Norfolk cement company to invest $37M in new dome

Norfolk-based Titan America LLC, a producer of heavy building materials, announced last week it will construct a 70,000-ton dome in Chesapeake, a project estimated to cost $37 million.

Titan will build the dome to hold bulk storage, adding to its current 35,000-ton capacity at its Roanoke Cement import terminal. According to the company, the expansion will allow it to grow its truck and rail capabilities, distribute and import raw materials like fly ash, slag and aggregates that are in demand in the mid-Atlantic region, and expand its low-carbon cement offerings. The company also has a 70,000-ton dome under construction in Tampa, Florida.

“The major expansion and modernization of these two marine terminals is another important step toward meeting fast-growing demand for our products and services in critical infrastructure, commercial, and residential projects in our communities,” President and CEO Bill Zarkalis said in a statement. “These projects, along with our continued investments in low-carbon cement production capacity expansion and end-to-end digitalization of our plants, signify our commitment to meet evolving societal and consumer expectations in a world that is shaped by the need for climate change mitigation in a digitalized economy.”

The Chesapeake dome is expected to be finished in 2023. Titan America is part of the international Titan Cement Group, which employs about 5,500 people in more than 15 countries.