Harris Williams & Co., an investment bank, said that it is exclusively advising EP Minerals, LLC, a portfolio company of Golden Gate Capital, on its pending sale to U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. EP Minerals is a global producer of engineered materials derived from industrial minerals including diatomaceous earth (DE), clay (calcium bentonite) and perlite. The transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is being led by Tim Webb, Patrick McNulty, John Lautemann, Ty Denoncourt and Chris Toussaint of Harris Williams & Co.’s Industrials Group as well as John Neuner of the firm’s Richmond office.
 
“The management team at EP Minerals has done a terrific job building a leading engineered materials platform with some exciting new product developments,” said Tim Webb, a managing director at Harris Williams & Co.  “We are thrilled to have found a great partner in U.S. Silica that shares in management’s strategic vision for the business.” 
 
“This is the second time we have had the privilege to work with EP Minerals and we have enjoyed watching its transformation over time,” said Patrick McNulty, a managing director at Harris Williams & Co.  “Our firm has been extremely active across the broader industrials and specialty materials sectors, and the sale of EP Minerals represents another marquee transaction for Harris Williams & Co.” 
 
EP Minerals, headquartered in Reno, Nev., is a global producer of engineered materials derived from industrial minerals including DE, calcium bentonite and perlite.
 
Golden Gate Capital is a San Francisco-based private equity investment firm with over $15 billion of capital under management.
 
U.S. Silica, a member of the Russell 2000, is a producer of commercial silica used in the oil and gas industry and in a wide range of industrial applications.
 
Harris Williams & Co. is a subsidiary of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc..