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Holcim’s Trident plant could see temporary shutdown

By Big Sky News Service

BELGRADE - When Holcim Inc. announced plans to close two of its 15 United States manufacturing sites last week, the world’s second-largest cement producer also reassured workers at its Trident plant near Three Forks that their jobs were safe.


 However, workers at the Trident plant may face temporary layoffs this winter as part of a strategy to reduce the existing stock of cement and related materials on hand, the company announced.

A “decline in building activity and increasing costs put pressure on income statements and led to capacity adjustments,” according to a release from Holcim. “The balance sheet of Holcim remains strong.”

The recent economic slowdown has led to significant cutbacks in building across the country and sales of cement, aggregates and related materials in the United States fell 12 percent in the first nine months of this year. Holcim expects the slowdown will continue into next year.

The company cut 85 jobs across the country in September through a mix of layoffs and attrition.

It will spend $300 million to close the two United States plants -- in Dundee, Mich., and Clarksville, Mo. n as well as one in Torredonjimeno, Spain.

The Trident plant is the smallest of Holcim’s operations in the United States, producing about 350 million tons of cement annually and employing about 85 workers.

It will likely be idle for two weeks or so this winter, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Product inventories are high and closures for a short time in December would help reduce stocks and balance the company’s income statement

It wasn’t known yet whether workers will be laid off during that time.

Reader Comments

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nkalanaga wrote on Nov 16, 2008 12:11 PM:

" 350 million tons per year? How are they shipping it? At 100 tons per car, that would require almost 10,000 railroad cars per day. "

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