Amcol International Corp. (ACO)

Amcol International Corporation, through its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty minerals company in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Its Minerals Segment offers custom-blended bentonite and allied non-bentonite products; formulated additives; and sodium bentonite-based scoopable, traditional, and alternative cat litters, as well as specialty pet products to grocery and drug stores, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, and pet specialty stores. It also provides agglomerated bentonite to the detergent industry; adsorbent polymers and purified grades of bentonite ingredients for personal skin care products; nanoclays; sodium bentonite and leonardite used in oil and gas well drilling; and bentonite and bentonite blends for the construction industry. The company’s Environmental segment offers geosynthetic clay liner products for lining and capping landfills, and for containment in tank farms, storm water containment systems, waste stabilization lagoons, sewage lagoons and mine site and wetlands reclamation applications; waterproofing systems and roofing underlayment systems; and drilling products. Its Oilfield Services segment provides onshore and offshore water treatment filtration, pipeline separation, and well testing services for the oil and gas industry. This segment also rents high-pressure pumps to oil and gas production platform operators; and offers liquid nitrogen with its personnel and mobile equipment to the production platforms, pipeline operators, and refineries. AMCOL’s Transportation segment offers long-haul trucking and freight brokerage services primarily for the delivery of finished products in the continental United States. The company was founded in 1924 as the Bentonite Mining & Manufacturing Company and changed its name to American Colloid Company in 1927. Later, it changed its name to AMCOL International Corporation in 1995. The company is headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

For the nine months ended 30 September 2006, AMCOL International Corporation's revenues rose 14% to $455.6M. Net income from cont. ops. rose 35% to $37.7M. Revenues reflect higher sales from Minerals segment due to a rise in shipments of specialty materials product lines and increased Environment division. Net income also reflects improved operating margins and higher income earned from affiliated & joint ventures.