www.roanoke.com

Roanoke Cement Company has won some environmental award recently, including one from the federal government. The full release follows:

MORE ENVIRONMENTAL HONORS FOR ROANOKE CEMENT COMPANY

Troutville, VA – More environmental kudos were bestowed last month upon Roanoke Cement Company, the recipient of the prestigious Energy Star Award in both 2008 and 2007 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. The award recognizes manufacturers' energy efficient solutions that save money while protecting the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Also last month, the American Institute of Architects’ Blue Ridge Chapter honored Roanoke Cement with the Architectural Medal for recent environmental achievements. The medal is given to a non-architect – individual, project, or organization – that has significantly improved the design/built environment of the AIA Blue Ridge Region.

“This company has strong initiatives in sustainability that reflect directly the ideas and values of the company’s leadership,” said Emmett Wilson Lifsey, AIA Blue Ridge President. He cited Roanoke Cement’s investment of $50 million in capital upgrades over the last five years to further modernize the plant, eliminate inefficiencies and improve environmental performance as well as the compact fluorescent lighting campaign and carbon mapping initiatives through the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition as bases for the award.

The award was presented to Don Ingerson, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Lance Clark, Environmental Engineer on September 18, 2008 at the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville, VA.

The following day, Plant Manager Kevin Baird was tapped to present at COVES, the Commonwealth of Virginia Energy and Sustainability Conference with a focus on
“Meeting the Climate Change Challenge.” Before approximately 500 attendees at the Greater Richmond Convention Center – including Governor Kaine – Baird joined a variety of presenters who spoke to how industry and the public sector can work to attain practical and sustainable environmental goals.

“It was an honor to be a part of this important conference,” said Baird. “It helped participants focus on long-term, cradle-to-cradle energy savings as well as educate them on the environmental impacts of building and road material selection. It is because of the recent strides in our own environmental progress that we were considered.” Participants included state and local government, educators, business and industry and design and engineering firms, among others.

Chris Bayne, Electrical Engineer with Roanoke Cement, completed the company's sustainability recognition last month by speaking to the Virginia Manufacturer’s Association (VMA) conference in Richmond. Bayne covered the significant electrical energy savings program that Roanoke Cement started a year ago. The early results show a 5% to 7% reduction in electrical energy consumption plant wide.

“We were surprised at how much difference we could make by paying closer attention to our electrical needs and the early success is driving us to conserve even more," said Bayne.

Roanoke Cement plans several more initiatives projecting to save an additional 3% to 5% in 2009.

Roanoke Cement Company is a subsidiary of Titan America LLC and the first Titan plant to receive the Energy Star® rating. Titan America LLC is located in Norfolk, Virginia and is one of the premier cement and building materials producers in the Eastern United States. Titan is a founding member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, leading the cement industry in long-term sustainable business practices.

Photo: Emmett Wilson Lifsey, center, AIA Blue Ridge President, presents the Architectural Medal for recent environmental achievements to Don Ingerson, VP of Sales and Marketing, left, and Lance Clark, Environmental Engineer, right.

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