MC Industrial Logs Millionth Manhour at Holcim Cement Plant

While battling a labor shortage created by the largest expansion in U.S. industrial construction in decades, MC Industrial  earlier this month completed its one millionth self-performed manhour in the construction of the new Holcim (US) Ste. Genevieve cement plant in Bloomsdale, Mo.

MC Industrial, a McCarthy company that serves the industrial construction market nationwide, is general contractor for the silos, conveyors and tunnel portions of the $900 million greenfield site project.

"Besides the sheer challenge of managing 500 or more workers at peak at any one time, we have faced the very real challenge of obtaining and maintaining a workforce on this project," explained Will Chipley, project director for MC Industrial.

The 13 silos completed earlier this year, in particular, posed major labor challenges, as the project competed for workers with other industrial mega-projects under construction in the Midwest at the same time.  Since local unions were tapped out, the call went out to other states for tradesmen and women interested in traveling to Bloomsdale for work.
    
Although the majority of "travelers" are now back in their home states, a total of 90 contributed to the 700,000 manhours required to build the cement plant's silos.  These ironworkers, cement masons and millwrights were recruited from 16 states, some as far away as New Mexico, Florida and Michigan.

Labor shortage reported
   
Almost two-thirds of industrial contractors nationwide have experienced labor shortages, according to a new study reported in the November issue of Midwest Construction.  "The study said that demand is particularly strong for ironworkers," says Chipley, "which we have definitely found to be the case."   This summer and fall, ironworkers in particular were in short supply due to several large power plants currently under construction in the Midwest, he explains.
   
Once MC Industrial assembled its large crew, it took careful planning to manage worker safety, as well as to keep everyone productive. "For two and one-half months, the project was running 24/7, with 13 silos constructed in just 72 days," says Chipley.
   
In addition to the 13 raw meal, clinker and cement silos, MC Industrial has completed a limestone reclaim tunnel, will soon wrap up work on two 60-foot diameter, 155-foot tall harbor silos which will hold the finished cement for barge loading, and by June 2009, will complete material handling conveyors from the clinker silos to the cement mills.

When the plant comes on line in late summer 2009, the new Holcim facility will be capable of producing up to four million metric tons of cement annually  Holcim (US) Inc. is one of the largest suppliers of Portland and blended cements and related mineral components in the United States.

 

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