to furnace its own aluminum oxide crude ore and reduce its dependence on outside suppliers. In 1986, Washington Mills again


expanded into the business of furnacing its own crude ore by purchasing the Carborundum Co.’s fused minerals division. This acquisition further diversified Washington Mills’ portfolio of fused mineral products and added crude ore fusion plants, as well as a crushing and grading plant. Washington Mills executed a similar


expansion strategy on the crude ore side in the silicon carbide product line by purchasing The Exolon Co. in 2001. The acquisition added silicon carbide crude plants and a crushing and grading plant. The company worked to consolidate and integrate the acquisitions, which led to the closures of excess capacity and a greater focus on new manufacturing technologies and more demanding customer requirements.


Evolving Customer Needs Washington Mills has followed the evolution of the market demand for fused minerals. The company’s first customer used emery for the abrasive application of polishing farm tools, and grinding and polishing still remain primary applications for fused minerals. Customers making grinding wheels and coated abrasives rely on high-quality abrasive grains in a variety of sizes and


®


different coating options. As the production of fused minerals


expanded, so have applications for the products. Just as important as the abrasive market is the use of fused minerals in other areas, such as refractory, investment cast, ceramic, metallurgical and general industrial applications. The properties of fused minerals make the products useful in many different applications, but customer demands in each of the markets can be unique. Washington Mills has adapted its


products to work well in many different applications by making investments in R&D, plants and equipment. The evolution of customer diversification has come through an effort to understand customer requirements and adapting our technologies to meet those requirements. We push the envelope and expand our understanding of which product properties can be changed in order to meet our customers’ challenges, including the ability to pilot hypothetical fused minerals for specific new applications. Today, Washington Mills sells a


diverse product portfolio of high quality fused aluminas, ceramic tumbling media, silicon carbide, emery, fused mullite, fused zirconia, ferro silicon, magnesia chrome, chrome alumina, custom fusions, calcium aluminate, custom fusions and a variety of other specialty products. It offers a variety of materials testing services in its independent laboratory as well


as toll processing services in grinding, crushing and fusing. The company’s products are customized to service the primary applications of bonded, coated, refractory, ceramic, metallurgical, and a wide variety of general industrial uses. In such a wide variety of applications, Washington Mills’ products may be found in diverse applications ranging from cosmetics to aerospace with solutions for simple surface finishing applications to more complex thermal applications or precision ceramic components.


Looking to the Future Washington Mills continues to explore growth in ways that benefit our customers. We are currently working on R&D projects to manufacture new products, and we continually evaluate external growth opportunities as well. Washington Mills has been in business for 150 years because our products have proven useful over generations to many different customers. The abrasives themselves and the applications they serve are different than 150 years ago, but they continue to be critical tools to many industries. Washington Mills endeavors to stay on the forefront of our customers’ requirements and adapt our products to these current and future demands. For more information, visit the website, www.washingtonmills.com.


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