GCC’s Pueblo Plant won the Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) 2019 Chairman’s Safety Performance award which recognizes outstanding safety performance in the manufacturing of portland cement, the core ingredient used in all forms of concrete.
“We’re very proud of the Pueblo Plant for being recognized for its safety record,” said Ron Henley, president of the U.S. division. “At GCC, we all take health and safety very seriously so that everyone goes home safe each day.”
The winners were selected from more than 90 cement facilities across the U.S. found to be the highest performers in safety, based on total case incident rate. GCC’s Pueblo Plant was one of three winners in the Small Category – less than 200,000 hours.
The awards came by way of a video from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration Assistant Secretary, David Zatezalo, on May 14, 2020.
The plant also received recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for being among the nation’s most energy-efficient manufacturing facilities in 2019. This is the second consecutive year GCC’s Pueblo Plant earned ENERGY STAR certification. GCC was one of only two companies to earn the prestigious certification in Colorado.
Compared to average facilities, ENERGY STAR-certified plants saved $520 million on energy bills and nearly 100 trillion British thermal units (Tbtu) of energy, enough to meet the annual energy needs of almost 70,000 American households. Through superior energy efficiency performance, these manufacturing plants also significantly reduced air pollution, avoiding over 6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
ENERGY STAR plant certification is available for 20 manufacturing sectors. Plants use industry-specific performance indicators to assess how their energy use compares to plants with similar operating characteristics. Plants with verified energy performance within the top 25% of similar plants in an industry are eligible for ENERGY STAR certification
About GCC
GCC is a leading supplier and producer of cement, concrete, aggregates and construction‐related services in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Annual cement production capacity is 5.8 million metric tons. The company employs approximately 3,000 employees in the U.S. (Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming) and also in Chihuahua, Mexico.
About GCC’s Pueblo Plant
GCC’s Pueblo Plant is one of the newest cement plants in the U.S. GCC built the plant at a cost of $300 million and opened in 2008. With a clinker production capacity of 1 million short tons, GCC -Pueblo is leading the way in alternative fuels. The plant operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with approximately 100 full-time employees.
About Portland Cement Association
The Portland Cement Association (PCA), began in 1916. It is the premier policy, research, education, and market intelligence organization serving America’s cement manufacturers. PCA members represent over 90% of U.S. cement production capacity and also have facilities in all 50 states. The association promotes safety, sustainability and also innovation in all aspects of construction. It also fosters continuous improvement in cement manufacturing and distribution, and generally promotes economic growth and sound infrastructure investment. For more information, visit www.cement.org.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency. It provides simple, credible and unbiased information that both consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state and local organizations – including more than 40% of the Fortune 500 companies – rely on their partnership with EPA to deliver cost-saving, energy-efficient solutions. Learn more about ENERGY STAR at energystar.gov/about.
