Hanson Cement
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Building materials |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, England, UK |
| Products | Cement |
| Owner | Heidelberg Cement |
Number of employees | 1,200 |
| Website | www.castlecement.com |
Hanson Cement is a cement production company located in the United Kingdom. It was called Castle Cement until it was rebranded in 2009. The company is now owned by HeidelbergCement. The company supplies 25% of the demand for cement in the UK and employs 1,200 people.
History
The company was formed in 1981 through an amalgamation of three firms:
- Tunnel Portland Cement Company Ltd (founded 1874) with plants at West Thurrock, Essex (1874), Pitstone, Buckinghamshire (1937) and Padeswood, Clwyd (1949).
- Ketton Portland Cement Company Ltd (founded 1929) with a plant at Ketton, Rutland.
- Ribblesdale Cement Ltd (founded 1937) with a plant at Clitheroe, Lancashire.
The company was acquired by HeidelbergCement in 2007.[1]
In 2005, the company's Birmingham depot was dismantled after being bought by a developer who is constructing a mixed-use complex named Curzon Gate.[2]
Environmental concerns
The company admitted to numerous environmental offences over the years leading up to 2009, during a case in which it was fined 250,000 pounds by the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) in February 2010.[3]
Operations
The head office is in Castle Hill at Maidenhead in Berkshire and the works are located in Ketton in Rutland, Buckley in Clwyd, Ribblesdale near Clitheroe and Avonmouth near Bristol.
At Avonmouth the company has a marine terminal, that is used for the importation of cement in bulk, with samples from there tested at the Ketton site's laboratory each week to ensure they meet British Standards. Cement is also imported through the Humber ports.
Hanson Cement holds an open day at the Ketton production facility in July every year.[4]
References
- ↑ Douglad Hamilton, "Hanson sold to Heidelberg for £8bn" The Herald, 28 May 2007
- ↑ Curzon Gate Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Flintshire cement factory's £250,000 safety fine BBC News, 18 February 2010
- ↑ Classic Plant and Machinery magazine, 6-12, August 2008