Short Mountain Silica Co.

Name

Short Mountain Silica Co.

Legal name

Short Mountain Silica

Website

https://shortmtnsilica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Short Mountain Silica Co. is a privately held Tennessee-based producer of high-purity silica sand, silica flour, and specialty mineral products serving industrial, ceramic, construction, golf/turf, and environmental customers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Minerals & Silica Sand

NAICS

Industrial Sand Mining (212322), Construction Sand and Gravel Mining (212321), Sand, Gravel, Clay, and Ceramic and Refractory Minerals Mining and Quarrying (21232)

SIC

Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400), Abrasive, Asbestos & Misc Nonmetallic Mineral Prods (3290)

akta.pro primary industry

Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz) (IMAKAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial Sand (Silica Sand for Foundry, Glass & Industrial Uses) (IMAKAHAK), Silica (Quartz, Fumed, Precipitated) (IMAEAFAD)

Keywords

• Industrial silica sand
• Silica flour production
• High-purity silica
• Construction sand products
• Bulk mineral materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Mooresburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Silica Product Sales: Direct sales of high-purity silica sand, silica flour, and specialty blends to industrial, construction, ceramic, recreational, and specialty customers. Products sold in various formats including bulk, palletized bags, and FIBC. Revenue generated through product pricing with quote-based model for custom requirements.
2. Contract Trucking Services: Hauling services for outside customers beyond internal product delivery support. Provides consistent, reliable transportation across defined lanes, projects, or ongoing programs for both bulk-material and general freight movements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Short Mountain Silica is a Tennessee-based producer that mines Clinch Sandstone and processes it into high-purity silica sand, silica flour, and specialty mineral blends for industrial, ceramic, construction, recreational, and environmental applications. Products are sold in bulk, 50 lb bags, and FIBC formats with delivery coordinated through an integrated trucking operation (Short Mountain Trucking).

Product overview

Short Mountain Silica is a Tennessee-based producer of high-purity silica sand, silica flour, and specialty mineral products serving industrial, construction, ceramic, recreational, and specialty applications. The product portfolio spans five main categories: (1) Industrial Silica including Glass Sand, 200 Mesh and 325 Mesh Silica Flour, 20/40 Sand, Traction Sand, Tile Body Sand, Foundry Sand, 8/20 Sand, and Ceramic Body Filler; (2) Construction Sands including Masonry Sand, Utility Sand, and Play Sand; (3) Golf & Sports Field Sands including Golf Sand (topdressing, bunker, divot products), Sports Field Sand, and Equestrian Footing; (4) Stormwater & Soil Media including Bioretention Soil Media and Garden Grow Mix; and (5) Landscape & Erosion products including Boulders. The company offers flexible packaging options (bulk, palletized 50 lb bags, and FIBC/bulk bags) and integrated logistics through their own trucking operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Short Mountain Trucking: Integrated trucking operation providing bulk material hauling and contract freight services with a fleet of over 60 trucks and 75+ trailers.

Products and services

• Glass Sand High-purity silica sand (typical 99.8% SiO2) used in glass manufacturing, fiberglass, ceramic frits and glazes, and industrial applications requiring clean, consistent silica feedstock.
• 200 Mesh Silica Flour High-purity, finely milled silica flour used across ceramic manufacturing and industrial processes including clay bodies, slip casting, roofing materials, silicate chemistry, and formulated products.
• 325 Mesh Silica Flour Ultra-fine, high-purity silica flour grade selected for glaze work and ceramic applications requiring smaller particle size and smooth dispersion, also used in frit systems and fine industrial applications.
• 20/40 Sand Kiln-dried, screened silica sand produced to a consistent 20/40 gradation for boiler systems, filtration, synthetic turf, resin flooring, waterproofing systems, and industrial applications.
• Traction Sand Dry, free-flowing sand used in locomotive sanding systems to improve wheel-rail adhesion and for winter road safety applications including roads, parking lots, and access areas.
• Tile Body Sand Consistent silica sand used as a raw-material input in ceramic and porcelain tile manufacturing for body preparation processes where silica is blended with other ingredients.
• Foundry Sand Consistent silica sand used in gray iron, cast iron, and other metal casting applications for molding, core-making, and repeatable casting processes.
• 8/20 Sand Coarse silica sand for pool plaster and repair mixes, decorative quartz-style finishes, textured coating systems, and specialty applications requiring larger, consistent particles.
• Ceramic Body Filler Silica-clay filler used as a raw-material component in ceramic manufacturing to support consistent production and reliable fired performance.
• Masonry Sand Consistently graded, washed sand used for brick, block, and stone work, as well as stucco, plaster, tuckpointing, paver bedding, and general construction applications.
• Utility Sand Economical, general-purpose sand for industrial filler applications and basic site and construction needs where a tight-spec specialty-grade sand is not required.
• Play Sand Clean, washed, screened and dried sand for sandboxes, play areas, and general outdoor applications, packaged primarily in palletized 50 lb bags for retail and consumer use.
• Golf Sand Performance sands for golf courses including topdressing sand, bunker sand, Greensmix (sand + peat blend), and Green Divot Fix products designed for playability, drainage, and course maintenance.
• Sports Field Sand Consistent sports field sand products for natural and synthetic turf systems including natural turf sand, root zone blends, and synthetic turf sand for reliable playing surfaces.
• Equestrian Footing Sand-based footing options including premixed sand/fiber blends designed to create reliable, consistent riding surfaces for training and arena use.
• Bioretention Soil Media Engineered planting media blend designed for stormwater management features to capture, filter, and treat runoff while supporting healthy vegetation in rain gardens, bioswales, and bioretention basins.
• Garden Grow Mix Sand-peat blend designed for garden beds and landscape planting areas to create a workable growing medium supporting healthy root development while reducing compaction.
• Boulders Large natural Clinch sandstone boulders (typically 3-5 feet wide) for landscaping, erosion control, slope stabilization, shoreline protection, and decorative hardscape features.
• Contract Trucking & Hauling Services Bulk material hauling and contract freight services operated by subsidiary Short Mountain Trucking, with a fleet of 60+ trucks and 75+ trailers serving outside customers across defined lanes and project-based programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4 million miles driven annually by trucking fleet
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Hi-Crush / Arq: Sand-focused operator with a transition into broader industrial minerals (now Arq). Comparable in raw material (silica sand) but with stronger historical exposure to oil & gas/frac markets and a different business model trajectory.
• SCR-Sibelco: Global industrial minerals group with significant silica sand operations in North America (formerly Unimin). Overlaps with Short Mountain in serving glass, ceramics, foundry, and construction with high-purity silica, but as part of a much larger, diversified mineral portfolio across many geographies and mineral types.
• Imerys: Global specialty minerals producer serving ceramics, performance minerals, and industrial markets. Comparable in supplying high-purity mineral inputs to ceramics, paints/coatings, and industrial customers, though with a much broader and more diversified mineral product portfolio.
• Emerge Energy Services: Sand-focused operator (including a frac sand business and industrial silica brands). Overlaps with Short Mountain in the silica sand raw material category but with end-market mix more weighted to oilfield applications.

Direct peers

• Smart Sand Inc. Producer of high-purity silica sand serving oil & gas, industrial, and specialty markets. Comparable product offering (high-purity silica) and end-market exposure, though with stronger weighting toward frac sand end uses.
• Badger Mining Corporation: Family-owned producer of industrial silica sand based in Wisconsin, with a similar privately held profile and focus on high-purity silica for foundry, glass, construction, and recreational markets. Most directly comparable mid-sized private peer to Short Mountain.
• Covia Holdings: Major North American producer of industrial silica and mineral products formed from the merger of Fairmount Santrol and Unimin's industrial businesses. Comparable in serving foundry, glass, ceramics, and construction customers with high-purity silica sand and specialty blends.
• U.S. Silica Holdings: Largest U.S. producer of industrial silica sand and minerals, serving glass, foundry, construction, and oil & gas end markets. Directly comparable product portfolio and end-market exposure to Short Mountain Silica, but at materially greater national scale and a broader logistics footprint.
• Preferred Sands: Producer of high-purity silica sand for oil & gas, glass, foundry, and industrial applications. Directly comparable product chemistry and end-market mix, particularly in industrial-grade silica for foundry and specialty end uses.

Regional players

• Source Energy Services: Canadian sand and logistics supplier focused primarily on Western Canadian oil & gas markets. Comparably integrated with its own trucking and logistics capabilities serving bulk mineral haulage, but concentrated in a different (Canadian) geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shortmtnsilica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/short-mountain-silica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Short Mountain Silica Co.