History - Buzzi Unicem Italia

In 1923, a second cement plant with two automated vertical kilns and a shaft kiln for limestone lump is built in Casale Monferrato (AL). The strong, hydraulic limestone from Casale is very popular at the time. In the meantime, the Trino plant is already operating with three automated vertical kilns.

In 1965, the third generation of the family initiates the la Presa operations with the Robilante (CN) cement plant. Designed by Fratelli Buzzi’s technical department with the intention of expanding it right from the start, the plant begins with an initial production capacity of 300,000 tons/year of Portland cement, which is more than doubled to 700,000 tons/year with the addition of a second line in 1970. Also in 1965, the Fratelli Buzzi group is one of the first cement producers to enter the ready-mix concrete sector, operating first in the Turin and Cuneo areas, then in Milan and Genoa.

In 1981, the group expands its operations overseas with the acquisition of a large share of Corporación Moctezuma, an old Mexican cement company with a plant in Jiutepec (Cuernavaca) and ready-mix concrete operations in Mexico City and Acapulco. Gabba & Miglietta in Casale Monferrato is acquired in 1987.

On May 13, 1997 an agreement is entered into between Fratelli Buzzi Cementi and IFI/IFIL for the taking over of a stake in Unicem SpA’s ordinary stock which would lead, two years later, to the merger of the two groups. Also in 1997, a new cement plant in Tepetzingo, Mexico, starts its production; two years after the plant is doubled, thus reaching the production capacity of 2.4 million tons/year. In the same year, a minority stake (30%) is acquired in Cementi Moccia, based in the surroundings of Naples.In 1998, the ready-mix concrete operations belonging to both Buzzi Cementi and Unicem are merged as part of their business plan. The business unit resulting from the merger also includes a significant portion of the former Calcestruzzi S.p.A. operations in Ravenna, acquired by Unicem at the end of 1997.

In 1924, operating under the name of Marchino & C., the company installa the first rotary kiln in Casale Monferrato. In 1933, Unione Cementi Marchino & C. is formed as a result of the merger between Marchino & C. and Unione Italiana Cementi, at the instigation of Senator Giovanni Agnelli. Equipped with 40 vertical kilns and six rotary kilns operating in seven different production units, the firm reaches a production capacity of 500,000 tons/year, a significant achievement at that time.

In 1973, Unicem S.p.A. is listed on the stock exchange and enters the US market in 1979 with the acquisition of 20% ownership of River Cement in St. Louis, Missouri. Meanwhile, the firm increases its production activities in Italy with the acquisition of Cementeria di Barletta and Cementi Nuoresi. In 1981, Unicem expands even further in the USA by acquiring 20% ownership of Hercules Cement, which operates a cement plant in Stockertown, Pennsylvania, while in Italy it re-establishes the Cementeria di Augusta after spinning off the Megara (SR) plant. In 1982, Signal Mountain Cement of Chattanooga, Tennessee is acquired, followed by Savic in Padua, which operates the Cadola (BL) and Travesio (PN) cement plants. In 1986, the Research Center at the Guidonia (RM) plant is inaugurated.

In 1884, Dyckerhoff delivers 8,000 barrels of Portland cement to America to build the base of the Statue of Liberty, marking the largest supply of cement ever ordered. In 1909, the first rotary kilns for the production of cement are introduced. In 1911, the company changes its name to Dyckerhoff & Söhne GmbH, and in 1931, Portland-Zementwerke Dyckerhoff Wicking AG is established as a result of the merger with Wicking AG. The Portland white cement known as Dyckerhoff Weiss is introduced during the same year.

In 1985, the company changes its name to Dyckerhoff AG, and creates the Dyckerhoff Ausbauprodukte division to further expand its activities in the finishing products sector. In 1995, Dyckerhoff creates the Cement, Ready-mix Concrete and Finishing Products divisions (the latter is discontinued in 2001), followed by the Germany Cement and International Cement divisions in 1997, which in 2001 becomes Germany/Western Europe Cement and Central-Eastern Europe/America Cement. Dyckerhoff continues to expand during the last two decades, entering the North American market in 1988, acquiring the Deuna cement plant in Thuringia (in the former German Democratic Republic) in 1991, and entering the markets in Russia in 1994, in Poland in 1996, and in the Czech Republic in 1997. The company makes the important acquisition of Lone Star Industries in the USA in 1999, and enters the emerging Ukraine market in 2000. The year 2002 is marked by the introduction of the Dyckerhoff 21 restructuring program, an exceptional effort to revamp the company to increase operational efficiency and which achieves savings of 135 million euros when fully operational. In 2003, Dyckerhoff sells its operations in Spain and its 50% stake in Anneliese Zementwerke AG, increasing at the same time its shares in Ciments Luxembourgeois to 93%.

In 2001, Buzzi Unicem establishes a partnership with the Dyckerhoff family, a leading shareholder of the Dyckerhoff cement company in Germany. The agreement allowes for Buzzi Unicem to acquire 34% of the ordinary share capital of Dyckerhoff AG. The Dyckerhoff family is also granted the option to sell up to another 34% of the ordinary share capital, exercisable until the end of 2004. During the same year, Buzzi Unicem enters an agreement with Laterlite to form a new company comprising Buzzi Unicem’s Lentella and Enna plants and Laterlite’s Rubbiano and Bojano plants, in which Buzzi Unicem has a protected minority share of 30%. Also that year, subsidiary Corporación Moctezuma publicly announces plans to build a new cement plant in the state of San Luis Potosì in Mexico. In 2002, Buzzi Unicem absorbes Unimed S.p.A and the Dyckerhoff family sells in advance the 34% of the ordinary share capital held in Dyckerhoff AG. Buzzi Unicem acquires 10% of the shares while Banca IMI acquires 24%, thus increasing Buzzi Unicem’s voting rights in Dyckerhoff to 44%.

In 2005, Buzzi Unicem acquires 91.20% of the ordinary shares of Dyckerhoff and 76.73% of the total capital, including the preferred shares, and that same year Pietro and Michele Buzzi are appointed CEOs by the Board of Directors. Buzzi Unicem USA launches the project to renovate the Selma, MO, plant and expand the production capacity to 2.3 million tons. In 2006, subsidiary Ciments Luxembourgeois sells 80% of its holdings in Eurobeton, which manufactures and markets concrete products. In Mexico, Corporación Moctezuma increases its cement sales by 18.2% during the first six months of the year thanks to the second production line at Cerritos. At the end of June, Buzzi Unicem wins the bid to acquire 35% of the capital of two Algerian companies, which own the Hadjar Soud and Sur El Ghozlane cement plants, while in the USA the new import terminal of the Houston Cement Company, a joint venture between Ash Grove, Alamo Cement and Texas Lehigh, is inaugurated. In mid-November, Buzzi Unicem enters an agreement with SACCI to acquire 30% of the share capital of Betonval S.p.A., a company operating in the ready-mix concrete sector in Tuscany.

In August, Buzzi Unicem USA successfully starts up River 7000, a new production line with excellent efficiency in terms of electricity and fuel consumption. In October, the new mill at the Esch-sur-Alzette cement plant in Luxembourg is brought on-line, bringing the total production capacity to 1.5 million tons/year. In November, Buzzi Unicem obtains the long-term BBB and short-term A-3 ratings from Standard & Poor’s. In early 2010, Unical launches the H2NO Project in Italy as a testament to the company’s commitment to supply ready-mix concrete under controlled, certified procedures to counteract the practice of adding water on site. In July, Dyckerhoff takes over the concrete business of its associates Sievert AG, while in the USA, Buzzi Unicem USA receives the ENERGY STAR® award for Cape Girardeau and Selma in Missouri, Maryneal in Texas and Chattanooga in Tennessee. A month later, the new production line with a production capacity of 1.2 million tons/year is inaugurated at Sukhoi Log (Russia), and the new Apazapan (Veracruz) cement plant with a production capacity of 1.2 million tons/year is brought on-line in Mexico. At the end of the year, Buzzi Unicem USA further strengthens its distribution network along the river routes in the Midwest with the acquisition from Ozinga Bros. of the Joliet terminal in Illinois, which has a round, domed facility for storing 30,000 tons of cement.

2013 kicks off with a record, 70-hour non-stop pouring of the monolithic foundation in Turin of the tallest skyscraper in Italy, designed by the architect Fuksas. As for the concrete operations, Buzzi Unicem Next obtained CE marking. Mid-year, Buzzi Unicem completes its acquisition of Dyckerhoff AG, gaining full ownership of the company. At year-end, for the second consecutive year, Buzzi Unicem is one of the 10 companies included in the CDP Italy 100 Climate Change Report 2013, ranked by the Carbon Disclosure Project. In 2014, the Barletta cement plant obtains OHSAS 18001 certification. In July, Buzzi Unicem enters an agreement with the Austrian Wietersdorfer group, the agreement includes the sale of Cadola plant (BL) and the contextual acquisition of the 25% of the capital of Salonit Anhovo (Slovenia), a subsidiary of Wietersdorfer. In September, Dyckerhoff celebrates its 150th anniversary and to commemorate the event, presents a scholarship in memory of Franco Buzzi offering the children of deserving employees the possibility of attending one of the best MBA programs in the USA. In November, Buzzi Unicem receives its third consecutive CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) award. One month later, the company acquires full ownership of Uralcement from Lafarge, thus strengthening its position in the Ural region and achieving a production capacity of around 4.5 million tons/year in Russia.

On January 26, with the governor of the State of Veracruz, Miguel Ángel Yunes Linares in attendance, our Mexican subsidiary Corporación Moctezuma officially inaugurates the new production line at the Apazapan plant. The addition of the second line allows Apazapan to reach a capacity of 2.75 million tons/year. On March 20, the Korkino cement plant (Russia) celebrates 60 years of business, marking six decades of continuous growth and development. Buzzi Unicem celebrates 110 years of business during the shareholders meeting held in early May! On July 3, Buzzi Unicem completes the full acquisition (100%) of the Zillo group, a company founded in 1882 and operating in the cement sector with the plants of Fanna (Pordenone) and Monselice (Padua), and in the ready-mix concrete sector with approximately 40 batching plants. With the acquisition of the Zillo group, Buzzi Unicem not only strengthens its presence and domestic market share but will also contribute to streamlining and consolidating the cement sector in Italy. In September, the Geseke plant, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, celebrates the 90th anniversary of its founding by opening its doors to colleagues, friends and residents. At the end of the year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards the Energy Star® certification to the Chattanooga (Tennessee), Selma (Missouri), Maryneal (Texas) and San Antonio (Texas) plants. This marks the ninth consecutive award for Chattanooga, Selma and Maryneal, and the fourth consecutive award for San Antonio. On 5 April 2018, Dyckerhoff GmbH acquires 100% ownership of Portland Zementwerke Seibel & Söhne, which operates a full-cycle cement plant located in Erwitte, North Rhine-Westphalia. Seibel & Söhne cement sales run to about 500,000 tons/year. On 25 May, the YUGCement plant in Ukraine celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding with an open-house for employees, customers, suppliers and authorities. As of July, Buzzi Unicem assumes full ownership of OAO Sukholozhskcement, after acquiring all the remaining shares held by minority shareholders (so-called squeeze-out). OAO Sukholozhskcement reports to our main production facility in Russia. In September, our company joins the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), an organization whose initial membership includes 16 leading cement and concrete producers, representing over 30% of the global production capacity. On 11 September, Standard & Poor’s raises the group’s credit level to investment grade, changing the long-term rating from “BB+” to “BBB-“, and the short-term rating from “B” to “A-3” with stable outlook. On 22 November, Buzzi Unicem closes an agreement signed at the beginning of September with Grupo Ricardo Brennand to acquire 50% of BCPAR SA, owner of two full-cycle cement plants in Brazil. One plant located in the state of Paraíba has an annual production capacity of 1.7 million tons of cement, while the other located in the state of Minas Gerais has an annual production capacity of 2.4 million tons of cement. This agreement extends the group’s industrial operations to the largest economy in South America and contributes to improve the geographic diversification of our regional presence.

On April 16, Companhia Nacional de Cimento (CNC), of which Buzzi Unicem holds 50% of the capital together with Grupo Ricardo Brennand, acquires all of the CRH group’s companies operating in Brazil. CRH Brasil’s operations consist of three full-cycle cement plants located in Matozinhos, Arcos (Minas Gerais) and Cantagalo (Rio de Janeiro), and two grinding plants in Santa Luzia and Arcos (also in Minas Gerais). In September, Salonit Anhovo (Slovenia) celebrates its 100th anniversary. Buzzi Unicem owns 25% of Salonit Anhovo, while the remaining 75% is owned by the Wietersdorfer group. On 23 September, Cimalux, one of the group’s companies operating in Luxembourg, celebrates its 100th anniversary which had been postponed for a year due to the pandemic. 2021 is also a year full of celebrations for Dyckerhoff, including the 90th anniversary of Dyckerhoff Weiss, the white cement produced at the Amoeneburg plant since 1931 and sold in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and France; the 25th anniversary of the WDI research center for building materials located in Amoeneburg; and the 90th anniversary of the Neuwied grinding plant situated on the Rhine. On October 16, Premix, a subsidiary that specializes in the production of ready-mix mortars for plasters and masonry and in which Buzzi Unicem has a 40% interest, celebrates its 30th anniversary. On November 4, the HINFRA project, an innovative start-up created in partnership with Buzzi Unicem is introduced during the conference “The contribution of concrete construction industry to the 2050 decarbonization goal”, organized by the Lombardy Region in conjunction with the Milan Polytechnic and the Milan Polytechnic Foundation. HINFRA is a new construction business model that serves as a technology hub for large civil engineering works. In 2021, the Buzzi Unicem (through Dyckerhoff), Heidelbergcement, Schwenk and Vicat collaboration continues to pursue the activities to implement the CI4C (catch4climate) pilot project that aims to use captured CO2 as a raw material for the production of synthetic fuels. 2021 also markes the 20th anniversary of the company’s Sustainability Report, an effective tool for informing our stakeholders about the non-financial results achieved by the group and for communicating important medium-term objectives. In early 2022, Buzzi Unicem signed an agreement with Italgas to assess the possibility of producing and using synthetic methane obtained from combining green hydrogen with part of the CO2 released in the cement production processes. In February, the CGreen product line - i.e., cements with low environmental impact - was launched on the Italian and German markets. The CGreen line was created to ensure maximum sustainability of production without sacrificing product quality and marks another step towards achieving our energy and environmental transition objectives. During the year, our operations in the United States started their conversion from traditional ASTM C150 Type I and II (OPC) cements to ASTM C595 Type IL (PLC) cement, which is a limestone cement with lower CO2 footprint and equivalent quality. In June, Buzzi Unicem presented the Roadmap "Our Journey to Net Zero" outlining the measures that our group will pursue to reduce CO2 emissions (scope 1 net) below 500 kg per ton of cementitious material by 2030 and produce concrete with zero impact in terms of CO2 emissions by 2050. In mid-June, the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) presented the Other Species Project Award to the Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant for developing the Lake Clayfield Fish Management Project, located on plant-owned property along the Tennessee River. On September 26th, Built was officially inaugurated on the UPO (University of Eastern Piedmont) campus in Vercelli. Dedicated to technological innovation, this facility constitutes the pinnacle of the company's Research & Development activities, along with the Wilhelm Dyckerhoff Institute in Wiesbaden and the plants’ laboratories. In November, the PCA (Portland Cement Association) recognized the Nashville terminal and Chattanooga cement plant for continuous improvement of the production and distribution process in the "Safety" and "Energy and Environment" categories.