International Materials

What International Materials does

International Materials (IMI) is a privately-held US-based international trading and logistics company founded in 1987 and headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. The company is organized as a Limited Liability Company (International Materials, LLC) and operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, the UAE, Spain, Singapore, Mexico, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, and the UK, with a representative office in Shanghai. IMI sources, transports, and delivers bulk raw materials — natural gypsum, bauxite, iron ore and iron fines, cement, clinker, petroleum coke, coal, slag (GBFS/GGBFS), and copper concentrates — to the global cement, wallboard, and steel industries.

The company's business model is built on multi-year supply contracts with producers, exclusive marketing rights for certain commodities (notably gypsum from Saint-Gobain in South Spain and COMSA/Minera Caopas in Mexico), and integrated logistics execution. IMI delivers over 45 million metric tons of material annually across 80+ countries, managing 50+ global stock-and-sell distribution centers and chartering 400+ ocean vessels per year across Handymax, Supramax, Coasters, and Panamax classes (5,000–90,000 DWT). Most trades are priced CIF or plant-delivered, with IMI acting as the customer's international procurement department from load port through to the customer's site.

IMI generates revenue through trading margin on bulk commodity transactions, transaction-based freight and logistics services, and bespoke financing solutions extended to suppliers and customers. Reported turnover exceeds $4 billion (crossing the $1 billion threshold in 2018), with 170+ employees supporting 150+ enterprise customers globally. IMI operates dedicated subsidiaries for solid fuels (IMI Fuels, formed 2013) and joint ventures for iron ore products (Diproinduca, 2006) and Colombian coal (Millinton Coal International, 2014). The philanthropic International Materials Foundation was established in 2020.

Name

International Materials

Legal name

International Materials, LLC

Website

https://imigroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

International Materials is a privately-held US-based bulk raw materials trading and logistics company that sources, transports, and delivers gypsum, iron ore, bauxite, cement, clinker, coal, petcoke, slag, and copper concentrates to cement, wallboard, and steel producers across 80+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bulk Raw Materials Trading and Logistics

NAICS

Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers (4235), Coal and Other Mineral and Ore Merchant Wholesalers (423520)

SIC

Wholesale-Metals & Minerals (No Petroleum) (5050)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Minerals & Chemicals (Non-Haz Bulk Powders) Transport (TLADAKAJ)

Keywords

• Bulk raw materials trading
• Ocean freight logistics
• Cement industry supply
• Steel industry materials
• Natural gypsum distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Delray Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bulk Raw Materials Trading: IMI generates revenue through trading and selling bulk raw materials including gypsum, bauxite, iron ore, cement, clinker, coal, petroleum coke, slag, and copper concentrates. The company delivers over 45 million metric tons of materials annually to customers worldwide. Most trades are CIF or plant-delivered, where IMI manages all logistical arrangements from load port operations through delivery to customer's site.
2. Freight and Logistics Services: IMI provides ocean freight solutions, import/export operations, vessel loading and discharge coordination, and logistics management. The company charters over 400 vessels per year including Handymax, Supramax, Coasters, and Panamax with deadweight tonnages ranging from 5,000 to 90,000 metric tons.
3. Custom Financing Solutions: IMI has the ability to provide custom financing solutions to suppliers and customers in addition to normal trading activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

International Materials is a privately-owned independent international trading and logistics firm that sources bulk raw materials (natural gypsum, bauxite, iron ore/iron fines, cement, clinker, petroleum coke, coal, slag, copper concentrates) under multi-year supplier contracts and exclusive marketing rights, then delivers them to industrial customers worldwide via ocean freight with full logistics management and financing support. The company operates a vertically integrated trading platform — combining sourcing, freight, logistics through 50+ stock-and-sell centers, and customer financing — delivering over 45 million metric tons of materials annually to 150+ cement, wallboard and steel industry customers in 80+ countries.

Product overview

International Materials is a bulk raw materials trading and logistics company established in the United States in 1987. The company operates as a unified trading platform offering a portfolio of nine core bulk commodity products (Natural Gypsum, Bauxite, Iron ore/Iron fines, Cement, Clinker, Petroleum coke, Coal, Slag, and Copper Concentrates) supported by six integrated service modules (Global Bulk Raw Materials Trading, Sourcing, Freight, Logistics, Marketing, and Service & Support). The products are primarily used in cement, construction, and steel industries, with the company delivering over 45 million metric tons annually across more than 80 countries. The trading services coordinate the entire supply chain from supplier contracts through ocean freight chartering to final delivery, while logistics operations manage over 50 global distribution centers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Materials Foundation: Independent philanthropic entity established in 2020 to provide long-term funding and expertise to NGOs improving socio-economic conditions of vulnerable communities.

Products and services

• Natural Gypsum Flagship bulk raw material product — calcium sulfate dihydrate used for plaster/wallboard and cement production — with over 5 million metric tons sold each year to wallboard and cement producers worldwide.
• Bauxite Aluminum ore marketed by IMI at approximately 500,000 metric tons annually, sourced primarily for cement applications in North and South America.
• Iron Ore / Iron Fines Sinter Feed, Pellet Feed and direct-charge blast furnace products with 55%-70% total Fe content; over 2 million tons delivered per year from the Americas to China, Korea, Mexico and Europe.
• Cement Cement sourced from first-class producers in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, sold primarily in bulk with optional bagged packaging.
• Clinker Main ingredient used in the manufacture of Portland cement, sourced from reliable producers in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Caribbean and the Americas.
• Petroleum Coke (Petcoke) High- and mid-sulfur petcoke sourced from petroleum refiners in the US Gulf and delivered to customers in South America, the Caribbean, Europe, India and China.
• Coal Coal sourced from first-class operations in South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, the US, Peru and Colombia, primarily marketed to the cement industry.
• Slag (GBFS / GGBFS) Granulated Blast Furnace Slag and Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag sourced in Latin America, Europe and Asia and delivered to cement industry customers.
• Copper Concentrates Copper concentrates sourced from major mining operations in Latin America and Southeast Asia and delivered to customers in Europe and Asia.
• Global Bulk Raw Materials Trading Flagship service: one of the leading privately-owned, independent bulk raw materials trading firms with over 38 years of history, dedicated to professional and personal service and on-time delivery to customer technical/materials requirements.
• Sourcing Multi-year contracts and marketing rights securing supply of natural gypsum, bauxite, cement, clinker, iron ore products, coal, petcoke and anthracite from origins across Oman, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Turkey, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Trinidad, the US, Egypt, the Persian Gulf, South America, South Africa and beyond.
• Freight In-house freight team providing ocean freight solutions, import/export operations, vessel loading and discharge coordination, and logistics management with continuous monitoring of freight markets, vessel availability, trade flows and logistics trends for the cement, wallboard and steel industries.
• Logistics Management of 50+ global stock-and-sell centers for coal, gypsum, bauxite, slag, iron ore products and clinker, including port leases, external reservations and stevedoring operations to support door-to-door deliveries.
• Marketing Exclusive marketing rights secured with Saint-Gobain for gypsum loading from South Spain and with COMSA/Minera Caopas for gypsum loading from Mexico, enabling IMI to market these gypsum tonnages to global customers.
• Service and Support High-touch technical and trade support ensuring accurate, on-time product delivery, plus custom financing solutions offered to suppliers and customers in addition to normal trading activities.
• IMI Fuels Dedicated business unit formed in 2013 to provide expanded solid-fuel product line offerings — coal, petroleum coke and anthracite — to cement and other industrial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deliver over 45 million metric tons of bulk materials annually to customers worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Millinton Coal InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Joint venture established in 2014 to source coal from Colombia. Part of IMI's expanded coal sourcing capabilities for cement industry customers.
• Diproinduca (USA) Limited LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Joint venture established in 2006 to export iron fines from the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. IMI partners with the Diproinduca Group for selling iron ore products used as raw materials within the steel industry including Sinter Feed, Pellet Feed and direct charge into Blast Furnaces.
• Saint-GobaincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMI has secured exclusive marketing rights for gypsum loading from South Spain through Saint-Gobain. This exclusive arrangement positions IMI as a key distributor for gypsum products in that region.
• COMSA (Minera Caopas)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIMI has secured exclusive marketing rights for gypsum loading from Mexico through COMSA/Minera Caopas. This exclusive arrangement enables IMI to market gypsum from Mexico to customers globally.
• Vessel Owners and Operators (Norden, Cosco, Oldendorff, Pacific Basin, Clipper, J. Lauritzen, United Bulk Carriers, ED&F Man, Gearbulk, Western Bulk Carriers, Phoenix Bulk Carriers, Navesco, Ultrabulk, GSS, GBSMT, and 35+ others)coreOthersIMI charters vessels regularly with owners and operators across all vessel segments including Handymax, Supramax, Coasters, and Panamax vessels with deadweight tonnages ranging from 5,000 to 90,000 metric tons. Over 400 charters per year including multi-year Contracts of Afreightment and single spot voyages.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Trafigura: One of the world's largest independent commodity traders with significant dry bulk, metals, and energy focus. Most directly comparable to IMI in terms of integrated trading-plus-logistics model and exposure to industrial minerals and metals.
• Gunvor Group: Privately-held independent commodity trader focused on oil, metals, and bulk commodities with global trading and logistics operations. Closely comparable to IMI in privately-held structure and metals/bulk exposure.
• Mercuria Energy Trading: Privately-held global commodity trader in energy, metals, and agricultural products with integrated logistics. Comparable mid-sized independent trader profile to IMI.
• ED&F Man: Privately-held merchant trading commodities including sugar, coffee, and bulk freight, with a commodity-focused trading book. Similar privately-held merchant profile to IMI with dry bulk exposure.
• Hartree Partners: Privately-held commodity trader across energy, metals, and bulk with integrated physical and logistics operations. Smaller-scale direct peer comparable to IMI's mid-sized independent trader profile.

Broad incumbents

• Glencore: Largest diversified commodity trader and miner globally with major metals, minerals, and energy exposure. Overlaps with IMI in dry bulk industrial minerals trading but operates at vastly larger scale across many product lines.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Privately-held global merchant and processor of agricultural commodities plus some bulk commodities. Comparable independent merchant structure but with primary focus on agricultural soft commodities rather than minerals.
• Cargill: Largest privately-held global agricultural trader and processor with metals and energy trading. Overlaps with IMI in industrial inputs trading and global supply chain capabilities but at much larger scale across many verticals.
• Itochu Corporation: Japanese sogo shosha with extensive mineral, metals, and commodity trading operations including coal, iron ore, and cement raw materials. Comparable as a global commodity trading conglomerate with industrial minerals focus.

Emerging players

• Concord Resources: Sm privately-held metals and bulk commodity trader focused on base metals, ores, and concentrates. Smaller emerging peer with overlapping focus on iron ore and copper concentrates comparable to IMI's metals portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-materials-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries10 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 International Materials