Hanson Cement was a cement production company located in the United Kingdom. It was called Castle Cement until it was rebranded in 2009. The company is now owned by HeidelbergCement, with the UK business managed by Heidelberg Materials UK. Hanson Cement has a long history dating back to the early 19th century, when it was founded as the Portland Cement Company.
History
The company was formed in 1981 through an amalgamation of three firms:
-
Tunnel Portland Cement Company Ltd (founded 1874) with plants at West Thurrock, Essex (1874), Pitstone, Buckinghamshire (1937) and Padeswood, Flintshire (1949).
-
Ketton Portland Cement Company Ltd (founded 1929) with a plant at Ketton, Rutland.
-
Ribblesdale Cement Ltd (founded 1937) with a plant at Clitheroe, Lancashire.
In 2005, the company's depot in Birmingham was sold and subsequently redeveloped as Curzon Gate.[ Curzon Gate ]
The company was acquired by HeidelbergCement in May 2007.[Douglad Hamilton, "Hanson sold to Heidelberg for £8bn" The Herald, 28 May 2007]
Environmental concerns
The company (reported as
Castle Cement Ltd) admitted to numerous environmental offences over the years leading up to 2009, during a case in which it was fined £250,000 by the Environment Agency Wales (EAW) in February 2010.
[ Flintshire cement factory's £250,000 safety fine BBC News, 18 February 2010]
Operations
The head office was in Castle Hill at
Maidenhead in
Berkshire, and the works are located in
Ketton in
Rutland, Buckley in
Flintshire,
Clitheroe and
Avonmouth near
Bristol. The company had a marine terminal at Avonmouth that is used for the importation of cement in bulk, with samples from there tested at the Ketton site's laboratory each week to ensure they meet British Standards. Cement was also imported through the Humber ports.
External links
