"Serving the world’s minerals industry" was the title of the first issue’s Comment which introduced Industrial Minerals (IM) to the world in 1967. Here are some extracts from that first leader by Peter Rowbotham, explaining the role and rationale of the then new title:

Industrial minerals deserve far greater attention

Minerals are very broadly divisible into fuels, metals, and "other", and it is just as vital to identify, and if possible, anticipate developments in the "others" – the industrial minerals – as it is for the fuels or metals. The impression that has been fostered in the past by, amongst other things, the absence of a central trade paper for the industry, is a rag bag of unimportant commodities. While not yet quite the equal of the fuels or metallic minerals either in volume or value of production, the industrial minerals deserve far greater attention as a group hitherto.

Providing a focus

Basic statistical and factual data – which for metals and fuels may be had almost for the asking – has not hitherto been available from one source and coverage of news in the field has required an armful of mining and chemicals papers. It is to provide a focus for all this information that "Industrial Minerals" has been created.

Uniquely, emphasis will be on marketing significance

Honest and unbiased comment on topics of major importance will be offered, claiming as our justification for so doing the role of the "onlooker who sees most of the game". Uniquely, the emphasis will be on news of marketing significance.

Industrial Minerals "will, we hope, help actual and potential producers of minerals to plan for the future with a better understanding of the markets they serve, while those concerned with their industrial uses will, inter alia, be better able to grasp the significance of the myriad developments which can exert an influence on supply and demand."

Peter Rowbotham
IM October 1967, Issue no.1

“Without a market, an industrial mineral deposit is
merely a geological curiosity”

On reviewing these words in the first issue, we feel that over the decades IM has resolutely stuck to its original task of being "the onlooker that sees most of the game", and has been a source of valuable information to the industrial minerals community with emphasis on "news of marketing significance".

Our aim is simple and unchanged from the start: to ensure that IM continues to provide timely and premium market information to the industry, while looking to improve our services at all times, and using the latest media technology in the most appropriate fashion to this end.

We extend our gratitude to the industry for its hearty support and participation in IM, and long may this continue.

IM is devoted to covering the entire industrial minerals industry. Therefore, through our publications and events we cover all aspects of the mine to market supply chain.

In general, three broad sectors can be identified that facilitate the route of a mineral from mine to market, and IM keenly monitors all three of these vital stages:

• supply sector
• logistics sector
• consuming market sector

Since it is the mineral consuming markets that ultimately drive demand for industrial minerals, IM covers all relevant news and information from this sector that influences mineral supply and demand. IM covers the following markets: