2011 Registration Document - Imerys

1 Minerals
PRESENTATION OF THE GROUP
for Ceramics, Refractories, Abrasives & Foundry
Other markets
Electrometallurgy
Imerys mines and processes quartz pebbles mainly used in the
production of ferroalloys and ferro-silicon, for special steel alloys.
Thermal power plant boiler additives
Imerys Ceramics has developed a combustion enhancing solution
for increased heat and power boiler efficiency, traded under the
Aurora TM brand.
Construction
The product range is composed of granulates for construction and
public works and specialties made of feldspar and kaolin for the
cement industry.
Glass and related markets
Imerys Ceramics products are made of kaolin for fiber glass, feldspar
for flat and container glass, and a variety of minerals for glass and
rock wool production.
P rocessing solutions
Imerys Ceramics also offers a variety of grinding, milling and blending
solutions to process hard and soft industrial minerals at European
production sites (France and Spain).
❚ INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES, QUALITY AND SALES ORGANIZATION
Industrial facilities
Minerals for Ceramics has 51 industrial facilities :
20 2011 REGISTRATION DOCUMENT IMERYS
❚ MARKETS
Market trends
The performance of the c eramic, sanitaryware and tiles markets,
mostly construction related, has been contrasted in 2011: dynamic
in emerging countries, markets improved slightly in some Western
European countries and remained globally at low levels in North
America. Imerys Ceramics nonetheless improved its sales thanks
to increased efforts in areas such as Eastern Europe, the Middle
East, Brazil, India, and Southeast Asia. Those regions register ed
strong growth in 2011.
The tableware industry confirmed a rebound in 2011, with strong
markets in Europe and the Mediterranean markets, thanks to the
sector’s creativeness and the slowdown of Chinese imports.
Trends were positive in technical ceramics and other markets .
Main competitors
Sibelco group (Belgium); Kaolin AD (Bulgaria); Lasselsberger and
Sedlecky Kaolin (Czech Republic); Soka (France); AKW, Stephan
Schmidt (Germany); Gruppo Minerali Maffei (Italy); Mota (Portugal);
Burella and Ecesa (Spain); Goonvean (United Kingdom); Unimin and
Chemical Lime (United States) and various local feldspar (Turkey)
or clay (Ukraine) producers.
Europe Americas Asia-Pacific
Kaolin 6 2 2
Clays 9 2 1
Ceramic bodies 8 1
Feldspar & feldspathic sands 6 1 3
Mica 2
Quartz 3
Milling & blending plants 5
Quality
Imerys Ceramics is firmly committed to improving quality : 27
industrial sites out of 51 are ISO 9001 certified .
Sales organization
Imerys Ceramics has strategic sales bases worldwide and its
products are marketed by its own sales teams and by its networks
of independent agents and distributors.