Displaying items by tag: US
Argos Newberry cement plant gains Energy Star certification
25 February 2016US: The Argos USA Newberry cement plant in Florida has achieved Energy Star certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its superior energy performance in 2015. It joins nine manufacturing plants that have gained the certification for the first time. Overall, 28 cement plants gained certification in 2015.
“Energy Star certified manufacturing plants are driving the kinds of efficiencies and innovations that keep our country strong,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “They’re proving every day that businesses can save on energy, cut down on bills and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions all at the same time.”
Since 2006, the EPA has certified manufacturing plants with the Energy Star for reaching the top 25% of energy performance in their industries nationwide each year. Energy Star certified plants must have their energy performance independently verified. Plants from the automotive, cement manufacturing, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and petroleum refining industries are among those that qualified in 2015.
Since the inception of EPA’s Energy Star certification, a total of 148 manufacturing plants have achieved this distinction. These plants have saved over 41Mt million of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.
Canada/US: Illumiti has completed the first two phases of the deployment of SAP® Business Suite 4 SAP HANA® (SAP S/4HANA) for Monarch Cement. The business operation software suite designed to help companies run their business operations.
"We are very pleased to be implementing SAP S/4HANA and excited about the efficiencies it will bring to our operations over the longer term," said Karen Jarred, Monarch Cement's IT director. "One of the main reasons that we chose SAP S/4HANA was its ability to empower our management team by providing them with easy access to the information they need, when they need it." SAP S/4HANA is intended to provide a single business platform that will allow Monarch greater control of its operations in a scalable secure fashion.
The final phase of the implementation project is planned for completion in early April 2016 and will include finance/controlling and material management components.
Vulcan Materials appoints four staff to management team
17 February 2016US: Vulcan Materials has appointed Stan Bass, Michael Mills, Jerry Perkins and Brock Lodge to its management team.
Stan Bass, aged 54 years, formerly Senior Vice President, West, with responsibility for Vulcan’s Western and Mountain West Divisions, has been named to the new position of Chief Growth Officer for the company. Michael Mills, aged 55 years, formerly Senior Vice President & General Counsel, has been named to the new role of Chief Administrative Officer. Jerry Perkins, aged 46 years, formerly Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, has been named General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, succeeding Michael Mills. Brock Lodge, aged 43 years, formerly Vice President & General Manager of Vulcan’s Western Division that includes all operations in California, has been promoted to President of that Division.
Bass, as Chief Growth Officer, will be responsible for leading the company’s business development, commercial excellence and strategic growth initiatives. Mills as Chief Administrative Officer will be responsible for the executive oversight of the non-financial, administrative functions of the company.
PCA say US Cement consumption to grow up to 5% in 2016
10 February 2016US: Domestic cement consumption will grow by as much as 5% in 2016, according to a report from the Portland Cement Association (PCA). Edward Sullivan, PCA chief economist noted that the ‘the fundamentals of our economy are sound’ at the 2016 World of Concrete event.
"With the recently passed federal highway bill and continued net increases in new jobs, we see clear indications that positive growth will continue," said Sullivan. The PCA's Market Intelligence Group will release an updated report on US cement consumption in March 2016.
The PCA has launched a year of celebrations to mark the organisation’s 100th anniversary.
Cementos Argos launches CO2 capturing concrete in Atlanta
09 February 2016US: Cementos Argos has started incorporating and capturing recycled carbon dioxide (CO2) in several of the concrete mixtures it produces at its US plants, specifically the ones in Atlanta, Georgia. The CO2 is collected, stored and taken to the plant by the Canadian company CarbonCure, which developed the batching technology. The gas chemically reacts with the calcium hydroxide and the water of the concrete, making insoluble calcium carbonate.
“We are extremely proud of being the first company in the United States to be able to offer its customers a product with CO2-capturing and incorporating properties. This concrete, even when demolished, never releases the CO2 contained within its structure, allowing us to close the gas’ cycle and contribute to making the construction sector more and more sustainable and eco-friendly,” said Jorge Mario Velásquez, CEO of Cementos Argos.
US: Eagle Materials has reported that its earnings from its cement business rose by 11% year-on-year to US$41.8m in the third quarter of 2015. The earnings increase was attributed to a 4% increase in average net cement sales prices and record quarterly cement sales volumes.
Cement revenues for the third quarter rose by 9% to US$97.1m. Cement sales reached 1.2Mt, a rise of 1% year-on-year. Eagle also reported that its cement businesses in Texas and Oklahoma was impacted by heavy rains in October and December 2015 which resulted in lower sales volumes in both of those markets. Additionally, in Texas, increased demand for construction grade cement continues to offset much of the impact from lower oil well cement demand.
Steve Rowley to retire as president and CEO from Eagle Materials
27 January 2016US: Steve Rowley will retire as president and CEO of Eagle Materials on 31 March 2016. Dave Powers, Executive Vice President for Gypsum Wallboard at Eagle since 2005, will succeed Rowley as President and CEO. He will also be appointed to the Board of Directors.
"Steve has positioned Eagle for an exciting future. He has led the doubling of the scale of our cement business and has guided the growth of our gypsum wallboard business in achieving its nation-wide scope. He also has successfully led the company through the longest and most challenging construction market down-cycle in US history," said Larry Hirsch, Chairman of the Board. Health reasons were cited for Rowley's retirement.
Dave Powers, aged 65, holds over 35 years of experience in the building materials industry. He joined Eagle Materials (formerly Centex Construction Products) in 2002 as Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing. In January 2005, he was promoted to his role as Eagle's Executive Vice President for Gypsum (and President, American Gypsum Company LLC).
Essroc Cement Speed plant to hold public hearing on waste fuels
25 January 2016US: The Indiana Department of Environmental Management will hold a public hearing about the use of liquid waste-derived fuel at the Essroc Cement Speed plant. Essroc Cement is applying for a state environmental permit to burn liquid waste-derived fuel in one of its cement kilns in the unincorporated Clark County community of Speed. Residents have expressed concerns about the plants. No date for the meeting has been set, according to Associated Press.
Mike McHugh, the Speed plant's director, said Essroc plans to use products mostly from the petroleum industry, such as paint thinners, antifreeze and acetone. The plant will have to build two small storage facilities for it to start replacing about 25 – 30% of the coal it burns with liquid waste-derived fuel.
Essroc Corporate Environmental Engineer Luis Rodriguez said the company welcomes the public's questions. The company hosted an open house and talked with community leaders in 2014 before it submitted its application. "We actually want it to go to public comment so we can answer some of these questions... We've wanted to be as upfront on this as possible," said Rodriguez.
US: Registration for the 58th annual IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Industry Technical Conference is now open. The Conference takes place on 15 - 19 May 2016 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas.
The conference features technical presentations, tutorials, state of the industry updates and professional development training sessions, as well as several networking opportunities and a student outreach programme. This year's conference will also feature a new series of training modules called 'Process Training,' which is focused on the cement production process.
Orcem Americas’ plan to build cement mill meets opposition
13 January 2016US: Irish cement maker Ecocem's US subsidiary, Orcem Americas, has been accused of attempting to influence the planning process in Vallejo, California, where it wants to build a US$50m grinding mill. The mill would be the group's first venture in the US. However, the town's residents are objecting to the proposal on environmental grounds.
The company recently found itself at the centre of a row over its involvement with an unofficial economic committee of Vallejo's city council that some local politicians and campaigners say could potentially breach California law.
Orcem is represented on the Mare Island Straits Economic Development Committee, which is made up of local council members, state officials and private sector interests. Its involvement in the committee, alongside the city's Deputy Mayor, Jess Malgapo, at a time when it was seeking permission to build its facility at a sensitive site in Vallejo, sparked anger among the project's opponents. Some of them have claimed that its activities have potentially breached the Brown Act, a California law that guarantees the public's right to attend and take part in meetings of local councils and legislative bodies. However, the councillors involved, including Malgapo, deny the act was breached, saying that the committee was established to aid the city's economic development and not to pass legislation.