By Akanimo Sampson
Nigeria’s cement giant, Dangote Cement, a subsidiary of Dangote Industries, is yet to break into the top 10 global players in the sector. Interestingly, its ambition is to be a global leader in cement production, respected for the quality of its products and services and for the way it conducts its business.
On its website, Dangote Cement says its mission is to deliver strong returns to its shareholders by selling high-quality products at affordable prices, backed by excellent customer service.
It is also to help Nigeria and other African countries towards self-reliance and self-sufficiency in the production of the world’s most basic commodity, by establishing efficient production facilities in strategic locations close to key growth markets.
It is equally aiming at providing economic benefits to local communities by way of direct and indirect employment in all countries in which we operate, and to lead the way in areas such as governance, sustainability and environmental conservation and to set a good example for other companies to follow.
Dangote Cement Values
Customer Service: As a world-class organization, we understand that we exist to serve and satisfy our customers. Accordingly, our customer orientation reflects intimacy, integrity and learning.
Entrepreneurship: We continuously seek and develop new business, employing state-of-the-art methods to retain our market leadership.
Excellence: We are a large organisation, working together to deliver the best products and services to our valuable customers and stakeholders. To achieve this, we demonstrate teamwork, respect and meritocracy.
Leadership: We thrive on being leaders in our business, markets and communities. To drive this we focus on continuous improvement, partnership and professionalism.
The company was founded by Aliko Dangote in 1981 as a trading business with an initial focus on importation of bagged cement and other commodities such as rice, sugar, flour, salt and fish.
Over time, the Group began to import bulk cement into the Apapa and Port Harcourt terminals, which it then bagged for distribution. Through the 1990s, the Group made a strategic decision to transition from a trading based business into a fully-fledged integrated manufacturing operation.
‘’This is where our ambitious plan to become Africa’s leading cement producer began’’, the company says.
But, America still accounts for more than four percent of the world’s global cement supply. The US is said to be the third-largest producer of cement in the world. The majority of top cement producers in the US are multinational companies with origin from other countries like Mexico, Switzerland, and Ireland.
At least 30 states in the US have cement producing facilities and there are 96 integrated cement producing plants plus eight grinding facilities. According to data from the US Geological Survey, the US produced 85.4 million tons of Portland cement in 2018. Below are the 10 Major Cement Companies in the US.
1. LafargeHolcim
LafargeHolcim is the largest cement producer in the US. The company has been in operations since 2015 having been formed following the merger of Swiss cement producer company Holcim and the French construction company Lafarge. The two parent companies have more than 100 years of experience in their respective fields.
LafargeHolcim specialises in four main products; cement aggregates, ready-mix concrete, and asphalt and construction materials. The company has 13 cement producing factories across the US with an annual production capacity of 22 million tons.
LafargeHolcim, which has its headquarters in Chicago, has worked on projects like the St. Croix Crossing Bridge that connects Minnesota and Wisconsin and One World Trade Center in New York.
2. Cemex
Cemex has its headquarters in Mexico and a leading cement producer in the United States. The company has 11 cement producing plants spread across the country. Cemex was recently awarded the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) energy start partner award for 2019.
The company, which has a major market in Orlando and Arizona produces products like cement, concrete, aggregate, fly ash, and slag cement. One of Cemex’s most famous projects is the construction of a concrete volcano at the Universal Theme park in Orlando.
3. Lehigh Hanson
Lehigh Hanson was started in 1887 in the US as a cement producing company. It was later acquired by Heidelberg, a German-based leading global producer of cement. In2007, Heidelberg also acquired the British construction company Hanson, which led to the formation of Lehigh Hanson, which has its headquarters in Texas.
Lehigh Hanson operates 19 cement producing plants in the US and mainly deals in cement, aggregates, and Asphalt, and Ready-mix concrete.
4. Buzzi Unicem
Buzzi Unicem is an Italian company and one of the top cement producers in the US. The company’s US headquarters are based in Pennsylvania. Buzzi Unicem has seven cement factories in the US with a total production capacity of nine million tons.
Buzzi Unicem mainly specialises in masonry cement and Portland cement and supplies top various concrete product companies and paving firms.
5. Ash Grove Cement
Ash Grove was originally an American company but was recently acquired by CRH plc, an Ireland based building materials company. Ash Grove is one of the top cement producing companies in the US with more than 135 years in the country.
The company has 8 cement plants in the US, all of which have been certified ISO 14001:2004. The company emphasizes the quality of its products and adheres to internationally-agreed environmental standards in its cement manufacturing process.
6. Martin Marietta Materials
Martin Marietta has its headquarters in North Carolina and one of the top cement producers in the US. The company specializes in the production of cement, aggregates, ready mix concrete, and other cement-related products. Martin Marietta has operations in 27 states in the US and also offices in the Bahamas and Canada.
7. Eagle Materials
Eagle Materials has seven cement factories in the US and one of the top cement producers in the country. The company, which has its headquarters in Texas, also produces gypsum, wallboard, paperboard, concrete, and aggregates. Currently, the company has an annual production capacity of 5 million tons.
8. Essroc Cement
Essroc is a subsidiary of Italcementi, an Italian multinational cement producer. Italcementi was ranked the fifth largest cement producer in the world until it was acquired by Heidelberg in 2016. Essroc was initially called Coplay cement which changed its name after it was acquired by Heidelberg and integrated with Lehigh Hanson. Essroc currently works through Lehigh’s business lines and specializes in the production of cement, ready mix concrete, and aggregates.
9. Argos Cement
Argos has its headquarters in Colombia and a leading global producer of cement. The company has four cement plants in the US and is ranked fourth-largest cement producer in Southeast USA. Argos mainly produces concrete, cement, masonry, and aggregates.
10. St. Marys Cement
St. Marys cement has its roots in Ontario, Canada but later expanded its business to the US. Currently, it has a total of six cement factories, with four in the US and two in Canada. In 1991, the company was acquired by Votorantim Cimentos, a Brazilian based cement manufacturer. St. Marys has an annual production capacity of around five million tons.
