Alpena Cement Mine and Plant, Michigan

This shoreline cement production plant, and its adjacent limestone mine, is one of largest in Michigan, a state that is usually ranked in the top 5 of cement producing states. It is owned by LaFarge, a company that joined with Holcim, in 2015, to become LaFargeHolcim, one of the world’s largest bulk materials companies, with around 72,000 employees, operating in 70 countries. The company is based in Switzerland, and specializes in cement, aggregates, and concrete. It also operates a massive shoreline limestone pit, one of the largest in the nation, at Stoneport, 12 miles north. Limestone is one of the most readily available materials on the planet. The chief value of the cement operation here is its proximity to the shores of the Great Lakes, which provide the most inexpensive means of transportation for the material – by freighter or barge – to a large number of industries and cities along its shores.