U.S. Green Building Council Tours EPA-Honored Cement Plant

    TROUTVILLE, Va., July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the U.S. Green
 Building Council's (USGBC) Southwest Virginia Chapter toured Roanoke Cement
 Company's (RCC) Troutville, VA plant late last month to learn from the
 company's successes in reducing energy use as well as how cement and
 cement-related products help build a more sustainable community. Over 60
 attendees -- including USGBC members, ready-mixed concrete producers, as
 well as plant management and employees - enjoyed presentations,
 refreshments and a bus ride tour highlighting the last 15 years of the
 facility's environmental progress.
 
     "What's important for us is to continue to reduce our own environmental
 footprint at Roanoke Cement, as well as to assist in building a greener
 community. Cement is the 'glue' that binds concrete and concrete products,
 and concrete is a green building product in its own right. This is
 highlighted in cutting edge uses like pervious concrete paving and thermal
 mass construction," said Don Ingerson, Vice President of Sales and
 Marketing for Roanoke Cement Company.
 
     The only active cement plant in Virginia, Roanoke Cement is one of only
 10 plants ranked in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 'Top
 Performing Plants' in the country, earning a 2007 Energy Star(R) for
 superior energy efficiency within the cement industry.
 
     Specifically, over the last five years, RCC has spent $50 million in
 capital upgrades with $30 million spent in the last two years to further
 modernize the plant, eliminate efficiencies and improve environmental
 performance. "If we isolated but a single reason for winning the Energy
 Star(R) Award, it is our investment in the preheater tower," said Dan
 Babish, production engineer in his presentation. "The plant obtains a 40%
 reduction in fuel consumption through the heat exchange alone."
 
     "RCC's efforts to improve energy efficiency benefit both the
 environment and their bottom line," said Nell Boyle, Southwest Virginia
 Chapter Chair of USGBC. "A tour like this allows our members to be exposed
 to and educated about how plants can modernize and become more green. We
 serve many industries like engineering, architecture and contracting that
 are true staples of our economy, and they are adaptable. We are here to
 learn how and then teach them the green way."
 
     The USGBC Southwest Virginia Chapter is the leading regional resource
 for sustainable practices and support for the built environment. The USGBC
 is a non-profit organization committed to expanding sustainable building
 practices and is composed of more than 15,000 organizations from across the
 building industry working to advance structures that are environmentally
 responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. More
 information can be found at www.usgbc.org.
 
     Roanoke Cement Company is a subsidiary of Titan America LLC and the
 first Titan plant to receive the prestigious Energy Star(R) rating. Titan
 America LLC is located in Norfolk, Virginia and is one of the premier
 cement and building materials producers in the Eastern United States. Titan
 America operations include cement plants, ready-mix concrete plants,
 concrete block plants, quarries, import and rail terminals and fly ash
 production facilities.
 
 

     CONTACT:  Mary Beth Kramer
               Kramer Consulting
               (215) 431-3946
 
 
 

SOURCE Roanoke Cement Company