The manufacturing base of R.T. Vanderbilt Company began here in 1916 when Robert Thurlow Vanderbilt purchased the Continental Clay Company. In the following year additional clay reserves were purchased and in 1946 the company's name was changed to Dixie Clay Company. Initially, the Company's products were used in the paper industry. The discovery of hard clay expanded the Company's markets into the rubber industry.

Dixie Clay Company still operates several open pit mines and a mill on over 3,000 acres of land in Bath Township, Aiken County, South Carolina. Dixie Clay Company employs 37 individuals.

The Process
The kaolin clay is open-pit-mined, dry-milled and air-classified and is sold under the trade names DIXIE CLAY^®, BILT-COTE^®, MCNAMEE^®, PAR^®, PEERLESS^®, and LANGFORD. Chemically, kaolin clay is aluminum silicate (AL₂Si₂O₂(OH)₄).

The Products
Several different grades of kaolin clay are differentiated by particle size, color, moisture content, and purity as determined by screen residue.

For use in rubber compounds, kaolin clay falls into two categories, hard clay and soft clay. Hard clay is clay with a fine particle size, like DIXIE^® brand clay. Soft clay is a larger particle size, which does not impart as much viscosity, stiffness or hardness to the rubber compound, like McNAMEE^® brand clay.

These two types of clay are mined in different sedementary geological deposits. These two basic types of clay are further refined by blending and by air classification, which removes the grit or sand particles that are inherent in the ore deposits.

Markets
Kaolin clays are used as fillers in rubber and plastics formulations, adhesives, and ceramic products. Examples of end-products are rubber mats, rubber automotive parts, adhesive tapes, caulks and sealants, ceramics tiles, sanitaryware, dinnerware and refractory brick.

Commitment to Safety and the Environment
The Company’s priorities are to protect its employees, its neighbors and the environment. Employees take part in annual Mine Safety and Health Association training. A labor-management team performs monthly safety inspections of the facility. The Company has an active Total Quality Management program and is working towards ISO-9002 certification.

The Company encourages its employees to participate in local activities, and contributes to employee-supported activities such as the Boy Scouts of America, local public school activities including scholarship funds, Junior Achievement, and United Way.