, and absorbents). Products are sold primarily to industrial manufacturers and oil & gas operators through direct enterprise sales, long-term supply agreements, and a customer portal.
Is U.S. Silica a public or private company?
U.S. Silica is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was U.S. Silica founded?
U.S. Silica was founded in 1894. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is U.S. Silica based?
U.S. Silica is headquartered in Frederick, United States, in the North America region.
How does U.S. Silica make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Industrial Minerals Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are sandBox Logistics Services and specialty Mineral Products.
Who are U.S. Silica's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Imerys, Minerals Technologies Inc. and Sibelco. Direct peers are Covia Holdings, Smart Sand, Preferred Sands, Atlas Energy Solutions, Badger Mining Corporation and Hi-Crush (now part of Pronghorn). EP Minerals (predecessor business, now part of U.S. Silica) is listed as an emerging player.
Does U.S. Silica have an API?
No public API is recorded for U.S. Silica.
What industry is U.S. Silica in?
U.S. Silica's product category is Industrial Minerals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAGAK, Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz), with a secondary code of IMAKAHAK, Industrial Sand (Silica Sand for Foundry, Glass & Industrial Uses). Its NAICS code is 212322 and its SIC code is 1400.