Calucem plans a US$ 35 million investment in a new calcium aluminate cement plant in the United States
Specialty cement manufacturer Calucem will enhance the presence in the U.S. market by developing a manufacturing facility in New Orleans with an investment amounting to US$ 35 million. Calucem, a subsidiary of Cementos Molins, is the world’s second-largest producer of calcium aluminate cement, a high-performance product applied in a variety of commercial and industrial uses.
The project will create 70 direct jobs and the Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project also will result in 158 indirect jobs, for a total of 228 new jobs for Louisiana’s Southeast Region.
“In choosing Louisiana, Calucem recognizes our unrivaled logistical advantages for connecting manufacturers to both domestic and foreign markets,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “The site this international company has selected in New Orleans is emblematic of the state’s many strategic locations for the manufacture and worldwide shipment of products. We welcome this direct investment in our diversified economy.”
Calucem plans to develop the facility at a nine-acre site on the Industrial Canal. The facility is expected to begin operations in the third quarter of 2023.
“Calucem is taking on a new investment that will support our growth and diversification in the U.S. and ensure that we continue to offer high-value products to our global customers,” said Yuri Bouwhuis, Calucem President and CEO Yuri Bouwhuis. “Our choice of Louisiana for our first all-new manufacturing project in the U.S. is due to the availability of strategic raw materials such as limestone and natural gas, access to waterways and skilled labor, and the long history of using specialty cement products in the U.S.”
Cementos Molins operates facilities in 12 countries on four continents and the new plant in New Orleans will be the third calcium aluminate cement production center, joining Barcelona in Spain, and Pula in Croatia.
“This investment drives the company’s growth in innovative and sustainable solutions for the construction sector and consolidates Cementos Molins as a world reference in the production of calcium aluminate cement,” Cementos Molins CEO Julio Rodriguez said. “I deeply thank the entire Calucem team for their efforts to launch this investment that enhances our international development and implies a new step forward in our profitable and sustainable growth strategy.”
