Heidelberg making moves at Clark County cement plant
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Texas-based Heidelberg Materials North America is continuing a planned transition at its cement production plant in the Clark County community of Speed.
The company announced this week it has inked a supply agreement with the Levy Group of Companies, based in Michigan, to secure a consistent supply of slag granules to produce high-quality slag cement at the plant.
The Speed plant was built in 1870 and sits on about 3,500 acres of land just north of Sellersburg. A spokesperson for Heidelberg told IIB the plant previously employed 150 people but currently has a staff of 35 as the company winds down production of portland cement and transitions to slag cement.
The production of portland cement and clinker, a material that is ground and processed into cement, has moved to Heidelberg’s new, $600 million facility in Lawrence County that opened earlier this year.
Through the agreement with the Levy Group, Heidelberg said it will acquire slag granules sourced from domestic sites in the Midwest, with shipments slated to begin in the first quarter of 2024.
The company said it has invested in new technology that will allow the Speed facility to more efficiently grind the granules to produce a high-quality slag cement that is more sustainable than portland cement.
“Slag cement enhances the traditional concrete benefits of strength and durability while offering reductions in waste, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions,” Heidelberg Director of Corporate Communications Jeff Sieg said in an email to IIB. “It is used in concrete for virtually any construction application, either in conjunction with traditional portland cement, part of blended cement or as a separate component. It typically replaces part of the portland cement in concrete mixes.”
According to the Slag Cement Association, the product provides higher strength, reduced permeability and improved resistance to chemical attack.
“Our agreement with the Levy Group of Companies to secure a consistent supply of slag granules will help us accelerate the transition of the Speed plant to slag cement production and better meet the increasing demand for more sustainable cement products in the growing Midwest market,” Heidelberg President of the Midwest Region Axel Conrads said in a news release.
Sieg said the number of employees at the Speed plant will be reduced to 27 when slag operations begin, but there will be the potential to add about seven new jobs once the plant is fully operational.
In the meantime, the plant will continue to be used to blend colored cement and masonry products.