SandCo
SandCo is a Kazakhstan-based, privately held B2B manufacturer producing high-silica fractionated quartz sand from its own Kariernoe quarry. It supplies enterprise customers across Central Asia in water filtration, construction materials, sandblasting, oil and gas drilling, and industrial applications, and operates a downstream concrete plant.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersKokshetau, Kazakhstan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SandCo does
SandCo is a Kazakhstan-based, privately held B2B industrial manufacturer of fractionated quartz sand, founded in 1999 in Kokshetau by Saken Karimbekovich Zhumanalin (initially under the Namys name). The company controls the full raw-material-to-customer value chain through its ownership of the Kariernoe sand quarry in the Taiynsha district of North Kazakhstan, a production facility in Kokshetau's North industrial zone, an in-house technical laboratory, a railway complex, and its own delivery fleet. Its core offering is high-silica fractionated quartz sand with SiO2 content between 96.22% and 98.52%, low iron oxide (0.07%–0.12%) and titanium oxide (0.02%–0.032%), and magnesium oxide up to 0.50%, produced via open-pit mining followed by washing, screening, and magnetic separation technology meeting European environmental standards. SandCo sells four branded product lines — Hiyams (fine, 0.1–1.0 mm), Crystal (medium, 0.7–3.0 mm), Shakh (coarse, 2.0–15.0 mm), and Mix (custom blends 0.1–5 mm) — across 16 processing grades, targeting water filtration, sandblasting, landscaping, construction materials, oil and gas drilling, and industrial applications including glass, ceramics, foundry, and uranium.
The business model is direct B2B sales, quote-based pricing (not publicly disclosed), with in-house production and logistics eliminating intermediary markups. Distribution is split between direct enterprise sales (covering Kazakhstan and neighboring countries including Kyrgyzstan) and an online order form on sandco.kz. Customer logos include BI Group, Knauf Kazakhstan, Sika, Ceresit, ERG, Kazzinc, Kazakhmins, Katco, and JICA, alongside water utilities and construction firms, reflecting a diversified enterprise base across construction materials, mining, water treatment, and infrastructure. The company also operates a downstream concrete plant (Namys-Sapa, established 2015 with Turkish equipment partner Elkon) and, in 2024, signed equipment contracts with Chinese suppliers that reportedly delivered a 10x productivity uplift, positioning SandCo as Kazakhstan's largest fractionated quartz sand producer with capacity previously stated at up to 80,000 tons per year. Current leadership is held by Sanjar Zhumanalin, the founder's son, and the company remains entirely founder-family owned with no disclosed institutional investors.
SandCo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SandCo
- Legal name
- SandCo
- Website
- https://sandco.kz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SandCo is a Kazakhstan-based, privately held B2B manufacturer producing high-silica fractionated quartz sand from its own Kariernoe quarry. It supplies enterprise customers across Central Asia in water filtration, construction materials, sandblasting, oil and gas drilling, and industrial applications, and operates a downstream concrete plant.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SandCo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Minerals & Construction Aggregates
- NAICS
- Industrial Sand Mining (212322), Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (2123), 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 industry
- Industrial Sand (Silica Sand for Foundry, Glass & Industrial Uses) (IMAKAHAK)
Keywords
Where SandCo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kokshetau
- HQ country
- Kazakhstan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
SandCo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fractionated Quartz Sand Sales: SandCo generates revenue through the sale of high-quality fractionated quartz sand. They produce and supply their products in-house, eliminating intermediaries which means prices are free from markups. The company offers various sand types including Hiyams (fine-grained), Crystal (medium-grained), Shakh (coarse-grained), and Mix (custom fraction blends).
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
SandCo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SandCo produces and supplies high-quality fractionated quartz sand from its own Kariernoe quarry in North Kazakhstan, offering four branded grades—Hiyams (fine), Crystal (medium), Shakh (coarse), and Mix (custom blends)—with SiO2 content between 96.22% and 98.52%. The company handles the entire value chain in-house, from open-pit mining and washing/screening to magnetic separation, laboratory-tested quality control, and delivery via its own railway complex, targeting B2B industrial customers in water filtration, sandblasting, construction, landscaping, oil & gas, glass/ceramics, and mining.
Product overview
SandCo offers a portfolio of four distinct fractionated quartz sand products: Hiyams (fine-grained, 0.1-1.0mm for water treatment and landscaping), Crystal (medium-grained, 0.7-3.0mm for filtration and construction), Shakh (coarse-grained, 2.0-15.0mm for sandblasting and heavy industrial use), and Mix (custom fraction blends 0.1-5mm for specialized filter applications). The products are sold as distinct branded offerings targeting different industry applications including water filtration, sandblasting, landscaping, construction materials, and industrial equipment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hiyams: Fine-grained quartz sand product, suitable for landscaping design and water treatment facilities.
- Crystal
- Shakh
- Mix
Products and services
- Hiyams Fine-grained white quartz sand with fractions from 0.1mm to 1.0mm, used for water-treatment facilities, landscape design evoking seaside aesthetics, and agricultural applications.
- Crystal Medium-grained quartz sand with fractions from 0.7mm to 3.0mm, used as filler for pool filters, cleaning petroleum products and industrial effluents, landscape design, football fields, dry construction mixes, and self-leveling floors.
- Shakh Coarse-grained quartz sand with fractions from 2.0mm to 15.0mm, the most challenging type to mine due to fragmentation tendency, used for heavy-duty sandblasting of metals, stone, and glass, production of paving tiles, concrete mixes, and landscape design elements.
- Mix Custom blend of quartz sand fractions from 0.1mm to 5mm, created for applications where single sand types are insufficient, such as filter manufacturing, and tailored to specific project requirements.
Quantifiable outcome
- Production capacity increased 10x after 2024 China equipment contract
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use SandCo
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SandCo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SandCo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- BI GroupminorConstruction company listed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- Sika KazakhstanminorConstruction chemicals company listed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- Knauf KazakhstanminorConstruction materials manufacturer listed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- KatcominorListed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- ERG (Eurasian Resources Group)minorMining and natural resources company listed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- KazzincminorZinc production company listed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- KazakhminsminorMining and copper production company listed as a partner on SandCo's website.
- Elkon (Turkey)coreIn 2015, SandCo built the Namys-Sapa concrete plant with equipment from Turkish company Elkon, expanding into concrete production as a new business line for silica sand supply.
- Chinese Equipment SupplierscoreIn 2024, SandCo signed contracts with Chinese suppliers for new equipment, leading to a 10x increase in productivity.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SandCo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Euroquarz GmbH: German producer of high-purity quartz sands for glass, foundry, filtration, and construction — a directly comparable mid-size European/CIS-adjacent industrial sand specialist.
- Quarzwerke Group: European family-owned specialist in industrial quartz and silica sands, with fractionated grades serving construction, filtration, and industrial applications — closely mirrors SandCo's specialty positioning.
- Hi-Crush Inc. North American frac sand producer focused on proppant-grade sand for oil & gas drilling — comparable insofar as SandCo is targeting oil & gas proppant applications, though at a much smaller scale.
Broad incumbents
- Imerys: French-listed specialty minerals producer with significant high-purity silica and industrial mineral offerings for filtration, foundry, and construction — applicable peer on technology and end-market overlap.
- Mineral Technologies (Minerals Technologies Inc.): Global specialty minerals company producing high-purity silica and processed mineral products for industrial and consumer end-uses — comparable in fractionation technology and customer mix.
- US Silica Holdings: Large North American producer of industrial silica sand serving oil & gas, glass, foundry, and construction end-markets — a direct analog of SandCo's business model at much greater scale.
- Sibelco: Global industrial minerals group with a large silica sand business, supplying glass, foundry, filtration, and construction customers — comparable in product breadth and vertical integration.
Others
- Sika AG: Swiss specialty construction chemicals company and existing SandCo customer — comparable as an adjacent construction-materials participant that also sources high-quality silica inputs.
- Knauf (as adjacent gypsum/customer): Listed here as a downstream industrial customer relationship and adjacent construction-materials producer; useful peer for understanding end-market pull on SandCo's volumes.
Regional players
- JSC Ramen quarry (Ramen Silica): Russian producer of high-purity quartz sands for glass, foundry, and construction — a relevant regional competitor operating in the post-Soviet/CIS market adjacent to Kazakhstan.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SandCo social profiles
Digital presenceSandCo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SandCo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SandCo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SandCo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SandCo
What does SandCo do?
SandCo produces and supplies high-quality fractionated quartz sand from its own Kariernoe quarry in North Kazakhstan, offering four branded grades—Hiyams (fine), Crystal (medium), Shakh (coarse), and Mix (custom blends)—with SiO2 content between 96.22% and 98.52%. The company handles the entire value chain in-house, from open-pit mining and washing/screening to magnetic separation, laboratory-tested quality control, and delivery via its own railway complex, targeting B2B industrial customers in water filtration, sandblasting, construction, landscaping, oil & gas, glass/ceramics, and mining.
Is SandCo a public or private company?
SandCo is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was SandCo founded?
SandCo was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SandCo based?
SandCo is headquartered in Kokshetau, Kazakhstan, in the Asia region.
How does SandCo make money?
One revenue line is on record: fractionated Quartz Sand Sales.
Who are SandCo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Euroquarz GmbH, Quarzwerke Group and Hi-Crush Inc.. Broad incumbents are Imerys, Mineral Technologies (Minerals Technologies Inc.), US Silica Holdings and Sibelco. Others are Sika AG and Knauf (as adjacent gypsum/customer). JSC Ramen quarry (Ramen Silica) is listed as a regional player.
Does SandCo have an API?
No public API is recorded for SandCo.
What industry is SandCo in?
SandCo's product category is Industrial Minerals & Construction Aggregates. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAGAK, Silica & Quartz Mining (Industrial Silica Sand, High-Purity Quartz), with a secondary code of IMAKAHAK, Industrial Sand (Silica Sand for Foundry, Glass & Industrial Uses). Its NAICS code is 212322 and its SIC code is 1400.