Port-Daniel–Gascons, June 12, 2024 – The McInnis cement plant, located in Port-

Daniel–Gascons, and part of St. Marys Cement (Canada) (Ciment St. Marys), continues to make

its mark on the industry thanks to its commitment to local employment and environmental

protection. Today, Ciment St. Marys is majority owned by its Brazilian parent company,

Votorantim Cimentos.

Employing more than 200 people and providing work for up to 1,000 subcontractors, it is one of

the largest private employers in the Gaspé region.

 

“Since we acquired the plant, we have been striving to make it a model of environmental

excellence,” says Jorge Wagner, CEO of Ciment St. Marys. According to Mr. Wagner: “With our

long and extensive experience in the industry, we knew that we would be able to optimize

production at the McInnis cement plant while minimizing its environmental footprint. That’s

why Ciment St. Marys drew up a long-term business plan, which we are now implementing.

Reinvestments continue to be made on a regular basis to achieve our environmental and

operational objectives, and we are very proud of this. Ciment St. Marys’ vision is to achieve

carbon neutrality in concrete by 2050.

 

The McInnis cement plant is the first in Canada to commit to meeting US NESHAP (National

Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants), one of the most stringent air emission

standards in North America. The plant was designed and built using state-of-the-art technology

and operates processes and equipment that significantly increase thermal efficiency and reduce

electrical energy consumption compared with older cement plants.

 

Since acquiring the McInnis plant in April 2021, Ciment St. Marys has invested $80 million to

sustain and improve the plant’s productivity and efficiency as well as its environmental

footprint. The company is also actively working to reduce the McInnis plant’s greenhouse gas

emissions. The plant has fully transitioned production from traditional ordinary Portland cement

(OPC) to Portland limestone cement (PLC), a product that has a significantly lower carbon

footprint.

 

Ciment St. Marys intends to take its environmental approach even further by using lower-

carbon fuels in its manufacturing process. This opportunity is currently being developed and will

considerably reduce the plant’s use of fossil fuels.

 

Similarly, the plant plans to increase its capacity in the manufacture of lower-carbon blended

cements. This initiative alone could reduce carbon intensity by 11%, equivalent to 33,500

gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.

 

The cement plant’s economic spin-offs are vital to the region. The plant actively contributes to

local economic growth and the prosperity of the surrounding communities. In addition to the

employees hired directly at the plant, its activities and the work carried out create indirect jobs

throughout the Gaspé region.

 

In recent weeks, the municipality of Port-Daniel–Gascons and the Le Rocher-Percé and

Bonaventure RCMs adopted resolutions in support of the cement plant. These resolutions

highlight the cement plant’s undeniable impact on the economy and community, underlining its

major involvement in local events and the development of sports, for example.

 

For his part, Henri Grenier, Mayor of Port-Daniel–Gascons, emphasized the importance of the

cement plant for his municipality: “It’s an exceptional opportunity to have a company of this size

on our territory because of its remarkable contribution to the vitality of our municipality. In

addition to its significant economic impact, we must also recognize its contribution to our

community and sporting facilities, as well as to our region’s reputation. We are always happy to

work with Ciment St. Marys, an excellent corporate citizen whose proactive approach we would

like to highlight.”

 

The company recently confirmed a major contribution of $400,000 towards the renovation and

extension of the local sports arena. The cement company’s contribution will go towards

purchasing equipment, furniture and infrastructure for the gymnasium and indoor arena.

 

Ciment St. Marys is also committed to maintaining positive relations with the local community

and contributing to the region's sustainable development. The company believes in listening to

the population’s concerns through various committees set up in a spirit of openness and

collaboration, such as the one with First Nations representatives, the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi

Secretariat, or committees with citizen and stakeholder groups.

 

The McInnis cement plant is a major player in Quebec’s cement industry. It is committed to

combining economic performance and environmental responsibility for the well-being of the

Gaspé region and its residents. Ciment St. Marys’ operations stretch beyond the McInnis cement

plant. It is a leading provider of cement, concrete and aggregates in the Great Lakes region of

the United States and Canada, and in the Northeast U.S. and Eastern Canada. In addition to our

North American presence, we are proudly part of an even bigger international picture. We

operate as part of an international building materials and sustainable solutions provider,

Votorantim Cimentos, headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. In total, Votorantim Cimentos has a

presence on four continents in 11 countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Luxembourg,

Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, the United States and Uruguay.

 

Media Relations

Justin Meloche

Telephone: 514-995-9704

Email: jmeloche@national.ca