CEMENT COMPANY TO BUILD IN AREA

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo. -- Holnam Cement Co., one of the world's largest cement makers, will build a plant north of Ste. Genevieve on 4,000 acres that straddle two counties.

Holnam, a subsidiary of Holderbank Financiere Glaris Ltd. of Switzerland, recently announced that the $500 million plant will mine limestone and make 4.4 million tons of Portland cement a year.

A second cement manufacturer, Continental Cement Co. headquartered in Chesterfield, Mo., also is considering Ste. Genevieve County for a $175 million plant.

Construction of the two plants would mean nearly 300 permanent jobs.

"This is exciting news," said Marv Harman, director of the Office of Economic Development in Ste. Genevieve.

He said Holnam has been looking into the site, which lies in both Ste. Genevieve and Jefferson counties along the Mississippi River at Lee Island, since early 1999.

Holnam's board of directors approved the project in November, and Holnam's parent company approved funds for it Dec. 24, said Harman.

The plant will be Holnam's second in Missouri. Holnam has 12 factories in the United States, including a 33-year old plant at Clarksville, Mo., that produces about 1.4 million tons of cement a year. The company has factories in 70 countries.

Lee Island project manager Barry Lower said, "This will be the largest plant for Holnam, which will employ about 200 workers, including engineers, electricians, mechanics and computer operators."

Construction of the factory, which will cover about 10 acres, will take about two years and employ as many as 1,000 workers at various times during construction.

Holnam selected the site because it had an extensive reservoir of limestone and because it is near the river, Interstate 55, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

The company will build a harbor on the river and is asking the Missouri Department of Transportation to build an interchange at Interstate 55 and Highway TT in Jefferson County.

"I have to give a lot of credit and recognition to the Ste. Genevieve residents and community leaders," said Lower, a vice president for Holnam. "Their support for he project was received enthusiastically by our board and our parent company. It added a lot to the project's favorable review by management."

Permit applications have already been submitted, and the permit review process is expected to run though much of 2001.

Continental Cement, which produces more than 750,000 tons of cement a year at its Hannibal, Mo., plant, has entered a purchase agreement for property in the area and is in the process of looking into all permits.

"We're looking at a $175 million to $180 million facility," said Mark Johnson, president of Continental.

The majority of cement from Continental's Hannibal plant goes to ready mix companies that supply construction projects throughout the Midwest. "Our cement is used in building roads, bridges, office buildings and homes," said Johnson.

Continental's new facility would employ 85 to 90 people.