Hammill & Gillespie

What Hammill & Gillespie does

Hammill & Gillespie (d/b/a Hamgil) is a privately held specialty clays and minerals distributor founded in 1848 in Manhattan's South Street Seaport and now headquartered in Frenchtown, New Jersey. The company imports, consolidates, and distributes non-metallic minerals — kaolins, ball clays, feldspars, silica, cordierite, petalite, bentonite, pigments, and opacifiers — from leading international manufacturers, and serves as the U.S. distribution partner for Imerys Performance Minerals. Beyond pass-through distribution, H&G provides custom mineral blending, particle sizing, milling, screening, re-packaging, and integrated sterilization, positioning itself as a condensed supply-chain solution for hard-to-find industrial raw materials.

Its customer base is horizontally diversified across at least ten industrial verticals, including abrasives, adhesives and sealants, advanced ceramics, ceramic art and pottery, cosmetics, paints and coatings, refractories and crucibles, polymer systems, glass and metallurgy, and investment casting. Notable proprietary or branded offerings include Gillespie Borate™ (a 1:1 Gerstley Borate replacement for glazes), Grolleg™ kaolin, MOLOCHITE™ calcined kaolin, AS-066 high-purity quartz (99.9998%), HC-11 synthetic cordierite, 077WP negative-expansion LAS filler, Petalite, and MULCORITE™ extruded kiln furniture.

H&G monetizes through one-off industrial sales of minerals and custom blends rather than licensing or subscription revenue; pricing is opaque and quoted on request. Go-to-market is direct sales with technical consultation, leveraging 175+ years of brand reputation and global sourcing relationships across five continents. The company shows no evidence of digital channels, software products, or recurring revenue mechanics, and operates without disclosed outside capital, M&A activity, or recent leadership changes.

Name

Hammill & Gillespie

Legal name

Hammill & Gillespie

Website

https://hamgil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1848

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hammill & Gillespie is a 175-year-old privately held specialty clays and minerals distributor based in New Jersey that imports, consolidates, and custom-blends non-metallic minerals for industrial customers across ceramics, refractories, paints, cosmetics, and advanced manufacturing, serving as the U.S. distribution partner for Imerys Performance Minerals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Industrial Minerals Distribution

NAICS

Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth Manufacturing (327992), Sand, Gravel, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining and Quarrying (21232)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Minerals Trading (Phosphate, Potash, Sulfur, Borates, Barite, Talc) (IMAKAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kaolin & Industrial Clay Mining (Bentonite, Ball Clay, Fuller’s Earth) (IMAKAGAJ), Sand & Gravel Extraction & Processing (IMAKAHAB), Concentrate & Product Handling (Agglomeration, Pelletizing, Briquetting, Drying) (IMAKALAG)

Keywords

• Specialty clays and minerals
• Industrial minerals distribution
• Ceramic raw materials
• Custom mineral blending
• Refractory materials supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Frenchtown

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Specialty Clays and Minerals Distribution: Hammill & Gillespie imports, consolidates and distributes specialty clays and minerals from leading international manufacturers. They provide custom mineral blends and sizing to meet industrial requirements, operating as a simplified condensed supply chain partner. Revenue is generated through the sale of mineral products with processing services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Hammill & Gillespie imports, consolidates, and distributes specialty clays and minerals from leading international manufacturers including clays, feldspars, mica, silicas, and carbonates. The company provides custom mineral blends and sizing to meet the most varied and demanding requirements of industry, offering services spanning custom milling, screening, blending, re-packaging, and integrated sterilization. The company serves as the named distributor for Imerys Performance Minerals in the United States and operates globally across five continents.

Product overview

Hammill & Gillespie is a specialty clays and minerals distributor that imports, consolidates, and distributes products from leading international manufacturers. The company's core offerings include kaolin clays (GROLLEG™, Alternative Kaolin Solutions, EPK, various ball clays), specialty minerals (Petalite, HC-11 Cordierite, AS-066 High Purity Quartz, 077WP Negative Expansion LAS), ceramic fluxes (GILLESPIE BORATE™, G200 EU, Cornwall Stone, feldspars), calcined kaolins (MOLOCHITE™), pigments (MICRONOX ON16, Spanish Red Iron Oxide), kiln furniture (MULCORITE™), and industrial minerals. Additional offerings include HydroMark Paper and extensive product categories covering silica, bentonite, and specialty minerals. The company provides custom mineral blends, sizing, processing services (milling, screening, blending), and sterilization to meet varied industrial requirements across ceramics, refractories, cosmetics, paint, and other markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gillespie Borate™: Consistent clean reliable alternative to Gerstley Borate for glaze production.
• Petalite
• HC-11 Cordierite
• AS-066
• 077WP

Products and services

• Gillespie Borate™ A proprietary branded mineral product that serves as a consistent, clean, and reliable alternative to Gerstley Borate for glaze production in ceramic applications. Sold as a 1:1 Gerstley Borate replacement at 200 mesh.
• Grolleg™ Kaolin Clay Kaolin clay specifically formulated for translucent and white porcelain ceramic bodies, introduced to the pottery market by Hammill & Gillespie.
• AS-066 High Purity Quartz High purity quartz (99.9998%) with sodium content of less than 0.4 PPM, used in electronics or high-temperature refractories with excellent packing characteristics at 0.5 micron.
• HC-11 Cordierite (Magnesium Aluminosilicate) A unique 100% reacted calcined cordierite product with thermal expansion of 0.6 x 10-6 / °C and stability to temperatures in excess of 1300°C, used to enhance thermal shock characteristics in kiln furniture and refractory applications.
• Cornwall Stone Specialized feldspar imported from England, used as a flux in ceramic bodies and glazes.
• MOLOCHITE™ Calcined Kaolin Calcined kaolin imported from England, available in various mesh sizes (120, 200, 30, 8 mesh) and DD grades for ceramic applications.
• MICRONOX ON16 Product designed for the reduction of sulfhydric acid (H2S) in biogas obtained in anaerobic biomethanization plants.
• Petalite Lithium-based mineral (Lithium Alumino Silicate, CAS 1302-66-5) used to improve thermal expansion and shock resistance, suitable for flame-ware and shortened firing cycles, with melting point of 2,400°F.
• G200 EU Potash Feldspar Super clean potash feldspar used in bodies or glazes where organics are not acceptable.
• Spanish Red Iron Oxide Superior natural iron oxide sourced from Spain, used as pigment in ceramics and other applications.
• 077WP Negative Expansion LAS Synthetic blend of calcined materials with negative coefficient of thermal expansion (-9 x 10-6 / °C), used to reduce thermal expansion of plastic and resin systems in electronics, ceramic, refractory, and dental applications.
• MULCORITE™ Kiln Furniture Thermal shock resistant kiln furniture made from specialty blend of mullite and cordierite with extruded free-flowing air design, suitable for cone 10 or 11 applications with ultra-lightweight hollow core construction.
• Alternative Kaolin Solutions Various kaolin clay products including Grolleg, EPK, Ball Clays, and calcined kaolins for ceramics, paint, coatings, and industrial applications.
• Feldspars & Fluxes Comprehensive range of feldspars including potash feldspars, nepheline syenite (SPECTRUM A200, A270, A400), Cornwall Stone, Glomax LL, and various flux materials for glass and ceramic production.
• Ball Clays Domestic and English ball clays including AK, Amlok 321, Hymod variants, Hywhite variants, KT variants, KY variants, and various other grades for ceramic applications.
• Silica & Fused Silica SIL-CO-SIL variants (52 at 325 mesh, 75 at 200 mesh), MIN-U-SIL 40 (400 mesh), AS-066 high purity silica, and fused silica products.
• Borates & Carbonates Gerstley Borate, Gillespie Borate™ (1:1 Gerstley Borate replacement at 200 mesh), Dolomite, Dolocron 4013, and SNOWCAL 40 Yorkshire English Whiting.
• Pigments & Opacifiers MICRONOX iron oxide colorants (BK01, RO1, RO2, RO3, RO4), Spanish Red natural iron oxide, MINSPAR 200/250, Opacilite, PolStar 200R, and SPECTRUM® nepheline syenite products.
• Bentonite & Specialty Clays Bentonite products including OLD MINE #4, OM#4/SB, SUPER SEAL, SUPER SEAL #2, and various specialty clays for industrial applications.
• HydroMark Paper Specialized paper product line distributed by Hammill & Gillespie.
• Custom Mineral Blending and Sizing Services Custom mineral blending and sizing services providing custom milling, screening, blending, re-packaging, and integrated sterilization to meet the most varied and demanding requirements of industrial customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduction of thermal expansion by 50% to 70% when using HC-11 as seed for in-situ cordierite

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Imerys Performance MineralscoreOthersHammill & Gillespie serves as a distributor for Imerys Performance Minerals. This distribution partnership allows H&G to offer Imerys' specialty mineral products through their consolidated supply chain to industrial customers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Sibelco: Sibelco is one of the world's largest specialty mineral producers and distributors, with deep overlap in silica, nepheline syenite, feldspars, and other industrial minerals. Comparable business model as a vertically integrated mineral solutions provider serving ceramics, glass, paints, and industrial customers globally.
• U.S. Silica Holdings: U.S. Silica is a major producer of industrial silica and high-purity quartz products serving oil & gas, glass, foundry, and specialty end markets. Comparable in the high-purity silica and industrial sand categories that overlap with H&G's AS-066 and silica product lines.
• Mineral Technologies Inc. Mineral Technologies is a leading global producer of specialty mineral products serving paper, steel, consumer products, and industrial customers. Comparable as a vertically integrated specialty mineral solutions provider with broader geographic reach than H&G.
• Imerys Performance Minerals: Imerys is a global leader in mineral-based specialty solutions and H&G's principal supplier. While Imerys is dramatically larger and covers many more product lines and geographies, it competes in the same specialty clays and industrial minerals categories, serving overlapping ceramics, paints, and refractory customers.

Direct peers

• Vanderbilt Minerals: Vanderbilt Minerals is a specialty mineral supplier serving industrial customers with functional fillers and additives, including kaolin, talc, and bentonite products. Comparable in business model as a specialty mineral distributor serving paints, rubber, ceramics, and industrial markets.
• Active Minerals International: Active Minerals International produces and distributes specialty kaolin and functional mineral additives for paints, coatings, rubber, plastics, and adhesives. Comparable as a value-added specialty mineral supplier with custom processing and a similar horizontal end-market diversification strategy.
• Thiele Kaolin Company: Thiele is a long-established U.S. kaolin producer serving paper, paints, plastics, and specialty industrial markets. Directly comparable in product focus (kaolin clays) and customer base overlap in paints/coatings and industrial applications.
• KaMin LLC: KaMin is a leading producer of kaolin-based specialty minerals serving paints, coatings, adhesives, and specialty ceramics — directly overlapping with H&G's core kaolin, ball clay, and industrial clay product lines. Comparable in product portfolio focus on performance mineral solutions.

Emerging players

• Aardvark Clay & Supplies: Aardvark is a U.S.-based distributor of pottery clays, raw materials, and ceramic supplies. Comparable as a smaller specialty clay distributor serving the ceramics and pottery market with a similar consolidated supply-chain positioning.
• Continental Clay Company: Continental Clay is a North American distributor and supplier of ceramic raw materials including clays, glazes, and minerals. Directly comparable as a smaller specialty distributor serving potters and small-to-mid industrial ceramic customers with a similar import-and-distribute model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hamgil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hammill & Gillespie