EPA honors three Holcim plants for energy efficiency

Three Holcim (US) cement plants – Devil's Slide in Morgan, Utah; Theodore in Theodore, Ala.; and Midlothian in Midlothian, Texas – have earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance.

"Holcim is pleased to accept EPA's Energy Star in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts," said Patrick Dolberg, president and CEO of Holcim (US). "We have a strong commitment to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources throughout the company and this achievement reflects the relentless efforts by the management and employees at each plant."

The Energy Star indicates that each plant is in the top 25 percent of cement plants in the nation in terms of energy efficiency. Holcim improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to the plants.

About Energy Star

EPA's national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their facilities use energy relative to similar facilities nationwide. A plant that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the Energy Star. The rating system is available for petroleum refineries, wet corn milling plants, motor vehicle manufacturing plants and cement plants. In the U.S., energy loss from the industrial sector represents more than 30 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2006, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

For more information about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov.

About Holcim (US)

Holcim (US) Inc. is a subsidiary of Holcim Ltd., and one of the nation's leading manufacturers and suppliers of cement and mineral components. Holcim (US) has approximately 2,900 employees and operates 16 manufacturing plants and over 76 distribution facilities in the United States.