"Man, his Space and the Environment" is the title of a sculpture contest organized by Corporación Moctezuma aimed at reinforcing the company’s role as a socially responsible enterprise. Although there are differences that exist between the various firms operating in the cement industry, the market very often does not see the specific characteristics and values of each company. End users seek brands that inspire trust being also aware of the efforts made by companies beyond the scope of their commercial activities such as in the environmental or social area.
And thus the idea of Concretarte came about. The sculpture contest involved current and potential customers such as architects, engineers and students. The purpose was to familiarize the public with Corporación Moctezuma’s commitment to social responsibility and to provide volunteer services to the community.
Using all manner of communication, including a website specifically created for the event, the contest was a great success. The 295 participants, who worked individually or as a group, entered 170 works of art into the contest. A judging panel composed of several art experts, including the plastic artist and art critic Tomás Gondi, and  company representatives, such as the Quality Control Manager Eduardo Hiriart, selected 10 finalists who were introduced to the public at an event during which the three finalists who received a monetary award were also announced. The winning project will be  created and displayed in a public space dedicated to art.

The company representatives announced the plan to shut down the Santarcangelo di Romagna (RN) plant on 31 December 2008 at a meeting with labor union and provincial council representatives held today at the Confindustria offices in Rimini.

The company reached this decision because the plant, which dates back to 1920, gradually ceased to be competitive during the last few years due to the rising cost of electricity, fuel, transport, spare parts and services.

Due to the lack of raw materials and the gradual expansion of the town towards the plant - factors which had long negatively impacted the productivity of the Santarcangelo unit - it became impossible to develop the plant.

Closing the plant will allow the company to maximize the production capacity in other plants which will cover the market currently served by Santarcangelo, and also reduce costs and capital expenditures by approximately 5 million euro per year on a permanent basis.

There are 64 employees at the Santarcangelo plant. The union representatives were notified that the sales organization will remain intact and some of the other employees will be reassigned to other plants owned by the group in Italy.

During the meeting with the union representatives the company stated that it would be available to continue discussions to determine together the most appropriate tools for providing support to the employees who would be made redundant, including providing full occupational replacement programs and a pledge to provide a better package than the social security cushion currently foreseen by the Italian law.

Thorcem Srl was incorporated on September 10th, 2008 as a joint venture between Buzzi Unicem SpA (50%) and Assing SpA (50%). The new company’s purpose is to develop the THOR (Total HOusewaste Recycling) system for industrial application to Italian and foreign cement plants.
The innovation on which the partners are working consists of rendering Urban Solid Wastes (RSU) into a new industrial fuel available to the industry, as well as getting it legislatively approved. RSU in fact contain a great deal of energy, with the potential to meet approximately 10% of the Italian power demand, however today it remains largely unused.

About 5 years ago the CNR (National Research Council) began a program to develop a system that allows the recovery and the refinement of all house wastes and their transformation into a fuel with high calorific value, while bypassing the waste sorting chain. The project deals with a technology conceived and entirely developed in Italy, that is based on a process of mechanical refinement of the waste material. The development of an industrial version of the pulverizer mill was made possible thanks to the commitment of Assing, a company working in connection with the CNR. The THOR equipment has the advantage of working at ambient temperatures, therefore avoiding emissions problems. The grinding of the wastes takes place through friction with high pressure: the result of the process is a very fine dust (20-40 microns), with effects of delamination and crystalline and molecular restructuring; with this method there is a complete change of the waste material's structure and a partial change of its nature. The result of the entire process is a homogeneous blend, with its harmful properties neutralized, that is usable as fuel and comparable to a coal of good quality.

Thorcem aims therefore at achieving an important social goal, the disposal of the urban waste, together with a significant industrial goal, the substitution of coal with a new fuel.

The launch of the new logo goes hand in hand with the publication of "Rebranding 2008". The booklet was devised to explain in a simple way the creation of the new corporate logo. Inside, the presence of the photographic element does not merely illustrate but shows with great visual impact the many faces of the company, capturing their essence and character. The graphic simulates motion to show the creation and evolution of the new logo, from genesis to final outcome.
A brief overview of the previous logotypes and a presentation of the firm seal the history of our industrial group.

The first two phases of training activities foreseen under the “Objective Safety” campaign have been completed. The objective of full training, which has been pursued through growth in awareness and continuous exchange of experiences in security matters and prevention and protection measures, has involved both the personnel of technical departments, with modules aimed at proper design and management in machine, plant and contract safety, and also those concerned with prevention activities in production units, who are an important hinge for transmitting the information necessary to reduce risks at work to all operatives.
In particular, in the 12 production sites in the cement Italia sector the first course for RLSSA (representatives of workers for health, safety and environment) RSPP (persons responsible for the prevention and protection service) managers and for staff from outside firms was organized with the aim to:
- make participants aware of the activities undertaken by the firm in matters of health and safety at work, and specifically the “Objective Safety” campaign
- provide the knowledge and competence necessary for spreading the culture of prevention and awareness of risk as well as enhancing worker motivation in adopting safe conduct and continuous use of individual and group protection devices.
In less than 4 months 580 people have been trained for 4,540 hours overall, involving 138 Monitors of 87 outside firms.
The third phase of the initiative will concern, in addition to specific updating of RSSP in respect of the provisions in the new Consolidation Act in the matter of safety, also the second course for managers in production units, designated as professional figures that are indispensable for guaranteeing immediate supervision and direct control, of work performance.
Finally, in the first quarter of 2009, the fourth and concluding phase of the awareness campaign will be organised, involving all workers directly.

In December 2005 AmerenUE’s Taum Sauk Plant, located in Missouri near St. Louis, was closed indefinitely after the upper reservoir breached. After many feasibility studies, a complete rebuild of the upper reservoir was decided by the US Federal Regulatory Commission (FERC).

The project management assigned the construction works to Rizzo Ass Selected Ozark while Buzzi Unicem USA was awarded the cement supply for the entire project. Main supplier will be our Selma plant. High volume RCC (Roller-Compacted Concrete) pouring began this spring while the project is scheduled to be  completed by mid 2009. Approximately 2.1 million cubic meters of RCC and 230,000 cubic meters of conventional concrete will be needed to rebuild the reservoir.

The representatives of the employees belonging to the Buzzi Unicem firms located in the European Union and the delegates of the company's management have reached an agreement for setting up the European Work Council (EWC) as per the European Directive acknowledged by the Italian law. The document was signed on June 18th, 2008 during a two-day meeting held at Buzzi Unicem headquarters.

The EWC is a means to strengthen the dialogue between Buzzi Unicem and the representatives of the employees, with informative and consultative function. The fifteen members of the committee represent the six EU countries where our group is operating: Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic.

The award is assigned annually by FBF Betondienst GmbH, organiser of the BetonTage congress, and by the specialist magazine BFT International.
Dyckerhoff AG has won the 2008 Innovation Award in the “Concrete Technology” category with its special cement NANODUR®.
This product marks the arrival on the market of a ready-to-use binder permitting production of UHPC (Ultra High Performance Concrete) without silica fumes.
The award concerns innovations in the sectors of concrete technology and production, reinforcement and anchoring techniques, services, machinery and plant, together with automation. Evaluation is based on the degree of innovation and originality of propositions, also considering their importance for the precasting and prefabrication industry, application and market potential, and compliance with technological standards.

Buzzi  Unicem  publishes  the fifth  edition of the Sustainability Report.
The publication followed the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and gained a B+ rating.

The Sustainability Report 2007 presents the social, environmental and economical performances linked to the activities of the group within its countries of operation, in line with the approach of previous years.

An international team was involved in the data collection process so to allow pertinent data disclosure at a corporate level.
More info and knowledge are available on the Sustainability section of this site.

On May 9, 2008, the Governor of Veracruz (Mexico), Fidel Herrera, officially inaugurated the Apazapan yard. This location, which is situated in one of the most economically advanced regions of the Mexican Republic, has been chosen by our associate Corporación Moctezuma to invest about $280 million for the construction of a new plant that will have a production capacity of 1,300,000 tons/year of cement.     

The Chief Operating Officer of Corporación Moctezuma, Antonio Taracena, thanked the Governor of Veracruz for his total support in the development of this major project and in particular for the commitment to realize the necessary infrastructures, such as the road to access the plant.

Alamo Cement Company (Alamo), a wholly owned subsidiary of Buzzi Unicem, has signed an agreement in principle to purchase a 50% ownership position in Dorsett Bros. Concrete Supply, Inc. (Dorsett) of Houston, Texas.



Dorsett is one of the leading suppliers of ready-mix concrete and soil stabilization products in Houston and surrounding areas. It currently operates 19 stationary and portable concrete batch plants and 7 stabilized material plants along with a fleet of vehicles that includes more than 250 mixer and haul trucks. Sales volumes in 2007 were approximately 1.3 million cubic yards of concrete and 0.7 million tons of stabilized material with gross revenue of $108 million.

The completion of the transaction is expected to occur by the end of June. Dorsett’s management team, led by President Bill Dorsett, will continue to manage the company and oversee its operations. The ownership interest in Dorsett is a major entry for Alamo into ready-mix concrete operations in Houston. The purchase is expected to provide continuing opportunities for growth in distribution and delivery of cement, ready-mix concrete and soil stabilization products. As part of the agreement Alamo will purchase the remaining Dorsett shares within a few years of acquiring its initial interest in the company.

Alamo owns and operates one cement manufacturing plant that is located in San Antonio, Texas and is also a significant seller of imported cement. Alamo also owns and operates 55 ready mix concrete plants and 4 aggregate plants throughout the Central, Gulf Coast and Rio Grande Valley areas of Texas. Sales volumes in 2007 were approximately 1.7 million short tons of cement and 2.2 million cubic yards of concrete with gross revenue of $370 million.

Buzzi Unicem has accepted Cembureau’s, the European Cement Association, and Aitec’s, the Italian Cement Association, invitation to participate in “Plant Open Week”, an event created to open cement plants to the public, to show "live" how cement is produced.

Between May 10 and 18, three of the thirteen Italian group’s plants - Robilante, Vernasca and Augusta - will be open to the public. During the visit, technical experts and engineers will be available to provide information about the production process and related issues, such as environmental safeguard, work safety and impact on local community.

"Plant Open Week represents a moment of meeting and discussion, an opportunity to improve the dialogue with the communities that have agreed to host our plants. As a company, we always strive to improve our production technology and to limit the impact that cement production has on the environment, without neglecting work safety and the quality of our products", says Michele Buzzi, Buzzi Unicem CEO, who leads the company together with his brother Pietro.

The plant visits will take place according to the following schedule:
Robilante (CN) 10/05/08 from 14:30 to 18:30
Augusta (SR) 17/05/08 from 14:30 to 18:30
Vernasca (PC) 17/05/08 from 14:30 to 18:30

Buzzi Unicem partecipates in the Cembureau initiative with four other European cement plants:
Geseke in Germany, Esch in Luxembourg, Nowiny in Poland and Hranice in the Czech Republic.

More information on the event is available on www.aitecweb.com and www.cembureau.eu

The new Buzzi Unicem logo has been launched during the Dyckerhoff Annual Report press conference.

Originating from the combination of the traditional Buzzi Unicem pictogram (U) and the Dyckerhoff logotype font, the new logo underlines the fruitful synergy and the sharing of objectives of the two industrial groups.

By the end of 2008, all the companies belonging to Buzzi Unicem will line up to the new corporate identity, preserving their corporate name and their cultural and historical background.

In the city of Casale Monferrato – where cement production began in Italy and Buzzi Unicem still has its headquarters – an entire district known as Ronzone grew up around the cement industry, and for one hundred years identified itself with the many cement companies present. One of these companies was F.lli Bargero SpA, which was founded in 1912 and acquired by Buzzi Unicem at the beginning of the 1980s, becoming a grinding center in the process. Having been abandoned for many years, the area is now undergoing a program of rehabilitation and transformation. The old cement plants will be replaced by a 15,000 m2 park, modern buildings for public use and several residential complexes. An equally important aspect of the project is the reclamation of the entire area, which will involve a small portion of the roofs that contain cement-asbestos slabs, removing two large 1000 m3 fuel tanks, recycling all the ferrous material, separating the wood and plastic, and lastly crushing on site all the construction material, mainly concrete and bricks but most of which will be reused in the new construction works.

Slated for completion at the end of March, these projects will involve a total surface area of 49,890 m2, with a total volume of approximately 150,000 m3 to be demolished. Buzzi Unicem, which is actually participating in the reclamation initiative, continues to uphold its social responsibility toward the local community by pledging to return the industrial site to its original condition.

In the presence of the Minister of Industry and Privatization and the Italian Ambassador a contract was signed in Algiers on 16 January 2008 for the acquisition of 35% of the share capital of two Algerian companies, owners of the Hadjar Soud and Sour El Ghozlane cement plants.

The capital share acquisition is combined with a 4-year management contract with the goal of:
- upgrading the two cement plants with a modernization plan and an employee training and development program;
- achieving a nominal capacity of 900,000 tons/year of clinker at Sour El Ghozlane and 945,000 tons/year at Hadjar Soud.

The two cement plants offer significant potentialities and opportunities thanks to their reduced  energy costs, their proximity to developing markets and, as far as Hadjar Soud is concerned, a 40 km railway link to the commercial ports of Skikda and Annaba.

The liberalization process is in motion. The market now will become more and more competitive and will probably attract other foreign operators in addition to those already present (Lafarge/Orascom, ASEC, Pharaon).

Buzzi Unicem starts the "Object Safety" campaign to remember and reassert the company’s constant commitment to continuously improve the health and safety of its employees. The target is to reduce the frequency and seriousness indexes of the accidents which are already among the best in the sector.

Safety and environmental cultures cannot be separated from corporate culture, which is characterized by a complex, dynamic system of values, behaviors, opinions, motivations, symbols and by the language of those who define it.

Protecting our health and safety should be recognized as an obligation to be shared by all employees and one in which everyone is responsible, aware and involved at the same time.

To achieve this target, the company has decided to continue its course of total focus on the health and safety of its employees by adopting integrated management and organizational measures that not only meet regulatory standards but also stimulate and spread the awareness that behaviors and proper conduct can create good processes that will benefit everyone and are for the well-being of all concerned.

The project is one of the key activities currently in progress and has an essential significance in our inter-company relationships. It must be dealt with a strict and steady approach. It cannot be procrastinated and must take deep roots in our group. It cuts across all functions and everyone is expected to be personally involved.

The aim of the “Object Safety” Project is to embrace all these characteristics under a single “umbrella concept”, gathering all the initiatives promoted by Buzzi Unicem to improve the quality of workplace conditions and the end product, the safety and also to protect and safeguard the environment.