In addition to the Holcim (US) Missouri and Michigan plant closings, sharp declines in portland cement consumption throughout the Great Lakes are forcing shut down of clinker production at St. Marys Cement, Dixon, Ill., and, Lafarge North America, Woodstock, Ont., sites
Sources: Essroc Cement Corp., Nazareth, Pa.; Lafarge North America, Herndon, Va.; CP staff
In addition to the Holcim (US) Missouri and Michigan plant closings, sharp declines in portland cement consumption throughout the Great Lakes are forcing shut down of clinker production at St. Marys Cement, Dixon, Ill., and, Lafarge North America, Woodstock, Ont., sites. The kilns have combined clinker capacity of about 1.0 million tons annually. Both companies (as well as Holcim) have indicated plans to continue the millsÌ grinding and/or distribution operations. The capacity cuts coincide with marked drop off in cement shipments, based on U.S. Geological Survey figures through August 2008. USGS notes, for example, these year-over-year (through August) shipment declines for: Illinois, 190,000 tons; Michigan, 370,000 tons; and Missouri, 270,000.
Along the Mid-Atlantic region, Essroc Materials (an Italcementi company) has pushed ahead a long-scheduled plan to close its 360,000-ton/year Frederick, Md., plant, employing 90 workers. The company announced it would still use the site as a distribution center but would consolidate clinker production at its Martinsburg, W.Va., mill, which is scheduled to get a $500 million upgrade. Essroc had planned to decommission the Frederick plant in the next two years, but advanced the action for financial reasons.