ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- CETCO (Colloid Environmental Technologies Co.), a wholly owned subsidiary of AMCOL International Corp. (NYSE: ACO), sold its filtration services business unit to Barnebey Sutcliffe Corp., effective Sept. 30, 1999. This business unit, acquired by CETCO in 1994, provided vacuum and rebedding services to industrial users of activated carbon filtration systems used for treating wastewater. CETCO had operated six regional service centers in the United States, which were included in the assets sold. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

CETCO President Ryan McKendrick said, "Our divestiture of the filtration services unit has strategic benefit. CETCO is focused on optimizing the profitability of its core businesses, and this area, like other divestitures we've made this year, was not performing to our benchmark criteria. Acquiring this business in 1994 was CETCO's entry into the environmental services sector. It has helped CETCO develop several important opportunities, which remain part of our core business -- most notably, our offshore oilfield services business, which is one of the fastest-growing segments within CETCO."

McKendrick added, "The filtration services business unit is better positioned within a fully integrated activated carbon supplier such as Barnebey Sutcliffe, where expanded service capability will enhance value for a large industrial customer base."

Barnebey Sutcliffe is a subsidiary of Waterlink Inc., a leading international provider of equipment, systems and services for water purification and wastewater treatment. Waterlink's sales are approaching $200 million annually.

CETCO supplies environmental products and technical expertise to a wide range of specialized markets, including landfill lining technologies, wastewater treatment, drilling products and building materials that serve as waterproofing agents. Its parent company, AMCOL International Corp., is a specialty chemical and minerals company.
SOURCE AMCOL International Corp.
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CONTACT: Jodi Warner, Director of Investor Relations of AMCOL International Corp., 847-394-8730