February 7, 2025 Solid Footings

Volume 28 | Issue 1

Ontario’s St Marys Cement manufactures high-quality cement products used in infrastructure, resident and commercial building construction.

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As a major North American produc­er of cementitious materials, with a commitment to innovation and sustainability as well as community involvement, St Marys Cement is a construc­tion cornerstone trusted by building contractors for well over a hundred years. Founded in 1912, St Marys Cement is a subsidiary of Votorantim Cimentos North America (VCNA). Votorantim Cimentos is a global company focused on build­ing materials, mining, agricultural lime, co-pro­cessing, and waste management.

The St Marys Cement legacy includes such landmark projects as CN Tower, Roy Thompson Hall, Maple Leaf Gardens and the Darlington Nuclear Station, as well other renowned engineering, civic and residential projects that have contributed to the growth and prosperity of the region. Company opera­tions are based in St Marys, Ontario, Canada with a head office in Toronto and various strategically located production and distribu­tion facilities in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and the Great Lakes region of the U.S.

Product lines include:

• Portland Cement. This finely ground pow­der is mixed with sand, stone, and water to produce concrete.
• Blended Cement. This produced provides enhanced performance and durability with reduced environmental impact by reducing the energy required to produce concrete. Consequently, “green” blended cement can help achieve LEED points.
• Slag Cement. Produced by finely grinding granulated blast furnace slag, a glassy by-prod­uct of iron production, blended with Portland cement. This long-lasting product is also a “green” cement.
• Masonry Cements. These products consist of a balanced mixture of Portland cement, limestone, and proprietary additives to produce types N and S mortars in compliance with ASTM C-270 requirements for both propor­tion and property specifications to meet a range of challenging fabrication needs.

Hutton Transport Limited, a subsidiary of St Marys Cement, delivers bulk and bag cement products employing more than 90 tractors and 115 trailers to markets in southern Ontario, western New York and Michigan. Hutton also provides logistics services to a wide variety of other shippers of commodities such as silicates, fly ash, barite, slag, steel, lumber, concrete beams and blocks, paving stone, and fabricated assemblies.

St Marys Cement’s focus on innovation puts them at the forefront of the industry, partic­ularly in terms of eco-friendly products and technologies aimed at reducing the environ­mental impact of cement manufacturing. As a VCNA company, St Marys Cement is part of the global Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) developed in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) to reduce CO₂ emissions.

One example of the company’s environmen­tal best practices is its work with Verdera, the waste management business unit of St Marys Cement parent company, to employ waste materials as low-carbon fuels and resources in cement manufacturing. While cement manu­facturing typically employs limestone, shale or clay, sand, and iron ore, St Marys Cement kilns also use other industry by-products that reduce carbon emissions and provide cleaner thermal energy.

Algae Biorefinery

St Marys Cement operates the first-of-its-kind algal biorefinery demonstration project that employs carbon dioxide waste as a fuel. The $4 million, 1500 square-foot plant utilizes tech­nologies developed by Pond Technologies, an algae production company based in Markham, Ontario, with additional support from Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) through its Algal Carbon Conversion Program. How it works is that untreated emissions from the kiln smokestack at the St Marys cement plant are channeled into a custom photobioreactor devel­oped by the Pond team. Fast-growing algae inside the reactor consume the gases, creating tons of biomass in the process.  Currently, the biomass is used primarily for further NRC studies, but the long-term goal is for the use of the biomass to produce a range of other products such as bio-fuel, animal feeds, soil amendments, pharmaceuticals, and nutri­tional supplements. While the pilot project at St. Mary’s, Ontario utilizes only about 1% of all CO₂ produced on-site, plans are to scale the technology for fully commercial facility at the Bowmanville cement plant. Up to 40% of the project’s build-out may be covered as part of a $74-million clean tech innovation initiative sponsored by the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE).

A company spokesperson notes, “For our business, sustainability means serving customers and growing responsibly, while respecting the present and future needs of the environment, society, and the communities where we oper­ate. We achieve this by researching, developing and using eco-efficient processes and advanced materials to provide world-class products and support for the North American construction industry.”

This commitment includes maintaining work environments that emphasize safety before productivity and profitability. In addition, St Marys Cement considers itself as a vital eco­nomic engine in the communities where it operates, supporting local causes and promot­ing active engagement that leads to more trans­parent and collaborative business relationships. The company regularly supports local charita­ble organizations, educational initiatives, and environmental conservation projects. It also maintains a close working relationship with local stakeholders to ensure that its operations align with community goals and values.

St Marys Cement stands as a leader in the Canadian cement industry, combining a cen­tury of experience with a commitment to inno­vation and sustainability. The company’s blend of high-quality products, responsible business practices, and community involvement cements its reputation as an essential part of Ontario’s construction sector.

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