In December 2001, Roanoke Cement's new, fully automated $4.5 million packaging plant was opened. The new facility replaces the company's 1951 packhouse and allows Roanoke to increase its production capacity. Located between gates 2 and 3 off Va. 779, the new facility includes a 37,500-sq-ft warehouse, doubling the company's storage capacity. The drive-through design paired with higher-volume loading equipment protects the product from the weather.

The automated packer and palletizer was manufactured by Ventomatic and is capable of packing as much as 2,400 bags per hour and palletizing as many as 3,000 bag per hour. The wrapping machine from Robopack can wrap as many as 80 pallets per hour.

An 80-ft tower houses the feeding, distributing, and packaging activity. A 480-ft metal bridge supports pneumatic transfer lines that carry cement from storage silos to the packaging facility's tower. Three de-dusting machines from Sly Inc. ensure keep the operation as dust free as possible.

The opening of the facility marks the completion of a $100 million, five-year plant modernization program. Coinciding with the opening of the new facility was the introduction of Roanoke's new bag design, which features an updated logo and color-coded bags.