High Divide Minerals, a leading manufacturer of industrial talc products, today announced that Vanderbilt Minerals, a vertically integrated manufacturer of specialty mineral products, has joined an industrial minerals platform backed by Riverspan Partners, a private equity firm specializing in growth-oriented investments in the industrials sector. Vanderbilt Minerals and High Divide will serve as affiliates under the platform and continue to operate independently, offering the same world-class service to their respective customers. Together, they will expand the diverse portfolio of industrial minerals and industry expertise available across the platform.
Vanderbilt Minerals, which is headquartered in Norwalk, CT, operates across multiple U.S. states and serves a broad global customer base. Vanderbilt Minerals’ offerings include smectite clays, which serve as rheology modifiers and emulsion stabilizers in pharmaceutical, personal care, and agricultural applications, while its other products function as performance fillers and additives across ceramics, coatings, construction, and plastics end markets.
As part of the Riverspan-backed platform, Vanderbilt Minerals will benefit from Riverspan’s additional capital and capabilities to strengthen its position as a leading provider of diversified industrial minerals. Riverspan will invest in reserve development and product innovation across the company’s footprint to drive strategic growth. Vanderbilt Minerals will also benefit from High Divide’s deep roster of seasoned industrial minerals executives who bring operational, financial, and strategic expertise to the platform.
“Vanderbilt Minerals is a differentiated specialty minerals business with a distinctive reserve base, deep operating capabilities, and decades-long customer relationships across diversified end markets,” said Al Gwizdala, CEO of the platform. “The products sold by Vanderbilt Minerals are highly complementary to those we sell at High Divide Minerals, so we are excited about the expanded portfolio of industrial minerals that our platform can now offer to each of our customer bases. We look forward to leveraging the combined expertise of the High Divide and Vanderbilt Minerals teams to strengthen both companies and to better serve our customers, employees, and the communities in which we operate.”
Greenhill & Co. served as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins served as legal advisor to Vanderbilt Minerals. Milbank and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal advisors and Piper Sandler served as financial advisor to High Divide Minerals and Riverspan.
About High Divide Minerals
High Divide Minerals is a manufacturer of industrial talc products based in Dillon, MT. High Divide processes its exceptionally bright and pure mineral resources in its Montana and Texas locations to serve end markets including polymers, technical ceramics, and paints & coatings. High Divide Minerals has been owned by Riverspan Partners since April 2024. For more information, please visit www.hdmin.com.
About Vanderbilt Minerals
Vanderbilt Minerals is a manufacturer of specialty mineral products serving customers in life sciences, construction, ceramics, coatings, and other end markets. With access to unique mineral reserves and advanced processing equipment, Vanderbilt Minerals serves its customers from its network of facilities across the United States. For more information, please visit www.vanderbiltminerals.com.
About Riverspan Partners
Riverspan Partners is a Chicago-based private equity firm focused on lower middle market businesses in the industrials sector, including engineered materials and advanced manufacturing. Leveraging its deep domain expertise, Riverspan seeks to work with management teams to accelerate growth and build durable, long-term success. For more information, please visit www.riverspan.com.
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