NRMCA Member Takes Leadership Role by Establishing Sustainable Concrete Plants

One of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s most environmentally conscious producer members has taken another step in demonstrating its commitment to sustainable business practices. The company, Titan America, a large scale producer of ready mixed concrete with subsidiaries throughout much of the East Coast, is the parent company of Mechanicsville Concrete LLC (operating as Powhatan Ready-Mix), whose Bryan Park plant in Richmond, VA, has earned NRMCA Green-Star and Sustainable plant certifications.

Titan America has become a leading sustainable concrete producer by certifying four plants in Virginia under the NRMCA Certified Sustainable Concrete Plant program. To certify, plant personnel use a document titled Sustainable Concrete Plant Guidelines that rates a plant’s level of sustainability within different credit categories, with the objective of reducing carbon footprint, energy consumption, water use and waste; increasing recycled content; and improving human health and social conditions. Plants can achieve between 0 and 100 points depending on how many sustainability credits are achieved and their level of performance within each credit. After a third-party audit, plants can obtain an NRMCA Sustainable Plant Certification.

In addition to the Bryan Park plant, the following Titan facilities also received Bronze level certification:

• Clear Brook Ready Mix Concrete Plant, Clear Brook, VA
• Suffolk Ready Mix Concrete Plant, Suffolk, VA
• Stafford Ready Mix Concrete Plant, Falmouth, VA

“The green building movement continues to grow at a rapid pace despite the recent economic downturn,” said Lionel Lemay, senior vice president of sustainability for NRMCA. “Not only is it important for the concrete industry to develop and promote green building products and solutions, but it is critical that the industry continues to improve its production model to demonstrate leadership in sustainable manufacturing. By certifying its concrete plants, Titan America is demonstrating leadership in sustainable concrete manufacturing.”

Titan’s Bryan Park plant was also one of the first ready mixed concrete facilities in the nation to be awarded NRMCA Green-Star Certification. A ceremony took place earlier today at the plant site; NRMCA’s Vice President of Operations and Compliance Gary Mullings joined Titan officials in raising the NRMCA Green-Star flag.

The NRMCA Green-Star program has been designed by NRMCA’s Environmental Task Group, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, as a means to support the efforts of the ready mixed concrete industry toward environmental excellence through the recognition of the use of an Environmental Management Systems (EMS) as a tool for environmental benchmarking and continual improvement. It also is a means to recognize those who adhere to essential principals of the environmental and sustainability movement of our industry. As a responsible corporate citizen, a site that maintains the NRMCA Green-Star certification is dedicated further than compliance with the law. It also encompasses the integration of sound environmental practices into a company’s business decisions. An effective NRMCA Green-Star program is based on the integration of risk-based cost-effective management practices into site activities with the aim of continually improving environmental performance.

“As one of the first NRMCA Green-Star plants and now one of the first certified sustainable plants, the Bryan Park plant is a shining star for not only Titan but for all the ready mixed concrete industry,” added Mullings.

 NRMCA, based in Silver Spring, MD, represents the producers of ready mixed concrete and the companies that provide materials, equipment and support to the industry. It conducts education, training, promotion, research, engineering, safety, environmental, technological, lobbying and regulatory programs.