PARTNER CONTENT

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

As the business heads towards its 150th year , Manufacturing Today speaks to Mike Ball , Global Chief Operating Officer . “ The group can trace its foundation back to the 1880s , where it started off as a local sand supplier ,” he begins . “ It evolved its operations via various industrial solutions , until the amalgamation of two Speyside Equity portfolio companies in 2019 . The combination of Opta Minerals and SKW Metallurgie formed Opta Group and created a premier specialty chemicals platform servicing numerous markets and industries .

“ The acquisition by Speyside was transformational and significantly accelerated our growth , not only providing financial backing , but also exceptional strategic support ,” he says . “ Their expertise in managing industrial companies is really what helped us streamline operations , optimize performance and identify new growth opportunities .

“ Specifically , I ’ d say Speyside challenged our operational effectiveness . They pushed us with automation , and the adoption of lean manufacturing principles . They ’ ve been supportive of our R & D commitments and helped us define our go-to-market strategies in each region , as well as streamline and standardize our processes from a commercial standpoint .”

Today Opta employs over 700 people worldwide , over four continents , 11 countries and 28 locations , with sales offices , production , and distribution facilities throughout North America , South America , Europe , and Asia . “ Our team members are deeply embedded in our customers ’ supply chains and actively engage with their processes providing blending , formulation , and production expertise ,” explains Mike .

Acquisition strategy

Opta ’ s products and services are delivered via its various brands , which , as Mike clarifies , can be categorized into three divisions – Molten Solutions , Infrastructure and Quab Chemicals . “ Molten Solutions consists of four brands : Opta , Affival , Tecnosulfur and SKW , designing chemical solutions customized for hot metal desulfurization , slag conditioning and fluxing , cored-wire treatment , as well as process optimization technology .”

The Infrastructure Division offers Industrial Minerals and Re-Act 4 TM , while the Quab Division provides cationizing reagents that add a positive charge to various substrates . As Mike notes , the product portfolio has expanded through several acquisitions over the last nine

Our team members are deeply embedded in our customers ’ supply chains and actively engage with their processes providing blending , formulation , and production expertise

32