Norfolk, VA – Titan America’s companies excelled at ConcreteWorks -- scoring awards from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the National Ready Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA) -- in safety, energy efficiency, innovative technologies and quality. NRMCA’s ConcreteWorks 2023 was co-located with the PCA's Fall Committee Meetings, held at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, TN the first week of October.
Titan America’s Pennsuco facility in Medley, FL captured the award for the Innovative Technologies category in the PCA 2023 Energy & Environment Awards annual competition by highlighting its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) in a variety of production applications, end-to-end in their plant.
Pennsuco was recognized for achievements as it moved beyond its initial successes with AI in delivering prescriptive and predictive maintenance. By utilizing sensors and signals to map a “digital twin” for normalized plant operations, and then analyzing in real-time deviations in temperature, pressure, vibration, lubrication, and other parameters, the AI models provided powerful solutions to drive production outputs and equipment effectiveness to higher levels, while improving energy efficiency. Building on years of strong progress in digitalization, Pennsuco improved optimization, combining the process and maintenance AI systems to achieve increased overall equipment effectiveness, higher alternative fuel rates, and lower energy consumption, resulting in greater product availability for Titan customers with lower embodied CO2.
“We have ridden the power of AI and ML beyond our initial expectations,” said Zaklina Stamboliska, Vice President of Cement Manufacturing. “Unlocking the data and the correlations between subtle findings have enhanced our managers’ abilities to run the plant in cost and energy efficient ways with higher quality output while production reached record levels.”
In concert with Pennsuco’s Innovative Technology award, the PCA’s Energy Efficiency Award recognized Titan America’s Roanoke Cement Company’s (RCC) unique accomplishments. RCC’s Troutville, VA plant has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR certification--16 years in a row! ENERGY STAR signifies that these cement plants perform in the top 25 percent nationwide for energy efficiency and meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.
“At Titan, we are committed to meeting the ENERGY STAR annual certification for superior energy efficiency, achieved in 16 straight years at RCC, along with 15 consecutive ENERGY STARS at the Pennsuco plant,” said Chris Bayne, Titan America’s Director of Industrial Decarbonization and Energy Management. “The lessons we learned from ENERGY STAR - continuous improvement and accountability through benchmarking tools, among others – have been drawn upon in also having our two plants certified to the ISO 50001 standard, the only cement plants in the U.S. that have obtained this level of documented energy management performance.”
Through its energy initiatives, RCC has achieved a 12% reduction in the plant’s use of electrical energy and eased the Commonwealth of Virginia’s electric grid by shifting use demand. The Pennsuco plant has built the capacity to utilize solely alternative fuels and natural gas with its cement production. Pennsuco features a
$20 million state-of-the-art facility dedicated to alternative fuel production. The plant has seen a reduction of CO2 by 18% since 2015. Titan America cement plants and import terminals have fully converted production to low carbon cements, including Type IL portland-limestone cement, which reduces greenhouse gases by up to 15%.
Next, with safety being the number one priority in the concrete and cement industries, the NRMCA named Mr. Scott Holcombe of S&W Ready Mix Co., a subsidiary of Titan America, as a recipient of its 7th Annual Safety Award. Mr. Holcombe is the Plant Manager for both the Murrells Inlet and Georgetown Plants in South Carolina.
The NRMCA’s Annual Safety Award acknowledges the significant contribution that safe work practices give to the growth and success of individuals, concrete companies and the ready mixed concrete industry. The NRMCA Annual Safety Award is presented to an individual or company whose actions represent the highest in the advancement of safety.
“Mr. Holcombe’s leadership as a member of our inaugural safety committee, chairing the South Carolina division’s safety committee, and leading his plants by example, have resulted in the company’s more than 30% reduction in OSHA recordable injuries and going more than seven years without a lost time accident,” said Jamie Williams, S&W’s Senior Safety Manager.
Rounding out the recognitions are two NRMCA Producer Excellence in Quality Awards bestowed upon S&W Ready Mix Concrete and Titan Florida Concrete. This award is for concrete producers using best-in-class quality systems and initiatives as established by NRMCA’s Research Education and Standards (RES) committee, including customer focus, materials management, testing and analysis, and mix design. Titan America’s ready mix are focused on innovation, continuous improvement and digitalization to deliver consistent quality and performance-based concrete mixes.
“We are gratified by the receipt of these awards from our peers in PCA and NRMCA,” said Bill Zarkalis, President & Chief Executive Officer of Titan America. “Safety, energy efficiency and forging innovative breakthrough solutions for our customers are manifestations of our commitment to excellence at Titan America and we pledge continuous advancement in these vital areas.”
About Titan America
Titan America and its family of companies are leading heavy building materials producers in the Eastern United States. Titan America is headquartered in Norfolk, VA and its subsidiary companies produce cement, aggregates, ready mixed concrete, concrete block, and beneficiated fly ash. Titan America is a member of TITAN Cement Group, an international cement and building materials producer. The Group employs about 5,500 people and is present in more than 15 countries. Throughout its 120-year history, it has aspired to serve the needs of society, while contributing to sustainable growth with responsibility and integrity. For more information, visit www.titan-cement.com.
