$85M funding round propels Fortera beyond CalPortland plant model

The Silicon Valley developer of the ReCarb process, where carbon dioxide from cement or other industrial plant emissions is mineralized and converted to concrete-grade ReAct binder agents, has secured $85 million in Series C funding to pursue additional plant installations after this year’s charter facility deployment at the CalPortland Co. Redding, Calif. mill. Fortera reports participation from previous investors Khosla…

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CalPortland, Fortera mark milestone in mineralized CO2 concrete binder

San Jose-based Fortera Corp. has started ReAct concrete binder processing at a facility adjacent to the CalPortland Co., Redding, Calif. cement mill. The Redding ReCarb Plant is North America’s first industrial green cement and carbon dioxide mineralization facility—and one of the largest operations in the carbon capture and use class the world over. It is equipped for annual output of…

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CalPortland forms Carbon Reduction Team, earns Wildlife Habitat recognition

A new CalPortland Co. Carbon Reduction Team will focus on research and development plus decarbonization project implementation, and operate from the cement, aggregate and concrete producer’s Crestmore Center of Technical Excellence in Jurupa Valley, Calif. Vice President of Research & Development Hamed Maraghechi and Vice President of Carbon Reduction Implementation Hartmut Riess will lead the team, tasked with science-driven activities…

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California cement plant deal spotlights feds’ misdirected market concentration concerns

by Don Marsh Through direct action or implication of costly, prolonged legal measures, the Federal Trade Commission has helped quell a second cement plant sale in as many years. In 2021, the agency challenged the proposed sale of Giant Cement Holdings’ Keystone Cement mill in Bath, Pa. to Heidelberg Materials, then operating as Lehigh Hanson Inc. FTC officials cited concerns…

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Supreme Court rules for CalPortland in Teamsters strike damages case

Sources: United States Supreme Court; CP staff The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered its Washington State counterpart to resume a case where plaintiff CalPortland Co., through its Seattle-based Glacier Northwest Inc. business, seeks damages stemming from a Teamsters Local 174-initiated work stoppage that resulted in the loss of 16 loads of ready mixed concrete. In an 8-1 ruling, the High…

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PRODUCERS – August 2022

CalPortland Co. has appointed Hamed Maraghechi to the new position of Central Research Laboratory director. Based at the producer’s Center of Technical Excellence in southern California, he will conduct new research and testing related to issues such as carbon reduction and sequestration to help the company achieve its commitment to lowering greenhouse gases. He will also oversee all advanced analytical…

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Martin Marietta deal guides CalPortland to production points north

Sources: Martin Marietta Materials Inc., Raleigh, N.C.; CP staff Martin Marietta Materials has entered a definitive agreement to sell CalPortland Co. a group of California assets for $250 million: Redding cement plant and related distribution terminals plus 14 ready mixed concrete sites. Martin Marietta acquired the former Lehigh Hanson West Region properties in 2021 and signaled their likely sale in…

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PRODUCERS – December 2021

Maryland’s Chaney Enterprises continues rapid development of a Virginia platform, entering a definitive agreement to acquire two Superior Concrete plants in Harrisonburg, along the Interstate 81 corridor. The impending deal follows two others increasing the producer’s footprint west of the Potomac River: One aggregate depot and three ready mixed plants from Branscome, Williamsburg; one sand & gravel and five ready…

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ORGANIZATIONS – FEBRUARY 2021

The Portland Cement Association has named 2020 John P. Gleason Jr., Leadership Awards recipients, each recognized for efforts in advancing industry programs and initiatives in three categories:

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