Virginia-based Roanoke Cement continues to invest heavily in its plant in Botetourt County, this time spending $4 million to construct a new packaging facility. The new packhouse, which is scheduled for completion in October, will be totally automated and operate virtually dust-free, according to the company.

The new facility, which includes a 37,500-sq-ft warehouse, will replace the current packhouse, which dates to 1951, and will provide twice the storage capacity. It also will feature a drive-through design and a rotating packing machine that fills eight bags at a time for about 2,400 bags per hour. Additional de-dusting machines were installed as well.

Breakell Inc. was given the contract for the foundation work, and Commercial Steel Erection handled the structural portion. This project represents the final planned phase of a $100 million plant modernization program that began in 1996.