Benzinga | Oct 6, 2021 04:15PM EDT

US Silica To Explore Strategic Alternatives For Its Industrial & Specialty Products Unit

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SLCA), a diversified global performance materials company and a leading producer of high value minerals and specialty products used in a variety of industrial applications and the leading proppant and last-mile logistics provider to the U.S. shale industry, today announced that it is commencing a review of strategic alternatives for its Industrial & Specialty Products ("ISP") segment. A range of options are under consideration, including a potential sale or separation of the ISP segment.



"Our Board and management team regularly review strategic opportunities, and with our recent equity valuation tightly correlated to the energy markets, we believe now is the appropriate time to further assess the potential of creating two, focused standalone businesses," said Bryan Shinn, Chief Executive Officer. "Both our ISP and O&G segments are industry leaders, and it is from this position of strength that we believe a separation or sale of ISP has the potential to unlock significant value and maximize returns for all of our stakeholders."

Shinn continued, "Our ISP segment has built a market-leading portfolio of products and serves numerous essential, high growth and attractive end markets, including renewable energy, food and beverage, chemical additives, paints and coatings, and building products, among others. The business is well aligned with global sustainability initiatives, is positioned to benefit from increased U.S. infrastructure investment and has exposure to environmentally important value chains, including solar panels, wind turbines and green diesel. With its robust new pipeline of commercial products and clear, comprehensive plan, ISP is poised to significantly expand profitability over the next 3-5 years. As we undertake this review, we will continue to focus on our strategy to prioritize free cash flow generation and net debt reduction throughout this process."

No specific timeline has been established for the completion of the review of strategic alternatives. The Company noted that there can be no assurance that a sale, separation or any other transaction will take place. The Company does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the progress of its evaluation of any strategic options until such time as the Board of Directors has approved a transaction or otherwise deems disclosure required or appropriate.

The Company has retained Centerview Partners LLC as its exclusive financial advisor and Morrison & Foerster LLP as its legal advisor in connection with the strategic review.