Preferred
Preferred Sands is a U.S. vertically integrated silica sand producer and proppant technology company that mines, processes, and resin-coats sand at facilities in Nebraska and Texas to serve oil & gas operators, industrial manufacturers, and the artificial turf market with proprietary RCS, FloPRO, DustPRO, and OptiFILL+ products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWayne, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Preferred does
Preferred Sands (Preferred) is a vertically integrated U.S. silica sand producer and proppant technology company headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania, with a 501-1,000 person workforce and operations anchored at a raw sand processing and coating plant in Genoa, Nebraska, the only in-basin resin coating facility in the Permian Basin at Monahans, Texas, and a dedicated R&D center in Houston, Texas. The company's core technology centers on proprietary resin coating, hydrophobic surface modification, and dust control chemistries applied to high-purity silica sand; it holds 16 USPTO patents and has developed a temperature-segmented proppant portfolio (RCS GARNET, RCS ICE, RCS CHROME, DURASAND, RCS HEAT) plus FloPRO transport technology and a Dow Chemical co-developed DustPRO solution, targeting oil & gas operators in unconventional basins and industrial sand buyers. Beyond oilfield applications, Preferred has extended into the artificial turf market through OptiFILL+ and SandFILL infill products, addressing safety (zero PFAS), antimicrobial, and sustainability requirements for residential, athletic, and commercial turf installations. Revenue is generated through direct, quote-based sales of commodity and value-added industrial sand grades, resin-coated proppants sold by mesh size, and technology premiums attached to FloPRO and DustPRO; the company serves oil & gas (primary), industrial manufacturers, and turf/landscape customers through a sales-led model supported by Class I rail at Genoa, nationwide warehouse distribution, a dedicated OptiFILL+ e-commerce site, and three major export ports for international customers across four continents.
Preferred firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Preferred
- Legal name
- Preferred Sands
- Website
- https://preferredsands.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Preferred Sands is a U.S. vertically integrated silica sand producer and proppant technology company that mines, processes, and resin-coats sand at facilities in Nebraska and Texas to serve oil & gas operators, industrial manufacturers, and the artificial turf market with proprietary RCS, FloPRO, DustPRO, and OptiFILL+ products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Preferred industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oil & Gas Proppants and Industrial Sand
- NAICS
- Industrial Sand Mining (212322), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992), Paint and Coating Manufacturing (325510)
- SIC
- Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz) (IMAKAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial Sand (Silica Sand for Foundry, Glass & Industrial Uses) (IMAKAHAK)
Keywords
Where Preferred is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wayne
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Preferred business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Silica Sand and Gravel Sales: Sale of high-quality silica sand and gravel products for industrial applications including construction, glass manufacturing, filtration, concrete, building materials, foundry, and turf infill.
- Resin Coated Proppant Products: Sale of proprietary resin coated proppants (RCS GARNET, DURASAND, RCS ICE, RCS CHROME, RCS HEAT) for oil and gas hydraulic fracturing applications. Products designed for specific reservoir temperature conditions.
- Proppant Technology Solutions: Sale of technology products including FloPRO proppant transport technology and DustPRO dust control solutions that enhance wellsite performance and safety.
- Turf Infill Products: Sale of OptiFILL+ and SandFILL artificial turf infill products available in various mesh sizes with different packaging options including bags, supersacks, and bulk deliveries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quote-based pricing for industrial sand products |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Resin coated proppants available in various mesh sizes |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | OptiFILL+ turf infill with various packaging options |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Preferred product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Preferred is a vertically integrated silica sand producer and proppant technology company. It mines and processes raw sand at its Genoa, NE facility and applies proprietary resin coating technology at its Monahans, TX in-basin coating plant in the Permian Basin. The company sells resin-coated proppants, proppant transport and dust-control technologies, industrial sand grades, and artificial turf infill products to oil & gas operators, industrial manufacturers, and turf/landscape customers.
Product overview
Preferred is an innovative sand producer and technology company operating in high-quality silica sand, gravel, and proppant technology with a proven first-mover track record. The company operates a vertically integrated model combining raw sand extraction and processing at its Genoa, NE facility with proprietary resin coating technology at its Monahans, TX facility—the only operational in-basin coating plant in the Permian Basin. Preferred's product portfolio centers on three main areas: (1) OptiFILL+ and SandFILL turf infill products for artificial turf applications, (2) a comprehensive line of Preferred Resins including RCS GARNET, DURASAND, RCS ICE, RCS CHROME, and RCS HEAT for proppant flowback control and production enhancement in oil and gas wells, and (3) specialized technologies including FloPRO for proppant transport and DustPRO for silica dust control, all supported by a range of industrial sand grades. The company serves customers across North America and international markets through its distribution network.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Preferred Resins: Advanced downhole coated proppant technologies including RCS GARNET, DURASAND, RCS ICE, RCS CHROME, and RCS HEAT resin products designed to increase production efficiency and control sand flowback.
- FloPRO
- DustPRO
- OptiFILL+
- SandFILL
Products and services
- Preferred Resins (RCS Product Line) Advanced downhole coated proppant technologies combining benefits of conventional curable and precured resins to stop sand flowback, minimize crush, and increase production efficiency across multiple temperature ranges and reservoir conditions. Sold to oil and gas operators for hydraulic fracturing.
- RCS GARNET Industry standard resin coating for effective flowback control in low to medium temperature reservoirs and the only RCS product designed specifically for Coal Bed Methane (CBM) applications. Minimizes fines migration for improved long-term effective permeability.
- DURASAND Cost-effective resin coated proppant for medium to high temperature reservoirs. Stops sand flowback at high flow rates, increases crush resistance, improves effective conductivity, resists cyclic stress, and reduces fines migration and silica dust.
- RCS ICE Resin coated proppant providing effective flowback control in extreme low-temperature reservoirs without the need for activators, suited to the lowest temperature applications.
- RCS CHROME Resin coated proppant designed for moderate-temperature reservoirs, providing proppant flowback control in medium temperature applications.
- RCS HEAT High-temperature resin coated proppant providing a superior combination of high-strength and effective conductivity as an alternative to ceramics and precured resins in extreme environments.
- FloPRO Proppant Transport Technology Proppant transport and distribution technology combining Proppant Transport Technology with a lasting hydrophobic coating for superior proppant distribution and increased production. Maximizes EUR per well, reduces frac operation time, and improves production decline curve. Used by oil and gas operators in hydraulic fracturing.
- DustPRO Silica Dust Control Solution Preventative silica dust control solution developed with DOW Chemical Co. that reduces airborne silica dust particles during all sand transfer points. Eliminates need for mechanical dust control systems, reduces silica dust exposure, and meets silica exposure limits without loss in conductivity. Sold to oil and gas wellsite operators.
- OptiFILL+ Artificial Turf Infill Eco-friendly artificial turf infill made with renewable biomaterials featuring antimicrobial protection, UV resistance, antistatic properties, color stability, and zero detectable PFAS. Designed for residential, commercial, athletic, and playground applications.
- SandFILL Turf Infill Coated sand turf infill product available in 16/30 and 30/50 mesh sizes, sold alongside OptiFILL+ for artificial turf applications.
- Industrial Sands Wide array of industrial sand products produced at the Genoa, NE facility, serving markets including gravel, filtration, concrete, building materials, construction sand, foundry, glass, and turf. Available in grades 12/20, 16/30, 20/40, 30/50, 40/70, and 100M mesh sizes.
Quantifiable outcome
- 75% increase in oil production compared to offset wells with equivalent designs and reservoir quality using FloPRO
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Preferred
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Preferred technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Preferred partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Dow Chemical Co.coreExclusive collaboration with Dow Chemical Co. for the development of DustPRO, an innovative preventative technology providing safe and cost-effective silica dust-control solution. DustPRO was the first industry silica dust control solution to use preventative technology to solve dusting throughout the product lifecycle.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Preferred competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- U.S. Silica Holdings (now SCR-Sibelco): Largest North American frac sand and industrial sand producer with a full suite of proppant technologies including OilFrac, PropStop and SandGuard. Directly comparable product mix across industrial, oil & gas and specialty sand end-markets, with materially larger scale.
- Covia Holdings (formerly Fairmount Santrol): Major frac sand and industrial minerals producer with resin-coated proppant lines and northern white silica mining. Closest comparable competitor across product portfolio, end-market exposure, and resin coating technology positioning.
- Smart Sand Inc. Public frac sand producer operating the Oakdale Wisconsin mine with in-basin terminals, serving U.S. E&P customers. Directly comparable in target customer base and product offering, though more commodity-focused than Preferred.
- Hi-Crush (now Pronghorn/Forge Holdings): Frac sand producer with northern white production and in-basin delivery capability. Comparable business model in proppant supply with similar focus on operational logistics and customer service to E&P operators.
- Carbo Ceramics: Leading ceramic proppant manufacturer competing against resin-coated sand in high-temperature/high-pressure applications. RCS HEAT is positioned as a higher-performance alternative to ceramic and precured resins, making Carbo the most direct substitution competitor.
- Source Energy Services: Canadian frac sand producer with mining operations in Wisconsin and in-basin terminals in Canada. Comparable business model with focus on proppant and wellsite logistics for oil & gas customers.
- Badger Mining Corporation: Family-owned frac sand and industrial sand producer headquartered in Wisconsin. Comparable in industrial sand portfolio and customer base though less differentiated on resin/coating technology.
- Emerge Energy Services: Frac sand mining and oilfield services provider previously operating under the Hi-Crush and Frac Sand & Logistics banners. Comparable in mine-to-well proppant supply chain model.
Regional players
- Vita Industrial Minerals / Canadian Silica: Northern white silica sand producer focused on Canadian industrial and oil & gas markets. Comparable in industrial sand mining and processing with regional rather than national scope.
Broad incumbents
- Saint-Gobain (Proppant Solutions): Diversified industrial materials conglomerate with proppant and specialty mineral offerings through its Ceramics and High-Performance Materials segments. Comparable proppant technology and broader industrial applications portfolio, but embedded within a much larger diversified business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Preferred social profiles
Digital presencePreferred financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Preferred leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Preferred funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Preferred M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Preferred
What does Preferred do?
Preferred is a vertically integrated silica sand producer and proppant technology company. It mines and processes raw sand at its Genoa, NE facility and applies proprietary resin coating technology at its Monahans, TX in-basin coating plant in the Permian Basin. The company sells resin-coated proppants, proppant transport and dust-control technologies, industrial sand grades, and artificial turf infill products to oil & gas operators, industrial manufacturers, and turf/landscape customers.
Is Preferred a public or private company?
Preferred is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Preferred founded?
Preferred was founded in 2017. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Preferred based?
Preferred is headquartered in Wayne, United States, in the North America region.
How does Preferred make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Silica Sand and Gravel Sales are the primary driver. The others are resin Coated Proppant Products, proppant Technology Solutions and turf Infill Products.
Who are Preferred's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are U.S. Silica Holdings (now SCR-Sibelco), Covia Holdings (formerly Fairmount Santrol), Smart Sand Inc., Hi-Crush (now Pronghorn/Forge Holdings), Carbo Ceramics, Source Energy Services, Badger Mining Corporation and Emerge Energy Services. Vita Industrial Minerals / Canadian Silica is listed as a regional player. Saint-Gobain (Proppant Solutions) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Preferred have an API?
No public API is recorded for Preferred.
What industry is Preferred in?
Preferred's product category is Oil & Gas Proppants and Industrial Sand. 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.