Manufacture Alabama congratulates Holcim, Inc. for their first place award as a Gulf Guardian  winner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This represents the top honor awarded by the EPA to many sectors in the Gulf of Mexico region including businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies. The award recognizes Holcim’s Theodore plant’s Storm Water Conservation Project.

In 1999 Holcim’s Theodore team first initiated a project to replace the water the plant uses from the municipal water system with storm water that had historically been discharged into the Theodore Industrial Canal. Before the project was initiated the Holcim plant discharged as much as 88 million gallons of water annually. Over the years the plant has continued to find solutions to collect storm water and cycle it back into the plant’s process. Their efforts have culminated into the success of reaching zero water discharged in 2006. This effort exemplifies Holcim’s commitment to sustainable development through innovation and good stewardship.

The Gulf Guardian awards were developed in 2000 by The Gulf of Mexico Program Partnership, which is administered by the EPA. The awards “recognize and honor the businesses, community groups, individuals, and agencies that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf healthy, beautiful and productive. The Gulf Guardian Award recognizes innovative solutions that pool resources and look for creative ways to positively impact our quality of life and economic well being.”

This honor joins a remarkable list of accolades garnered by the plant. Holcim’s Theodore plant also earned the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas 2006 Outreach Award, as part of the 2006 Cement Industry Energy and Environment Awards - and was a finalist for the Environmental Performance award, which the plant won in 2005. Also in 2006, Holcim was honored with the Council of State Governments’ Associates Award for corporate citizenship. In 2007, the plant team was honored with a Corporate Social Responsibility award and Special Recognition through the Holcim (US) President’s Awards program.