Ozinga Opens North America’s Largest Low-Carbon Slag Cement Mill

The facility processes slag—a byproduct of local steelmaking—into high-performance cement, directly challenging the reliance on foreign-owned multinationals that currently dominate the market. By integrating the entire production cycle under American ownership, the company intends to mitigate the price volatility and delivery delays that have plagued construction projects across the Midwest in recent years.

Technological innovation remains central to the project, with the new plant producing ASTM-compliant materials and proprietary blends under the CarbonSense brand. These products offer up to 80% lower embodied carbon compared to conventional mixtures. Environmental impact projections suggest the site will offset more than 700,000 metric tons of CO₂ annually, an emissions reduction equivalent to removing 150,000 passenger vehicles from the road.

Beyond environmental metrics, the project serves as an economic engine for the region. The construction phase supported over 250 temporary roles, while the permanent operation will sustain 50 union steelworker jobs. This investment expands the footprint of the Mokena-based company, which operates over 100 ready-mix sites across five states, ensuring that local infrastructure projects have a consistent, domestically produced supply of essential building materials.