SKOKIE, Ill. – On April 28, 2009, the Holcim (US) Inc., cement plant in Theodore, Ala., received the Outreach Award from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine as part of the 2009 Cement Industry Energy and Environment Awards.  The award was presented at PCA’s Spring Meeting in Chicago.

The award honors facilities that strive to enhance community, employee, and government relations through innovative communications and programs. Holcim’s Theodore facility also won this award in 2007 and was a runner-up in 2008.

The Holcim Theodore facility staff participate in a number of community and environmental outreach activities each year. For the past several years, the plant has participated in the Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup Day, a world-wide event to clean trash and debris from beaches, lakes and streams. During the 2008 Clean-up, Holcim led volunteers collected more than 3,000 pounds of debris from the Theodore Industrial Canal. In addition to participation in community events such as Mobile Bay Derelict Crab Trap Removal Day and the Keep Mobile Beautiful electronic recycling days, the plant has a Community Advisory Committee made up of neighborhood residents.  This group helps Holcim maintain an open line of communications with the local community and engages stakeholders.

“Cement companies take very seriously their responsibilities to towns where their employees and customers live,” said Brian McCarthy, PCA president/CEO. “The awards program recognizes these ongoing efforts.”

The Cement Industry Energy & Environmental Awards honor individual cement facilities that exemplify the spirit of continuous environmental improvement and support this spirit with action.  These plants go beyond government regulations and local laws to ensure that their processes contributed to making their communities better places to live and work.  Five categories are recognized:  Outreach, Environmental Performance, Land Stewardship, Innovation, and Energy Efficiency.  Additionally, PCA presents a special honor to a plant demonstrating excellence in multiple categories.

The awards program was created in 2000 by the Portland Cement Association as part of its renewed environment and energy strategic plan for the U.S. cement industry. PCA and Cement Americas magazine presented the first Cement Industry Environmental Awards in 2002 to the winners for 2001. The awards honor activities conducted during the previous calendar year, and the program is open to any cement manufacturing plant in North America.  Judges for the 2009 awards represent independent groups such as Cement Americas magazine, the Cement Association of Canada, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Cement Sector Program, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Program.

About PCA
Based in Skokie, Ill., the Portland Cement Association represents cement companies in the United States and Canada. It conducts market development, engineering, research, education, and public affairs programs. More information on PCA programs is available at www.cement.org.