Covia Announces Expansion of Luminex Facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Covia, a leading provider of mineral-based and material solutions for the Industrial and Energy markets, today announced that it will be expanding the manufacturing capability of its Luminex™ branded product line to serve increasing customer demand. Luminex, an ultra-white filler, is used in the production of engineered stone countertops for consumer use in kitchens and bathrooms, while also serving retail and industrial hard surface applications.

Partnerships with the City of Fort Smith, the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce and the State of Arkansas were critical to supporting the expansion opportunity, and the investment will allow the company to expand employment opportunities at its existing facility in Fort Smith. While the company considered other locations, the Fort Smith site was best positioned to leverage its full infrastructure and capabilities. “In their short time in Fort Smith, Covia has already proven itself to be a valuable community partner,” said Tim Allen, President and CEO of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Andrew Eich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Covia, commented, “We are excited to make this important investment at Fort Smith, which further enhances Covia’s portfolio of innovative products. This expansion provides our customers a domestic source of high quality ultra-white fillers to support their future business needs and is a great example of our team’s ability to drive growth in our specialty materials offering across North America.”

About Covia

Covia is a leading provider of diversified mineral solutions to the oil and gas, glass, ceramics, coatings, metals, foundry, polymers, construction, water filtration, sports and recreation markets. The Company serves its Industrial customers through a broad array of high-quality products, including high-purity silica sand, nepheline syenite, feldspar, clay, kaolin, resin systems and coated materials, delivered through its comprehensive distribution network. Covia offers its Energy customers an unparalleled selection of proppant solutions, additives, and coated products to enhance well productivity and to address both surface and down-hole challenges in all well environments. Covia has built long-standing relationships with a broad customer base consisting of blue-chip customers. Underpinning these strengths is an unwavering commitment to safety and to sustainable development, further enhancing the value that Covia delivers to all its stakeholders. For more information, visit CoviaCorp.com.