Holcim (US) Inc. announced that it will close its cement plant in LaPorte, Colo., just north of Fort Collins, on Aug. 31, 2002. The company had informed the plant's employees last summer of its intention to close the facility at a later date. Approximately 80 Holcim personnel will be affected when the plant closes.

“It's always difficult to close a plant,” says Gary Sauer, Holcim's senior vice president of manufacturing, “especially one like Fort Collins, which has been a vital part of the community for most of the past century.”

The Fort Collins plant began operations in 1927 and was originally owned by Ideal Basic Industries. Ideal merged with the Dundee Cement Co. in 1990 to form the company that is now Holcim. In 1998 the plant received awards from the Governor's Office, Larimer County, and the Colorado Contractors Association for its environmental performance.