Holcim, Martin Marietta veteran Allen named Terra CO2 COO

Sources: Terra CO2 Technology, Golden, Colo.; CP staff

Supplementary cementitious material process developer Terra CO2 Technology has appointed Chance Allen as chief operating officer, ahead of an early-2024 groundbreaking on a charter production facility for the company’s flagship offering, OPUS SCM. Allen arrives after a nearly four-year tour as HolcimUS regional head, Western United States and 20-plus years in Martin Marietta Materials vice president and other management capacities. Terra CO2 credits his success in managing large-scale businesses, executing strategic growth initiatives, and facilitating mergers and acquisitions; expertise in lean manufacturing methods, sales management, contract negotiations, land acquisitions; plus, talent for building robust, efficient teams.

Concurrent with Allen’s appointment, Terra CO2 has named Anjy Salinas as chief financial officer, bringing 20 years of financial acumen and industry experience, primarily at Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Houston; and, Michele Blackburn as commercial director, arriving with 10-plus years’ experience at specialized Johns Manville and Saint-Gobain business units.

“The addition of Chance, Anjy, and Michele is an important step for Terra CO2,” says CEO Bill Yearsley. “Their deep industry experience and unique insights will enhance our ability to deliver on our mission of decarbonizing concrete by replacing cement. As we transition to deployment of our first commercial plants, these strategic appointments will ensure our readiness to meet the growing demand for sustainable building materials.”

Terra CO2’s core technology centers on converting inexpensive, abundant, and local feedstocks—primarily from aggregate operations—to high-performing and cost-competitive cementitious materials. The proprietary process has been demonstrated in a pilot reactor and companion equipment at the company’s headquarters outside Denver. It equates to 70 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions than the portland cement that the OPUS SCM replaces.

“The CO₂ and NOx emissions associated with cement make finding an alternative to current solutions a climate imperative,” Yearsley affirms. “From source to deployment, we are catalyzing full-system changes in production, not just incremental improvements over existing processes and technologies.” The company’s ramp up to a 250,000 ton/year OPUS SCM processing line, he adds, follows the material’s promising results in a low carbon concrete demonstration at the Minnesota Road Research Facility in August 2022.