Allied Mineral Products Inc. reported it started manufacturing refractory products at its new plant in Yelabuga, Russia, about 650 miles east of Moscow. The operation was announced in September 2017, and a local report at that time quoted a regional economic development agency to indicate the new plant represents an investment of 845 million rubles (est. $1.34 million) for Allied Mineral, and that it will produce 240,000 metric tons/year of refractory products.
Allied Mineral noted it is among the first Western refractory producers operating in the Russian market, and that its plant will initially serve the foundry and aluminum markets. In the future, it will seek other opportunities in industrial applications. Russia, it added, is the world’s fifth-largest market for castings produced, and the second largest producer of primary aluminum products.
“Our success could not have been accomplished without a significant amount of time and effort by many people and departments within Allied,” stated John Halsted, exec. vice president of International & Affiliated Companies. “We have 18 dedicated employees in Russia and look forward to watching them grow and prosper in the coming years.”
Allied Mineral Products produces monolithic refractories and precast, pre-fired refractory shapes at 12 manufacturing sites in eight countries, and four plants producing precast shapes. It also has two research and technology centers.
The Russian start-up follows more than two years of expansion for Allied Mineral Products. In January, it completed a purchase of intellectual property rights to nine refractory cements and pastes formerly held by GrafTech Advanced Graphite Materials. In November 2017 it purchased Riverside Refractories, a maker of monolithic and pre-cast refractory shapes products, refractory coatings and mortars and high-alumina and anhydrous taphole clay products. In January 2017, it acquired Pryor-Giggey Co., a maker of monolithic refractory products and precast shapes. Allied also reached an agreement with Blasch Precision Ceramics to be the exclusive distributor of that company’s CeraLoop™ channel furnace lining products.