Calucem Investing $35 Million for Specialty Cement Facility in New Orleans

Specialty cement manufacturer Calucem entered the U.S. market in 2022, developing a $35 million manufacturing facility in New Orleans East. A subsidiary of Spain-based Cementos Molins, Calucem is the world’s second-largest producer of calcium aluminate cement, a high-performance product popular in a variety of commercial and industrial uses. 

The project brings 70 direct jobs at an average annual salary of $51,700, plus benefits, to Louisiana and an estimated 158 indirect jobs, for a total of 228 new jobs in Southeast Louisiana. Developing the nine-acre Industrial Canal facility also supports 150 construction jobs. Operations are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2023. 

“Our choice of Louisiana for our first all-new manufacturing project in the U.S. is due to the availability of strategic raw materials such as limestone and natural gas, access to waterways and skilled labor, and thelong history of using specialty cement products in the U.S.”

- Yuri Bouwhuis, President and CEO -Calucem

Cementos Molins is based in Madrid with facilities in 12 countries on four continents. The Louisiana project is its third calcium aluminate production center, joining Barcelona and Pula, Croatia.

The state is providing a competitive incentive package featuring the comprehensive solutions of LED FastStart, the nation’s No. 1 state workforce development program for 13 consecutive years, and a performance-based $700,000 award through the Economic Development Award Program to support site infrastructure improvements. In addition, the company is expected to participate in the Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. Entergy New Orleans worked with Calucem to ensure the company’s electrical and natural gas demand could be met at the project site.