Cement Maker Details $600M Investment in Mitchell
Cement operations were first started in the early 1900s.
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Texas-based owner of a Lawrence County cement supplier has announced a major investment. Lehigh Hanson Inc. says it plans to pump over $600 million into the Lehigh Cement Co. plant in Mitchell and add more than 50 jobs in the next four years. The company says the modernization effort is the largest it has ever launched in North America. It will involve a new plant on the 2,500-acre property where Lehigh Cement Co. began operations 116 years ago.
Lehigh Hanson Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Communications Tom Chizmadia says several other properties were considered for investment, but Mitchell stood out. The raw materials found in southwest central Indiana, he said, turned out to be the key factor. "It goes back to the quality of the limestone," he told Inside INdiana Business. "When you combine the number of years of reserves and quality limestone that we have at that site and you look at the overall business climate of Indiana being very favorable, you look at a market that we see is going to continue to grow, all of those issues factored into selecting the Mitchell site."
The company expects to complete permitting next year and construction could begin in 2020, taking around two years to complete. Lehigh Hanson is a subsidiary of German parent HeidelbergCement. In addition to the new jobs expected to come from the expansion, it will retain around 120 associates.
Lehigh Hanson Chief Executive Officer Jon Morrish says "the modernization of the Mitchell plant will enable us to produce cement more efficiently and sustainably through the use of state-of-the-art technology and the latest in environmental controls and systems. The capabilities of the new plant will enable us to better serve our existing customer base in the Midwest while also expanding our reach in this growing market."
Lehigh Hanson has been offered up to $1.1 million in conditional tax incentives from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. Additional incentives could come from Lawrence County.
You can connect to more about the expansion by clicking here.
Lehigh Hanson Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Public Relations and Sustainability Tom Chizmadia says several other facilities were considered for investment, but the Mitchell property stood out.