Our Company

The Facts

ILLINOIS CEMENT COMPANY PLAYS a vital economic role in LaSalle and throughout the state. Northern Illinois University completed a report in 2010 on the economic impact of Illinois Cement Company on the Illinois economy. According to the study, our operation results in direct employment of 183 employees and indirect employment of an additional 497 workers. The presence of Illinois Cement Company generates over $216 million per year in economic activity in Illinois, and $8.2 million per year in tax revenue.

In addition to LaSalle, Illinois Cement Company operates a distribution terminal in South Beloit, IL supplying cement to northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

The company also does business at its Hartland, WI terminal as Wisconsin Cement Company, where the primary market includes Milwaukee and the surrounding metropolitan communities of SE Wisconsin.

Expansion

1999 BEGAN A PROCESS of dramatic upgrades to the facility in LaSalle. A new 4,000 horsepower cement finish mill was commissioned on schedule in June 1999 of that year and production capabilities were dramatically enhanced. The $20 million project also led to significant quality improvements and consistency.

The new mill, manufactured by Humboldt-Wedag of Atlanta, Georgia, was fully enclosed within a new building and equipped with a high-efficiency separator. Further, state-of-the-art dust collection systems and controls were installed as well.

Following several upgrades within the plant such as the installation of a new rock crusher and the opening of a new quarry in Dimmick Township, Illinois Cement Company began an ambitious expansion effort in 2005. With this effort, plantwide production capabilities were upgraded as were inventory capacities. The plant changed in capability and appearance.

A finished cement storage dome with a capacity of 80,000 tons was installed with its own state-of-the-art load-out system where customers began picking up product at the new scales 24 hours per day. A new Loesche vertical roller mill was installed for grinding raw feed as was an energy efficient Humboldt-Wedag 5-stage precalciner system. Clinker cooler upgrades and indirect fuel firing systems were installed. The kiln speed capability was increased as was overall throughput. A new control room was erected with modern computer and PLC controllers.

The $75 million project was successfully commissioned at the end of 2006. The transformation of the production facility was complete. Energy efficiency was vastly improved and production capability increased to 1,000,000 tons per year of consistent high-quality product.

Today, Illinois Cement Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eagle Materials Inc (EXP).