SMI launches new research center.

Specialty Minerals Inc. formally dedicated its new European Research and Technology Centre in Kaarina, Finland, in November. The 1150 m2, two-level facility is staffed by nearly 20 scientists and paper technologists who help customers produce better and more cost-effective products. In addition to paper-testing devices, the facility has reel-to-reel pilot paper coating and calendaring facilities as well as laboratory scale PCC reactors, a high-resolution scanning electron microscope, band sheet formers and other relevant equipment.

The SMI European Research and Technology Centre is adjacent to the city of Turku, Finland, the Raisio Coating Technology Centre (CTC), and two leading universities--Abo Akademi and Turku University.

John Dobson, vice president-Europe for Specialty Minerals Inc., hosted the opening ceremony. "The Centre is dedicated to the papermakers of Europe," he said. "With our European papermaking partners, we have developed important and revolutionary new grades of paper. The world's first super-calendered mechanical paper in which PCC is used for filler was commercially produced here in Finland."

Paul Saueracker, chairman of the board and CEO of Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI), of which Specialty Minerals is a subsidiary, noted that MTI spends almost US$ 25 million dollars a year--about 3.5% of total sales --on research. Saueracker ended his remarks with the symbolic presentation of a key to the new European Research and Technical Centre.