Burgess Pigment Company

What Burgess Pigment Company does

Burgess Pigment Company is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of specialty anhydrous (calcined) and hydrous (water washed) kaolin clay pigments, headquartered in Sandersville, Georgia since 1948. The company produces a portfolio of approximately 25 kaolin-based functional extender and filler products — including the OPTIWHITE flash-calcined series, ICECAP calcined grades, OPTIPOZZ high-reactivity metakaolin, surface-modified grades (Burgess 2211, KE, CB, 5178), and a range of water-washed hydrous kaolins — serving six primary end-markets: paints and coatings, polymers (rubber, plastics, wire and cable), adhesives, cement and concrete, inks, and polishes. Core technology is centered on patented flash calcination (in production since 1964), proprietary surface modification chemistries (amino silane, silane, hydrophobic treatments), delaminated hydrous kaolin processing, and high-reactivity metakaolin production classified under ASTM C-618. The ISO 9001-certified facility can process more than 100,000 tons annually.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining direct regional sales management (Regional Sales Managers covering the US Southeast and Southwest plus Central and South America) with a two-tier distributor network: six or more US regional distributors (Lintech International, Walsh & Associates, Dowd and Guild, Ravago Chemicals, JNS Supply, and others) plus Omya as the primary international channel partner covering more than 40 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. Revenue is generated through direct sale of manufactured kaolin products (hardware sales model) at undisclosed pricing with an energy surcharge policy and periodic price increase notices. The customer base is horizontally diversified across industrial segments, supported by REACH compliance, UK REACH compliance (dated January 2026), FDA food-contact status documentation (April 2024), and ISO 9001 certification. Average employee tenure exceeds 20 years, reflecting a stable, technically experienced workforce, and the firm is described by its own careers page as a small, privately held company with no institutional investment, parent company, or public ticker.

Name

Burgess Pigment Company

Legal name

Burgess Pigment Company

Website

https://burgesspigment.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Burgess Pigment Company is a family-owned, third-generation US manufacturer of specialty calcined and water-washed kaolin pigments serving industrial customers in paints and coatings, polymers, adhesives, cement and concrete, inks, and polishes worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Kaolin Product Sales: Burgess Pigment Company generates revenue through the sale of specialty kaolin clay products, including hydrous and calcined kaolin used as functional extenders and fillers in industrial applications. Products are sold directly and through distributors to manufacturers in coatings, polymers, adhesives, cement, inks, and polish industries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Burgess Pigment Company manufactures and sells specialty hydrous (water washed) and calcined kaolin clay products used as functional extender pigments, fillers, and reinforcements in industrial applications. The product portfolio spans more than 20 grades including the OPTIWHITE, ICECAP, OPTIPOZZ, THERMO GLACE, and numbered NO. series, serving manufacturers of paints and coatings, polymers (rubber and plastics), adhesives, cement and concrete, inks, and polishes worldwide.

Product overview

Burgess Pigment Company is a manufacturer of specialty anhydrous (calcined) and hydrous (water washed) kaolin clays. The product portfolio consists of two main processing categories: Water Washed kaolins (including BURGESS NO. 10, NO. 17, NO. 20, NO. 28, NO. 40, NO. 400, NO. 60, NO. 97, NO. 98, POLYCLAY, THERMO GLACE H, and THERMO GLACE +) and Calcined kaolins (including ICECAP-K, ICEBERG, NO. 30, NO. 50, ICECAP-KSF, OPTIWHITE, OPTIWHITE MX, OPTIWHITE P, 30P, OPTIPOZZ, KE, CB, 5178, and 2211). These kaolin-based products serve industrial applications including paints and coatings, polymers, adhesives, cement and concrete, inks, and polishes. The company also provides supporting services including sample requests, technical data sheets (TDS), and safety data sheets (MSDS) for all products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BURGESS NO. 10 Fine particle size water washed hydrous kaolin clay used in adhesives and coatings applications.
• BURGESS NO. 17 Fine particle size water washed hydrous kaolin clay used in adhesives, coatings, and inks applications.
• BURGESS NO. 20 Fine particle size water washed hydrous kaolin clay used in adhesives, coatings, and cementitious applications as a filler and rheological modifier.
• BURGESS NO. 28 Ultra fine particle size beaded (high bulk density) hydrous kaolin clay used to extend TiO2 in water based satin and semigloss coating systems.
• BURGESS NO. 40 Coarse particle size hydrous kaolin clay used in trade sales coatings and adhesives, and extensively in fiberglass reinforced plastic where low oil demand is required.
• BURGESS NO. 400 Extra large particle size hydrous kaolin clay used in trade sales coatings and adhesives, ideal for SMC, BMC and pultrusion applications.
• BURGESS NO. 60 Acid pH fine particle size hydrous kaolin clay with excellent dispersion properties, used in inks, adhesives, industrial finishes, and EIFS.
• BURGESS NO. 97 Ultra fine particle size medium brightness hydrous kaolin clay exhibiting excellent tint strength, used as TiO2 extender in semigloss, satin, and gloss paints.
• BURGESS NO. 98 Ultra fine particle size high brightness hydrous kaolin clay with excellent dispersion, used as premium TiO2 extender in satin, semi-gloss and gloss water-based and solvent-based coatings.
• BURGESS POLYCLAY Fine particle size medium brightness hydrous kaolin clay used in inks; neutral version of Burgess No. 10.
• BURGESS THERMO GLACE H Delaminated fine particle size medium brightness hydrous kaolin clay used in primers and trade sales coatings for reduction of mudcracking and permeability.
• BURGESS THERMO GLACE + Very high aspect ratio delaminated hydrous kaolin clay specifically created to replace 3μ talcs in thermoplastic polymers.
• BURGESS ICECAP-K Excellent extender for TiO2 in coatings where high hegman grind is required, with low screen residue, good electricals, low compression set, and low water absorption.
• BURGESS ICEBERG Conventionally calcined medium particle size high brightness clay (91-93 GE) used as TiO2 extender in trade sales paints, flexible PVC, EPDM wire and cable, and pharmaceutical rubber.
• BURGESS NO. 30 Partially calcined median particle size metakaolin clay used extensively in PVC compounds for improving electricals with excellent volume resistivity.
• BURGESS NO. 50 High brightness fine particle size calcined kaolin that is an excellent TiO2 extender in coatings or polymeric systems, also suitable for polishes.
• BURGESS ICECAP-KSF Medium fine particle size calcined kaolin used as mild abrasive agent in various polish applications, very finely ground with extremely low 325 mesh residue.
• BURGESS OPTIWHITE Premium whiteness flash calcined TiO2 extender with excellent GE Brightness used in First Line interior/exterior flat or low sheen water based and alkyd paint systems.
• BURGESS OPTIWHITE MX Flash calcined clay exhibiting very good GE Brightness and excellent TiO2 extension, used in flat or low sheen interior/exterior trade sales coatings.
• BURGESS OPTIWHITE P Flash calcined clay used to extend TiO2 in flat interior trade sales paints which do not require maximum whiteness, improves touchup, scrub, and burnish resistance.
• BURGESS 30P Flash calcined medium particle size clay used extensively in PVC compounds for improving electricals, exhibits low specific gravity and excellent color.
• BURGESS OPTIPOZZ High reactivity metakaolin produced by patented process, classified as Class N Pozzolan under ASTM C-618, used to increase chemical resistance and durability in cement and reduce shrinkage.
• BURGESS KE Silane modified anhydrous aluminum silicate designed for use in EPR, EPT, crosslinked polyethylene and polyester systems with excellent wet and dry electrical characteristics.
• BURGESS CB Calcined kaolin designed for use in EPR, EPT, crosslinked polyethylene, and polyester yielding excellent dispersion and wet/dry electricals by means of lower water vapor transmission.
• BURGESS 5178 Calcined kaolin with proprietary surface treatment designed to provide excellent wet and dry electrical properties, hydrophobic with improved dispersion characteristics.
• BURGESS 2211 Amino silane treated Icecap K specifically developed for mineral filled nylon applications, offering low warpage and high impact strengths.

Quantifiable outcome

• Production capacity exceeds 100,000 tons annually
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Linchem InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor covering Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Provides local sales and distribution of Burgess Pigment kaolin products to industrial customers in the Southeastern United States.
• Walsh & Associates, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor covering multiple states including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. Provides regional distribution of Burgess Pigment products.
• Dowd and Guild InccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS distributor covering Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Provides distribution of Burgess kaolin products in Western United States.
• Dempsey CorporationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian distributor selected in February 2024 to serve the Canadian market. Covers Ontario (416-461-0844) and Quebec (514-336-4953).
• Omya (Various Regional Entities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOmya serves as primary international distribution partner covering Africa (Omya SAS, Omya Hamburg GmbH, Omya S.A. Morocco, Green Egypt Group), Americas (Omya Inc., Omya Mexico), Asia (Omya India, Omya Shanghai, PT Omya Indonesia, Omya Korea, Omya Malaysia, OmyaPack Pakistan, Omya Asia Pacific, Omya Taiwan, Surint Omya Thailand/Vietnam), Europe (Omya AB, Omya GmbH, Omya UK, and others), Middle East (Omya Shfeya, Omya Distribution CO.), and Oceania (Omya New Zealand).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Quarzwerke GmbH: European specialty industrial minerals producer of fillers including kaolin, quartz, and feldspar for paints, plastics, adhesives, and construction — a regional peer comparable in scale and product range to Burgess.
• Imerys: Global leader in mineral-based specialty solutions including kaolin (Imerys Carbonates & Kaolin). Directly competes with Burgess in calcined and hydrous kaolins for coatings, polymers, and rubber; Burgess salesperson Dickey Shurling previously led product management at Imerys Carbonates.
• Thiele Kaolin Company: Georgia-based kaolin miner and processor producing both calcined and hydrous kaolins for paper, coatings, plastics, rubber, and adhesives — a direct same-region peer to Burgess.
• Active Minerals International: Producer of specialty mineral fillers and extenders including kaolin, attapulgite, and diatomaceous earth for coatings, plastics, rubber, and construction applications — directly comparable specialty industrial minerals portfolio.
• SCR-Sibelco: Global industrial minerals group producing silica, feldspar, kaolin, and nepheline for coatings, glass, ceramics, polymers, and construction — a large multinational peer to Burgess in the same functional filler space.
• KaMin LLC: US specialty kaolin producer (Georgia-based, similar to Burgess) supplying hydrous and calcined kaolin for paints, coatings, plastics, inks, and adhesives — directly overlapping product portfolio and end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Specialty Minerals Inc. (Minerals Technologies Inc.): Manufacturer of precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) and ground calcium carbonate plus bentonite and talc — competes with Burgess as a functional filler/extender in coatings, paper, plastics, and construction.
• Omya AG: World's largest producer of calcium carbonate-based fillers and a major industrial minerals distributor — also Burgess's principal international distribution partner. Overlaps with Burgess as a producer of competing functional fillers (ground CaCO3) used in coatings, polymers, and concrete.
• BASF SE (Functional Fillers / Colors & Effects): Diversified chemicals giant whose pigments and functional additives portfolio (including kaolin/extender offerings via acquired Engelhard businesses) competes with Burgess in coatings, plastics, and specialty applications.

Emerging players

• Cathay Industries (iron oxides / pigments): Global inorganic pigment producer; Burgess's Regional Sales Manager Samuel Gomez previously worked at Cathay Industries USA. Competes in adjacent pigment/colorant market segments used by coatings and polymer customers that also buy Burgess kaolin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Burgess Pigment Company