Thiele Kaolin Company

What Thiele Kaolin Company does

Thiele Kaolin Company is a privately-held, vertically-integrated processor of kaolin clay and silica founded in 1946 and headquartered in Sandersville, Georgia — the heart of North America's premium-grade kaolin belt. The company mines, processes, and delivers a broad portfolio of calcined, hydrous, delaminated, blended, and shape-engineered kaolin products alongside high-purity silica (via its wholly-owned Short Mountain Silica subsidiary, acquired 2017). Its trademarked product lines — including Kaocal, Kaolux HS, Kaogloss, Kaobrite, Kaofine, OPAMAX, KAOPRIME, KAOPLATE, E100/Contour engineered clays, Kaojet, and Kaorock — are tailored to specific application performance targets such as TiO2 extension (up to 25% in f-PVC per OPAMAX 16), rheology control, brightness, opacity, and barrier properties.

Thiele serves a horizontal mix of industrial end-markets — paper and packaging (the largest global kaolin end-use segment at 46.80% market share), paints and coatings, plastics, rubber, adhesives/caulks/sealants, and specialty applications including inkjet pigments and concrete additives — through a global direct sales force, local sales representatives, customer service hotline, and an online order-entry portal for existing customers. Pricing is quote-based and structured under multi-year contracts; Thiele has implemented four successive annual price increases (8% in 2021, 9% in 2022, up to 9% in January 2025, up to 6% in April 2025) plus natural gas and fuel surcharges to manage energy and input cost volatility.

The company operates processing facilities in Sandersville, Wrens, and Deepstep, Georgia, silica operations in Mooresburg, Tennessee, and European operations support contacts in Finland and Sweden, with wholly-owned subsidiaries Thiele Nordic and Thiele Wisconsin. In July 2021, Thiele acquired mineral resources and manufacturing assets from Imerys Performance Minerals in central Georgia, expanding hydrous kaolin capacity. In March 2026, Burgess Pigment Co. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Thiele, with both companies to become wholly-owned subsidiaries of a new holding company owned by Burgess Pigment's existing shareholders upon closing (pending shareholder and regulatory approvals), with Eric Tillirson continuing as President of Thiele.

Name

Thiele Kaolin Company

Legal name

Thiele Kaolin Company

Website

https://thielekaolin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Thiele Kaolin Company is a privately-held, vertically-integrated processor of kaolin clay and silica, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Sandersville, Georgia, serving paper, packaging, coatings, plastics, rubber, adhesives, and specialty industries via direct enterprise sales across North America and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Minerals Processing

NAICS

Kaolin, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining (212323), Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992)

SIC

Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro primary industry

Kaolin & Industrial Clay Mining (Bentonite, Ball Clay, Fuller’s Earth) (IMAKAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kaolin & Ball Clay (IMAEAFAB), Silica (Quartz, Fumed, Precipitated) (IMAEAFAD)

Keywords

• Kaolin mining
• Silica production
• Industrial minerals processing
• Calcined kaolin products
• Mineral fillers

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Kaolin and Silica Product Sales: Thiele generates revenue primarily through the sale of processed kaolin and silica mineral products. The company mines, processes, and delivers a wide range of kaolin and silica products to customers across paper, packaging, paints, coatings, plastics, rubber, adhesives, sealants, and specialty applications. Products are sold as spray-dried, slurry, or dry forms and are tailored to customer specifications. The company has also implemented natural gas surcharges and fuel surcharges to account for energy cost volatility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Thiele Kaolin Company mines, processes, and delivers a wide range of kaolin and silica products from facilities in North America and Europe. The company produces calcined, hydrous, delaminated, and blended kaolin offerings alongside high-purity silica, supplying tailored mineral solutions as coating pigments, fillers, TiO2 extenders, and functional additives for paper, packaging, paints, coatings, plastics, rubber, adhesives, sealants, construction, and specialty applications.

Product overview

Thiele Kaolin Company is a privately-held supplier of processed kaolin clay and silica products founded in 1946, with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. The company's core product portfolio consists of two main product lines: Kaolin Products and Silica Products. Kaolin products are organized by application segments including Paper & Packaging (calcined clays, delaminated coating clays, engineered clays, high brightness coating clays, standard brightness coating clays, filler clays), Specialty Products (Kaojet for inkjet, Kaorock for concrete), Paints & Coatings, Adhesives/Caulks/Sealants, Plastics, and Rubber. Silica products are supplied through the acquired Short Mountain Silica brand. The company offers both spray dried and slurry forms across most product lines. Named products include branded lines such as Kaocal, Kaolux, Kaogloss, Kaobrite, Kaofine, OPAMAX, KAOPRIME, KAOPLATE, and E-Series engineered clays. The company serves global industries including paper, packaging, ceramics, construction, paints, coatings, plastics, rubber, and cosmetics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Short Mountain Silica: High purity silica products for automotive flat glass, fiberglass, ceramics, and industrial applications. Acquired by Thiele in April 2017.

Products and services

• Kaolin Products Processed kaolin clay products including calcined, hydrous, delaminated, and blended options supplied as spray-dried, slurry, or dry forms to paper, packaging, paints, coatings, plastics, rubber, adhesives, sealants, and specialty industrial customers.
• Silica Products High-purity silica products for automotive flat glass, fiberglass, and ceramics applications, supplied through the Short Mountain Silica operations acquired in 2017.
• Paper and Packaging Kaolin Portfolio Kaocal, Kaolux HS, Kaowhite C, Kaogloss/Kaogloss 90, Kaobrite/Kaobrite 90, Kaofine/Kaofine 90, Premier, E100, Contour 100, Contour Xtreme, Lopaque M, and WP filler clays offered for paper coating, filling, and packaging applications.
• Paints and Coatings Kaolin Portfolio Delaminated kaolin products including the KAOPLATE series used as TiO2 extenders and functional fillers for interior and exterior solvent and water-based paints and coatings.
• Plastics Kaolin Portfolio (OPAMAX and KAOPLATE) OPAMAX 16 calcined kaolin and KAOPLATE 13 delaminated kaolin supplied as TiO2 extenders and functional fillers for f-PVC, r-PVC, and other thermoset and thermoplastic plastic applications.
• Rubber Kaolin Portfolio (KAOPRIME Series) KAOPRIME 15, 22, and 27 reinforcing hard clays used as functional fillers in rubber formulations and as processing aids in rubber extrusion applications.
• Adhesives, Caulks and Sealants Kaolin Portfolio Fine particle kaolin products including KAOPRIME 22 and EG-44 supplied as cost-effective functional fillers for water-based adhesives, caulks, and sealants.
• Specialty Kaolin Products (Kaojet and Kaorock) Kaojet engineered kaolin pigment for ink jet applications and Kaorock engineered metakaolin as a concrete additive that increases strength and reduces ASR.

Quantifiable outcome

• OPAMAX 16 reduces TiO2 usage by up to 25% in f-PVC applications
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Imerys Performance MineralscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 July 2021Thiele entered into an agreement with Imerys Performance Minerals to acquire certain Imerys kaolin assets primarily supporting the paper and board industry. Through the sale, Thiele acquired mineral resources and certain manufacturing assets (primarily hydrous kaolin with some calcination capability) located in central Georgia, strategically situated near other Thiele assets. Imerys retained assets in Sandersville, Georgia. This transaction supports Thiele's future growth initiatives in global coated board and industrial products segments.
• Short Mountain SilicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2017Thiele Kaolin Company acquired the silica and trucking operations of Short Mountain Silica in April 2017. Short Mountain Silica produces high purity silica for automotive flat glass, fiberglass, and ceramics industries. With manufacturing operations in Mooresburg, Tennessee, Short Mountain has served a diverse customer base for over thirty years. Eric Tillirson, President of Thiele, stated the acquisition supports the company's strategic plan to diversify business, provide future avenues for growth, and generate additional value for shareholders. David Lester, CEO of Short Mountain Silica, noted a perfect fit for customers and employees. Wells Fargo Securities served as exclusive financial advisor to Short Mountain Silica. Thiele is now the owner of Short Mountain Silica.
• Short Mountain Silica (Owned subsidiary)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerShort Mountain Silica is referenced as a subsidiary on Thiele's website with a separate logo and website (shortmtnsilica.com). It operates as part of the Thiele family of companies (Thiele Wisconsin, Thiele Nordic, and Short Mountain Companies) mentioned in scholarship communications.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imerys S.A. Global leader in mineral-based specialty solutions and one of the largest kaolin producers worldwide. Imerys is a directly comparable competitor to Thiele in kaolin mining and processing, particularly in paper and packaging, and is the seller from which Thiele acquired central Georgia kaolin assets in 2021.
• KaMin LLC: US-based kaolin producer serving paper, performance minerals, and industrial markets with hydrous and calcined kaolin products. KaMin is a near-direct competitor with overlapping product portfolio and end-customer base in North America.
• Sibelco: Global industrial minerals company producing silica, nepheline, feldspars, and clays. Sibelco competes with Thiele in specialty kaolin and silica applications and is identified alongside Thiele as a key global kaolin player.
• Burgess Pigment Co. US kaolin producer with shared Sandersville, Georgia heritage that has agreed to acquire Thiele. Burgess is highly comparable in kaolin products, end markets, and customer base, and post-close will operate as a sibling company under the same holding structure.
• Active Minerals International: Producer of specialty kaolin (and attapulgite/ball clay) products for industrial functional filler and extender applications. Active Minerals competes directly with Thiele in paints, coatings, plastics, and adhesives markets.

Regional players

• Quarzwerke Group: European industrial minerals group producing kaolin, feldspar, and silica for industrial customers. Comparable in product portfolio and processing capabilities to Thiele, but primarily serving European markets.

Broad incumbents

• Minerals Technologies Inc. Specialty minerals company with a Performance Materials segment supplying kaolin-based products to paper, packaging, and industrial customers. Overlaps with Thiele in kaolin and similar functional fillers but operates across a much broader portfolio including precipitated calcium carbonate.
• BASF SE: Global chemical major whose Performance Chemicals portfolio includes kaolin and other functional fillers/extenders. Overlaps with Thiele in TiO2 extension and coating/paint applications but competes as part of a much broader chemical offering rather than as a kaolin specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thiele Kaolin Company