125 YEARS MAKING IT EASY TO BUILD WITH AMBITION
INTRODUCTION In 2004, we were in the market for a world-class cement producer with strong internal competencies and international experience. Aalborg Portland represented exactly these qualities, also drawing from years of cooperation within FLSmidth. The contract for the acquisition was closed on my birthday, 29 October 2004. The years which have passed have proved that we made a very good acquisition. Aalborg Portland has brought to the Cementir Group not only high-end insight into production and sales, but also great experience from its international footprint of plants and sales units. We even gained valuable insights into ready-mixed concrete from the business units in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Strong results arise from the mix of Latin creativity and Nordic transparency, and I have come to truly appreciate the Nordic way of managing business. Italians are more creative – Danes are stronger on execution with an ability to work with clear scenarios, giving flexibility as plans develop. This mix of blood is a strong driving force for the development and progress of our business. Over the years, we have increased the profitability of the Cementir Group and can now proudly mention our name among our leading competitors. When we work in mixed teams we manage to bring solutions, pursue opportunities, and create common ground.
CONTENT PAGE 02 INTRODUCTION PAGE 03 125TH ANNIVERSARY PAGE 04 CEMENT BINDS THE WORLD TOGETHER PAGE 06 DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CUSTOMER FOCUS PAGE 08 THE WHITE EXPANSION PAGE 09 MY PORTLAND PAGE 10 AALBORG PORTLAND GROUP PAGE 12 OLYMPIC CONCRETE PAGE 15 TOWERING GREEN AMBITIONS PAGE 16 AALBORG PORTLAND 125 YEARS PAGE 22 AN ACTIVE AND COMMITTED PARTNER PAGE 24 RELATIONS IN GENERATIONS PAGE 26 RABALDER PARKEN - THE SKATER’S ULTIMATE DREAM PAGE 27 MOBILE CONCRETE FACTORY FOR NORWAY’S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT PAGE 28 FROM ROME TO AALBORG PAGE 30 AALBORG PORTLAND IN THE BLOOD PAGE 32 AALBORG PORTLAND GROUP – IN BRIEF PAGE 33 MY PORTLAND
Francesco Caltagirone Chairman & CEO, Cementir Holding SpA
PAGE 34 CEMENT, SERVICE, PARTNERSHIP AND ADVISORY
AALBORG PORTLAND 125 YEARS. ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATION PUBLISHED OCTOBER 2014. EDITING, TEXTS AND LAYOUT: MANNOV A/S
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125TH ANNIVERSARY Not all companies are destined to reach 125 years. Therefore, an anniversary of this size is a particularly good reason to celebrate - and an opportunity to look back at Aalborg Portland’s history and the company’s unique development. that the company has been through. Over the years Aalborg Portland’s development has taken very different forms. There have been periods of rapid, intense growth, and other times when we had to make an extra effort to secure our business. Like many other companies, Aalborg Portland has been affected by what has been happening in the world around us. However, there is a lot we have been able to influence ourselves. Throughout our 125 years, we have continuously developed our products, manufacturing processes, sales and distribution system, services and human skills, resulting today in a dynamic and modern company. In this anniversary publication, we have put together a mosaic that includes our past and present, along with the visions for the future. We have chosen to outline Aalborg Portland’s history and future through our customers, committed employees and ambitious management, who every day carry forward Aalborg Portland. Thank you for your interest in Aalborg Portland - and happy reading!
Michael Lundgaard Thomsen Managing Director Aalborg Portland Nordic Cement
Paolo Zugaro CEO Aalborg Portland Nordic & Baltic
Henning Bæk Executive Vice President, CFO Aalborg Portland Group
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CEMENT BINDS THE WORLD TOGETHER IF YOU ARE IN A PLACE WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE, INFRASTRUCTURE, BUILDINGS AND MEANS OF TRANSPORT, YOU ARE MOST PROBABLY IN A PLACE WHERE THERE IS LOTS OF CEMENT. Cement is part of everything around us, and using our factory in Aalborg as a starting point, Aalborg Portland has delivered cement to customers all over the world for 125 years. Our grey cement is used in innumerable building and construction projects in Denmark and the surrounding markets. And we are known worldwide for our Aalborg White - pure white cement that can be found in everything from the Olympic Village in London, over the skyscrapers of Manhattan’s Park Avenue to Lindholm Høje Museum in Nørresundby.
waste products replace a part of the cement in the finished product. Aalborg Portland’s large kilns operate day and night, all year round. They require lots of fuel and electricity, and we find it natural progression to be a part of a sustainable cycle. The surplus heat is used for district heating and a large part of our fuels are waste products from other companies. In fact, Aalborg Portland’s factory is one of the largest recycling centres in Denmark. Our objective is now to establish our own turbine farm, which in the future can provide approx. 40% of the electricity used for our production.
IT BEGAN IN 1889 A PART OF THE CEMENTIR GROUP In 1889, when Hans Holm, Frederik Læssøe Smidth, Poul Larsen and Alexander Foss founded the Aalborg Portland-Cement-Fabrik A/S at the manor in Rørdal, east of Aalborg, they could hardly have imagined what it would become. Right from the start, the Rørdal factory was a very large and modern factory, perfectly located by the Limfjord. The chalk hills of Aalborg and the unique logistics by the Limfjord are still cornerstones of Aalborg Portland’s business today. But when Aalborg Portland has successfully made it through 125 years of development, it is mostly thanks to the people who have dedicated their lives to working in the company and over several generations have shown their dedication to providing the best they can. They have the will to constantly improve both the products and manufacturing process, and this has been a major contributory factor to putting the Danish cement technology on the world map. CONTINUOUS INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY Our R&D department is constantly researching into new types of cement that will improve the product’s properties such as strength and durability, and can also reduce the CO2 emissions that are discharged with each tonne of cement produced. New materials based on natural raw materials or
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In 2004, Aalborg Portland became part of the Cementir Group - an international manufacturer of cement and concrete, which is headquartered in Rome. This Italian ownership has challenged a number of established traditions, but has also provided new, international perspectives on Aalborg Portland’s business. Today, Aalborg Portland is a global company with factories in Egypt, Malaysia, China, Turkey and the United States, and in addition to grey and white cement, the Group today also covers independent business areas for ready-mixed concrete (under the brand name Unicon), aggregates (granite and gravel) and recycling of waste. ADAPTABILITY IS EQUAL TO RESPONSIBILITY 125 years of history have taught us that the ability to adapt to changing circumstances is a crucial part of running Aalborg Portland in a responsible way. Stable earnings throughout both the ups and downs are needed to preserve and develop the business. And this will still be the case tomorrow. We must continue to expand internationally and be competitive in the individual markets where we operate. We must accelerate our ability to develop products and services. We must improve what we already have. But thinking in new
and different terms is also crucial. We will treat people in a responsible manner and continue to invest in initiatives that improve our environmental and energy-related footprint. We will continue our development from a traditional industry business to a modern, high-tech and knowledge-based workplace. THE CUSTOMERS’ EXPECTATIONS OF US ”We make it easy to build with ambition.” This is our vision, whether the end product is the cement for the Oresund Bridge, the concrete tiles in the Jelling Monuments or a white cement cathedral in Los Angeles. We make a living from the expectations of our customers. Expectations that our products will have the highest level of quality and reliability. Expectations that we will always deliver at the promised time. And expectations that we will always be available to provide technical advice and service both before and after the purchase. In the end, the whole point of our existence is for our products to create value for both customers and the surrounding community. For the great entrepreneur, the humble mason, the citizen in the apartment, the skater in the park and for the environment and the wider impact on society’s economy. The value comes from the fact that Aalborg Portland makes a difference to everybody who wants to build with ambition. It is impossible to imagine a world without cement.
// 125 years of history have taught us that the ability to adapt to changing circumstances is a crucial part of running Aalborg Portland in a responsible way. Stable earnings throughout both the ups and downs are needed to preserve and develop the business. And this will still be the case tomorrow.
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DEVELOPMENT THROUGH CUSTOMER FOCUS AMBITION, COMPETENCES AND CONSTANT FOCUS ON ENSURING OUR PRODUCTS WORK WITH OUR CUSTOMERS’ REALITY. THIS IS THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND AALBORG’S COMPREHENSIVE INNOVATION WORK. The framework for a large industry like Aalborg Portland changes with the political priorities. Since the 1990s, Aalborg Portland has operated a business in a world where politicians have alternated their focus on climate, competitiveness and energy efficiency improvements, all depending on the economic realities. ”The framework is changing both for us and for our customers. We are obviously aware of what is on the agenda for society and among politicians, but most of all we are aware of what it means for our customers,” says Jesper Sand Damtoft as head of research and development throughout the whole Cementir group and continues:
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”We try to find out what it is that customers want. If we can understand that, we can also develop the cement, so it performs better in their concrete, and that makes our cement more valuable to the customer than our competitors.” CUSTOMER-ORIENTED RESEARCH TRADITION The research and development department has three tasks: Quality control, testing and technical support for customers and sales department, as well as development and innovation. Exceptional skills and facilities made it natural to assemble the Group’s development activities in Aalborg, and a close, fruitful cooperation has been formed with local development centres in Turkey and Italy. In 1950s, the Danish cement factories joined forces to form the Concrete Research Laboratory, where the industry’s top minds came together to create groundbreaking fundamental research in concrete. When the industry was consolidated in the 1970s, the laboratory moved to Aalborg. The focus shifted, so the development to a far greater extent was guided by market demand. ”There was, for example, an increasing demand for very strong ce-
ment for concrete elements. It is very advantageous for the customer if they can produce the elements in one working day - so we made a cement type that could become strong quickly and that could also be produced at a competitive price. In this way we managed to solve the client’s specific challenge through product development. We need to understand the requirements that our customers come with. We need to see what it is that can make their lives more efficient,” says Jesper Sand Damtoft. INNOVATION THAT BENEFITS BUSINESS The same is true today, where the focus is increasingly on energy efficiency and sustainability in construction. The agenda manifests itself in a real and steadily growing demand from customers. ”For example, in Norway they are very demanding in terms of documentation of the cement’s environmental properties. This is also becoming more and more apparent in Denmark, so we’re constantly working to make the cement more sustainable. When we are involved in projects that in one way or another enable the construction to become more energy efficient, it is a good opportunity to stand out
WILD IDEAS Not all research projects result in specific products. In the early 1980s, for example, there was an ambition to expand the applications of cement. I.e. an attempt was made to develop products that could be used for car engines of advanced ceramics, and to make concrete hotplates. But research-wise, the projects of course just ended in dead ends.
and promote our own products,” says Jesper Sand Damtoft. The development takes place both at Aalborg Portland as well as in international and Danish networks. Aalborg Portland, among other things, helped to establish the research network Nanocem, which has now been running for ten years. Here, together with other manufacturers and leading universities in Europe, Aalborg Portland is
involved with fundamental research in cement that they can each use in their daily production. Jesper Sand Damtoft has no doubt that sustainability will also become a crucial factor for Aalborg Portland in the future: ”On a Group level, I think we can make cement with much lower energy consumption. I think that here in Aalborg, we are working on getting an
even closer cooperation with Aalborg City and the local businesses around us, so they see even more clearly that the cement factory doesn’t just make cement. We provide energy and use waste products , and maybe we’ll even help to store excess energy in the future or other things that we haven’t even thought of yet. I think you will see that cement production will be much more integrated into society.”
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THE WHITE EXPANSION AALBORG WHITE’s worldwide success has not just happened by itself. The production of white cement started in 1930, but it was with the ”White Strategy” in 1999 that the development really took off. The strategy’s objective was for Aalborg Portland to become the world’s largest producer of white cement - and it succeeded. The journey to this point went through expansion into export markets: Aalborg Portland established itself in Egypt
The Opera House in Oslo
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in 1999, started production in 2002 and doubled the capacity to 1 million tonnes in 2009. Today Sinai White Portland Cement, Egypt is the world’s largest plant for the production of white cement. In 2000, an old factory was bought in Malaysia, a new factory was inaugurated in 2002, and in 2014 the capacity was doubled to 325,000 tonnes. In 2004, the road led to China, where an old factory was purchased. A new factory started production in 2010. In Aalborg Portland, the white strategy meant that in 2003 one of the ”grey kilns” was converted so that it could produce white cement. Today, 90% of the white cement produced in Aalborg Portland is exported. Leading the white strategy was Søren Vinther, CEO of Aalborg Portland in the period 1994-2007 and Chairman of the Board since 2011. ”In 1999, we were in a situation where we had streamlined and trimmed Aalborg Portland and we had transformed ourselves from being a slightly customer-distant domestic producer to being a modern, market and competition-driven company. The white cement gave us a niche product that could pave the way for us on a global level. We seized this opportunity and initiated our growth strategy for white cement. AALBORG WHITE has played a crucial part in our branding outside Denmark and is an important element of the Group’s expansion in the global market.”
HARRY EGON ANDERSEN 63 YEARS
SABINA FOLDEN 38 YEARS
HÉLDER LEAL 31 YEARS
Senior Shop Steward – semi-skilled worker In Aalborg Portland since 1972
HR Business Partner In Aalborg Portland since 2014
Product Performing Engineer in Research and Development In Aalborg Portland since 2013
// When I started at the port in 1972, it was a dirty job with a rough tone, but a strong sense of unity. That unity is still there, and it means an awful lot to me. When you have been here for as many years as I have, of course you’ve been through a great many things with your colleagues. The most important things for me as a senior shop steward is to ensure the overall pay and working conditions are satisfactory. Aalborg Portland is running healthily and things have calmed down after the crisis. There are fewer jobs for ‘the man with the shovel’, so we encourage our members to participate in any education/training programmes they can. It is security for the future - both for Aalborg Portland and the individual employee.
// Most people in and around Aalborg Portland are proud of the company. Both in terms of what it was and what it has become today. There is a strong commitment from both new and old employees, which, from an HR perspective, is an absolute gift - but it can also cause a few challenges. When you are committed, you also end up throwing yourself into tasks that are outside your own area of responsibility. People are only trying to help, but it takes up time and is rarely as effective. Part of my job is to meet the organisation where it is now, and from there support our transformational journey. There is plenty of untapped potential among our employees in Aalborg Portland, and I think we will see an even greater focus on releasing it in the future. Our culture and values will unfold in a new way, and we will see even more driving force here at the factory. I think many people can and want to do more than the current framework leaves room for.
// Moving to Denmark from Portugal was a personal challenge for me, as well as an important step in terms of my professional career. Aalborg Portland is known worldwide for its white cement and for being a front runner when it comes to innovating and implementing new techniques in the production line, and providing the best solutions to our customers. Since I’ve been here, one of my team’s most important achievements is the implementation of a benchmarking programme across the group’s plants for analysing product performance data. The system has huge development possibilities and optimisations steps. Potentially, a fully automatic system would create a better connection between the Cementir Group’s R&D centres the production units to reduce the gap to ensure the best practices available are utilised. This would result in existing technologies being used more efficiently by adjusting relevant key parameters or introducing new products.
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AALBORG PORTLAND GROUP Aalborg Portland Group is a part of the Cementir Group and is divided into 3 geographical focus areas on a global plan; Nordic & Baltic, comprising Nordic Cement and Nordic RMC, Overseas and Turkey. Altogether Aalborg Portland Group is represented in a total of 11 countries and employs 2,650 staff.
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NORDIC CEMENT 320 employees
NORDIC RMC (UNICON)
700 employees
DENMARK
DENMARK
Aalborg Portland A/S
Unicon A/S
Aalborg / Copenhagen
Copenhagen
ICELAND
Kudsk & Dahl A/S
Aalborg Portland Islandi ehf.
Vojens
Kópavogi NORWAY POLAND
Unicon AS
Aalborg Portland Polska Sp. z o.o.
Oslo
Warsaw SWEDEN Ecol-Unicon Sp. z o.o.
AB Sydsten
Gdansk
Malmö
RUSSIA Aalborg Portland OOO St. Petersburg
OVERSEAS 510 employees EGYPT
TURKEY
Sinai White Portland Cement Co. S.A.E
1,120 employees
New Maadi Cairo
TURKEY Cimentas Izmir Cimento Fabrikasi
MALAYSIA
Türk A.S.
Aalborg Portland Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Izmir
Ipoh Perak CHINA Aalborg Portland (Anqing) Co. Ltd. Anqing Anhui USA Lehigh White Cement Company Allentown, PA Gaetano Cacciatore, LLC Tampa, FL Vianini Pipe, Inc. Somerville, NJ
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East Village, London. dRmm Architects
OLYMPIC CONCRETE The entire world’s eyes were keenly focused on London in the summer of 2012, when the British capital hosted the Olympic Games. This meant the world’s eyes were also focused on the white cement that originated from the chalk quarry in Aalborg.
AALBORG WHITE cement is the basic component of the approx. 1,000,000 facade stones that were used in the facades and floors in both the 62 buildings that comprised the Olympic Village and the Velodrome, which laid down the tracks for the cycling events during the Games. BUILDING BLOCKS OF WHITE CEMENT AND GLASS Aalborg Portland’s white cement is produced at factories in Aalborg, Denmark, Egypt, China and Malaysia. A massive 90% of the white cement that is produced in Rørdal is exported, including the shipment of the Olympic cement. White cement was shipped from Aalborg to Liverpool. It was then driven to Suffolk in eastern England, where the company Lignacite Ltd. mixed the white cement with recycled glass and casted the unique building blocks. The stones were developed to combine aesthetics with sustainability and durability. AALBORG WHITE cement
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is known worldwide for its extremely pure chalk that ensures colour consistency - even with very large productions - strength and durability. These combined properties secured the order. FUTURE CITY DISTRICT During the Games, the Olympic village housed over 10,000 athletes from around the world and almost as many private Olympic assistants. After this, the 4,200 athletes who participated in the Paralympic Games moved in. However, this was not the end of the ambitious building project plans. Fifteen months after the closing ceremony, the first residents moved into what is now called the East Village, and has become London’s newest and most modern city district.
AN OLYMPIC HISTORY The Olympic Games in London was not the first Olympic delivery for Aalborg Portland. At the Winter Olympics in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway, Aalborg Portland delivered cement for the flame’s base. And for the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia, Aalborg Portland supplied the cement for the Olympic swimming stadium. That very swimming stadium goes into Olympic history as it paved the way for the local hero Ian Thorpe, who with three gold and two silver medals, became the athlete to win the most medals at the Games in Sydney.
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TOWERING GREEN AMBITIONS BEING AN ENERGY INTENSIVE INDUSTRY DOES NOT EXCLUDE TALL AMBITIONS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION. AALBORG PORTLAND SHOWS THE WAY. It requires large amounts of energy to produce cement. Therefore, energy efficiency is high on the agenda at Aalborg Portland. According to Production Director at Aalborg Portland, Jesper Høstgaard-Jensen, this is nothing new. ”We are always hunting efficiency improvements. It is a strategic key point to minimise energy and fuel consumption. Process innovation is the backbone, and we are constantly seeking synergies through collaboration with the municipality and other local companies,” he says. The kilns used for cement production burn at about 1,500 degrees. This means that Aalborg Portland produces large amounts of surplus heat, which, in collaboration with Aalborg District Heating, is used to heat more than 25,000 of the city’s households. Two heat recovery systems cool the gases and send the heat generated from the process directly to the district heating system, thus helping to ensure that the district heating in Aalborg is one of the cheapest in the country. INNOVATION CREATES THE FUTURE Since the heat recovery project’s implementation in 1990, the capacity has continuously expanded, and in Aalborg Forsyning (Aalborg utility company), managing director Søren Kjeldsen Gais is also pleased with the cooperation:
”It is an expression of innovative thinking when a company takes its surroundings into consideration in the development towards a more sustainable society. Our collaboration with Aalborg Portland is constantly evolving and we are looking forward to seeing what the future will bring.” The cooperation also involves the provision of sewage sludge from Aalborg Municipality. Aalborg Portland use the dried sludge as fuel and Aalborg Municipality solves a residual waste problem. WIND TURBINES AT THE FACTORY The energy crisis in the 1970s created a new awareness that energy is a resource to be consumed with care - especially concerning energy from fossil fuels. Since then, the ambition of increasing independence from fossil fuels has become one of society’s common goals. Aalborg Portland is at the forefront of this green transition and is currently working on building a wind turbine farm that will potentially replace approx. 40% of the company’s existing power consumption with renewable energy. Investing in turbine power does not come cheaply, so it is a long-term investment that in the early years will benefit nature more than the company’s finances.
FROM FOSSIL TO ALTERNATIVE FUELS Other green initiatives have a more immediate financial impact. ”Sustainable transformation is not just a matter of satisfying environmental concerns in the surrounding community. Every time we reduce the company’s energy consumption and emissions, we can also feel it on the bottom line,” says Preben Andreasen, environment and energy manager at Aalborg Portland. Therefore, Aalborg Portland has started to build a new kiln plant for DKK 42 million that guarantees the utilisation of even more alternative fuels. These fuels contain a large amount of biomass and are therefore reducing the company’s CO2 emission. The plan is for 42% of energy consumption to come from alternative fuels in 2015 - and eventually up to 60% in the long-term.
AALBORG GETS GREEN AREA By 2050 the current chalk quarry in Rørdal will be emptied. The quarry will then become a recreational area called Rørdal Lake Park.
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// Thus, there has proved over the past series of years an unusually fruitful interaction between the Danish cement industry and the Danish engineering and machine industry. The outcome of this has provided our country with a thriving industry, which has resulted in the forcing out of foreign imports and the emerging growth of Danish export during its development, and has made its mark for the honour and profit of our country out in foreign lands. AALBORG PORTLAND-CEMENT-FACTORY’S 25TH ANNIVERSARY PUBLICATION (1914)
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1889 On 16 October 1889, Consul Hans Holm together with engineer Frederik Læssøe Smidth establish Aktieselskabet Aalborg-Portland-Cement-Fabrik. The necessary share capital is raised by the three partners in the firm F.L. Smidth & Co. A/S: Frederik Læssøe Smidth, Poul Larsen, Alexander Foss and Hans Holm.
The Rørdal Factory, 1899
The first factory
1891 The factory is finished.
1893 F.L. Smidth’s invention, sand cement, is put into production. As a cheaper alternative to the more expensive Portland cement, it paves the way for international markets: Foss and Larsen travel overseas to promote their new sand cement. The results included a business partnership with Russia, a sand cement factory in Estonia and a significant sale to the US.
1909 Production with Aalborg kilns is suspended and is moved entirely over to the rotary kilns. From an annual production of approximately 55,000 tons from the ten Aalborg kilns, the four rotary kilns now produce about 115,000 tonnes annually.
1919 The cement factories establish a peat bog farm and begin a peat production in Store Vildmose that reaches an annual production of 80 tonnes after 7-8 years.
1892 Together with F.L. Smidth, Ditlev Berg invents the Aalborg Kiln, a cement kiln that later enjoys great international popularity until the rotary kiln takes over in the year 1900.
1899 The American rotary kiln - invented by, i.a. , Aalborg Portland’s Poul Larsen – was introduced to Europe for the first time with the installation of two new rotary kilns in the Rørdal factory. As the first cement factory in the world, Aalborg Portland then installs a tube mill, which grinds raw materials and cement clinker.
Truck with peat production workers
1930 Aalborg Portland starts burning white cement clinker into white cement.
1936 Engineer and Managing Director Gunnar Larsen (son of Poul Larsen) establishes a civil airport to quickly fly back and forth to his home in Gl. Rye. Larsen offers Aalborg Municipality to start a flight route to Copenhagen, which is later established as Denmark’s first domestic route.
1954 Aalborg Portland starts cement production in Karlstrup at Køge. The Danish cement factories join forces to start a concrete research laboratory (BFL).
1970 In conjunction with the establishment of the world’s largest wet kiln, in 1970 Aalborg Portland also builds its first central control room, CK1. The first scheduled airliner in Rørdal Airport
1943 As the war causes coal and oil products to become in short supply, the production of peat at the bog farm increases. It provides employment for over 1,000 women and men.
1974 Aalborg Portland shuts 3 cement factories – Karlstrup, Danmark and Dania in the years 1974-1975 and takes over Dansk Andels Cementfabrik.
1975 Aalborg Portland prepares to halt the production of white cement as a result of the energy crisis. Suddenly the orders come flooding in as other cement factories have decreased their white cement production. This was a contributory factor in making the company known worldwide for its white cement.
1977 The cement research laboratory is moved to Aalborg Portland and the name is changed to Cement and Concrete Laboratory (CBL).
The first control room
1951 The first control room is made when Aalborg Portland constructs Cement Mill number 4.
1952 Aalborg Portland launches its own ship, M/S Portland (4,400 dwt). M/S Portland capsizes on its very first voyage by Hals Barre, but is rebuilt and sails for Aalborg Portland’s shipping company for many years.
M/S Portland
Fly ash silo
1978
1982
A partnership is entered into with the energy company ELSAM to recycle Danish power plants’ fly ash as a raw material in cement production. Aalborg Portland’s consumption of fly ash subsequently gradually increases to a level of 240-280,000 tonnes per year.
Aalborg Portland enters into a partnership in the US under the name Lehigh White Cement Company, with the objective of marketing, producing and distributing white cement in the US.
1979
1988
Dansk Andels Cementfabrik (taken over by Aalborg Portland in 1974) closes. This makes Aalborg Portland the only cement factory in Denmark.
A new production plant is started up. Kiln 87 is one of the largest plants in Europe, with a capacity of more than 4,500 tonnes of cement per day. The investment amounts to DKK 465 million.
1980
Aalborg Portland builds a heat recovery system with desulphurisation system that can heat up to 15,000 homes.
DKK 75 million is invested in a new bucket chain excavator. Aalborg Portland patents Densit - a cement-based material with extremely high strength and density. Densit quickly becomes popular and its uses include wind turbine production, flooring and roads.
1981 Chrome neutralised cement was developed by the addition of a special additive. The method is patented in several countries.
1985 Computer technology replaces the old control panels in the new control room, CK2, where all the management and monitoring of the Rørdal factory is conducted.
1990
1990 Blue Circle Industries PLC acquires 50 % of Aalborg Portland.
1994 Aalborg Portland begins automation in the quality laboratory, where the first robot is set to work preparing samples of raw materials, clinker and cement for analysis.
1996 Aalborg Portland Polska is established in Warsaw.
1999 The white strategy is initiated with the establishment of Sinai White Cement Company in Egypt and the establishment of a new factory for white cement production.
2000 Aalborg Portlland is again 100% owned by FLSmidth. Aalborg Portland is established in Malaysia with the acquisition of a white cement manufacturer. Aalborg Portland Islandi ehf. is established in Reykjavik.
2002 Production is initiated at the factory in Egypt with an annual capacity of 410,000 tonnes. A new factory is inaugurated in Malaysia with an annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes.
2003 The factory on Rørdalsvej increases annual capacity from 620,000 to approx. 800,000 tonnes of white cement. They simultaneously invest in another heat recovery system. The two plants now allow 35,000 homes to be heated at full capacity. Control room CK2
2010 A new factory is inaugurated in China with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes.
2013 Aalborg Portland acquires the majority share at Cimentas, one of Turkey’s largest cement producers.
2014 Production capacity in Malaysia increases to 325,000 tonnes. Aalborg Portland celebrates its 125th anniversary. The company is the world’s largest manufacturer of white cement with production in Denmark, Egypt, Malaysia, China and USA, as well as sales companies in Poland and Russia.
Søren Vinther, Aalborg Portland and Mario Ciliberto, Cementir Holding - 2004
2004 Aalborg Portland A/S and Unicon Beton A/S are acquired by the Italian Cementir Group. Unicon Beton A/S becomes a subsidiary of the Aalborg Portland Group. Aalborg Portland (Anqing) Co. Ltd. is establishd in China and a plant is acquired for the production of white cement.
2005 The subsidiary company Unicon acquires 4K Beton. The sales subsidiary company Aalborg Portland OOO is established in Russia.
2006
Aalborg Portland today
Two new terminals are taken into use – one in Tampa, USA, the other at Prøvestenen in Copenhagen.
HIGHLIGHTS AALBORG PORTLAND GROUP
2008 Kudsk & Dahl A/S is acquired.
2009 The factory in Egypt invests in a new line that doubles the capacity, making it the world’s largest production plant for white cement.
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014
Net sales / DKKm 1,095 1,291 1,676 3,673 3,555 6,700
Employees 1,324 930 729 1,664 1,575 2,650
AALBORG PORTLAND-CEMENT-FABRIK 1907
AN ACTIVE AND COMMITTED PARTNER As one of the largest industrial workplaces in Denmark, Aalborg Portland leaves its mark on its surroundings. Committed involvement in local society has always been a part of Aalborg Portland’s identity, and strong partnerships help to drive the collaboration, whether it concerns the development of jobs, new knowledge and research, sustainability, export or branding of Denmark. Here, four leading Danes give an idea of what Aalborg Portland means for society in their eyes.
THE CONFEDERATION OF DANISH INDUSTRY
AALBORG CITY THOMAS KASTRUP-LARSEN, MAYOR OF AALBORG
KARSTEN DYBVAD, CEO // It is very important for Denmark that Aalborg Portland belongs here. We need to understand how to optimally utilise our resources, whether it is energy or other commodities. In Denmark we have ample access to chalk and sand, and Aalborg Portland has skilfully capitalised on this for decades. Aalborg Portland presents itself today as a modern company that produces cement of high quality in an efficient and sustainable way. The products are an integrated part of our infrastructure - the Great Belt connection, the Metro and the City Circle and tunnel across the Øresund – they all have a crucial effect on the mobility and competitiveness throughout our society. There will always be the need to expand, renew and maintain the infrastructure, both on a domestic and international level. Therezfore, there will always be a need for Aalborg Portland’s products and expertise. High costs are a major challenge for the energy consuming European and Danish companies, many of which are both energy efficient and sustainable, including Aalborg Portland. This is why politicians should focus on initiatives that can strengthen companies - including the energy intensive ones - opportunities to run businesses and develop new and better solutions.
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The city of Aalborg and Aalborg Portland are firmly linked by their common history, jobs and in their close cooperation involving innovation, research and development - and by name too. The mayor is pleased that Denmark and the world associate the city and the cement factory with each other. // It is of great importance to our city that Portland has chosen the first name Aalborg, and I am fully confident that our city has largely become identified with Aalborg Portland on a global scale. Aalborg Portland has a positive brand that our city would very much like to be identified with - seriousness, development, quality and innovation are just some of its qualities. The marketing, the city receives through Aalborg Portland’s acitivities cannot be measured in monetary terms. It has a value that we appreciate very much. Furthermore, Aalborg Portland plays a key role in Aalborg, because the company represents a wide range of jobs, has a good and stable revenue, is development-oriented and is an exciting company that represents both knowledge and industry. In addition, as a public authority, we have a fantastic partnership with the company. And many of our students involved in the city’s further education courses benefit from the cooperation with Aalborg Portland - both in terms of academic projects and internships.
3F
AALBORG UNIVERSITY
PER CHRISTENSEN, UNION PRESIDENT
ESKILD HOLM NIELSEN, DEAN
Per Christensen, president of Denmark’s largest trade union 3F, has his own history at the port with Aalborg Portland. // I’ve had some really good years at Aalborg Portland, particularly because of my good colleagues, who were warm-hearted with a down-to-earth attitude. However, the union work in Aalborg at that time was hard because the conditions were harsh for colleagues. But despite the progress we have made both in terms of wages and work, there is still a lot to do. I have a great fondness for a workplace and company such as Aalborg Portland, and really hope that the owners will develop Aalborg Portland to become the leader of sustainable cement production in terms of energy and the environment, the working environment and a sound economy. It is incredibly difficult to imagine a job market in Aalborg without the numerous jobs provided by the cement factory and related employment in the transport sector and the many other subcontractors. I am sure that the cement production will continue to provide employment for many of our members in North Jutland. But it requires commitment from management and ownership to make ongoing energy efficiency improvements, and serious efforts to protect the environment, i.e. through improvements in flue gas purification and increased safety for the employees through ambitious initiatives to create a better working environment.
Aalborg Portland and Aalborg University have collaborated for more than 40 years in the fields of education, research and innovation. According to Dean Eskild Holm Nielsen from the Faculty of Engineering and Science, it is of great importance for Aalborg University to have a partner from the business community, who can and will collaborate with the university. // Aalborg Portland sets an international agenda with their objective of a CO2-neutral cement production and they are right at the forefront in terms of technology. I am sure that their efforts for strategic collaborations with their local community – the town and educational institutions - will continue to pay off in the future, both for Aalborg Portland, the University and Aalborg City.
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RELATIONS IN GENERATIONS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF DENMARK, FIVE KILOMETRES SOUTH OF DENMARK’S NORTHERNMOST POINT LIES THE HEADQUARTERS OF SKAGEN BETON. IT IS THE FOCAL POINT FOR A NORTH JUTLANDIC FAMILY WITH CONCRETE IN THE BLOOD. Skagen Beton was founded by Ejner Nielsen in the 1960s. He has now retired, and the baton has been passed on to his son Jens Jørgen Nielsen, CEO, and Jens Jørgen’s son, Søren Nielsen, who is the transport manager. If Søren’s 5-year-old son, Frederik, also chooses a life in concrete, only time will tell. But he is already a frequent guest at the factory, which is a wonderland for a little boy.
work with – this means a lot when you are doing business in North Jutland.” CONSTRUCTION BOOM IN CONCRETE
Skagen Beton’s development really took off in the 1960s. Denmark was experiencing a construction boom, and concrete was needed for roads and bridges, building blocks, residential areas and much more. The construction boom PRICE, QUALITY AND RELATIONS meant growing pains. Skagen Beton moved to larger premSkagen Beton buys all its cement from Aalborg Portland. ises, and the company has been continuously expanding They have been doing this for many years, and Jens Jørgen since then. Today, in addition to its headquarters in SkaNielsen explains their loyalty in three words: price, quality gen, Skagen Beton has factories in Sindal, Sæby, Støvring, and relations. Good cooperation is especially appreciated by Brønderslev and Aalborg. From here they supply North JutJens Jørgen Nielsen and when he looks back at Skagen Be- land with all its concrete needs - from ready-mixed conton and Aalborg Portland’s shared history, this is also where crete delivered in their own concrete vehicles to all kinds of the companies have experienced the greatest development. tiles, paving and blocks. Skagen Beton and Aal”Our collaboration works borg Portland have enjoyed largely in the same way as // We know we can count on Aalborg Portland. a successful collaborawhen it began. But in my For us, the delivery time is crucial, and we need a tion for about 40 years. The time, I have seen Aalborg degree of flexibility, if there are any delays. long-standing relationship is Portland grow from being reflected in both the products a very closed company to and services that Skagen Bebecoming an open and acton gets from Aalborg Portcessible business partner, with whom we have excellent personal relations,” he says, land today. Over the years, white cement has become more and more used in Skagen Beton’s products and the technical and continues: ”In the old days, the management in Aalborg Portland support they receive from Aalborg Portland in terms of product weren’t the type to just come out to people like us. Now we development, new formulas, drilling and testing is something know them and they know us. They are pleasant people to that greatly strengthens their cooperation and creates value.
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COOPERATION SINCE THE 1970S Originally Skagen Beton was a customer with Dansk Andels Cementfabrik (DAC). But like many other cement producers, DAC bowed under in the raging energy crisis in the 1970s. This was the beginning of the cooperation between Skagen Beton and Aalborg Portland, who was the only Danish cement supplier left in 1979. In terms of pure logistics, a cement supplier in Aalborg is a sensible choice for a concrete factory in Skagen - it was in 1979 and it still is today. In addition to its logistical advantages, Aalborg Portland’s service is one of the things that today matters most in the everyday life of Skagen Beton. ”We know we can count on Aalborg Portland. For us, the delivery time is crucial, and we need a degree of flexibility, if there are any delays,” says Jens Jørgen Nielsen. But at the end of the day, in the CEO’s eyes, there’s one thing that matters more than anything else: ”It’s a good product.”
WHEN THE CRISIS HIT DANISH CEMENT PRODUCTION A massive 94% of the energy used in Denmark in the early 1970s came from imported oil. So when the energy crisis broke out in 1974, all the Danes - both companies and individuals - found themselves in an extremely vulnerable position. Oil prices doubled, and this hit the cement industry hard. In January 1974, there were five Danish cement factories. Four - including Aalborg Portland in Rørdal -
were owned by FLSmidth, and the fifth, Dansk Andels Cementfabrik (DAC), originated from FDB, the Danish consolidation of coops. In 1974 Aalborg Portland took over DAC, which finally closed in 1979. This meant that from December 1979, there was in fact only one cement producer in the whole of Denmark: Aalborg Portland.
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RABALDER PARKEN – THE SKATER’S ULTIMATE DREAM // THE DESIGN AND THE SURFACE ARE THE BEST YOU CAN IMAGINE, AND THE FLOW IS JUST BRILLIANT. YOU CAN REALLY FEEL THAT A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO EVERY DETAIL AND LOTS OF WORK HAS BEEN INVESTED IN THE PROJECT. MARKUS HYLLEBERG, 19 YEARS, SKATER.
A great deal of thought has been given to every last detail in Rabalder Parken, part of Roskilde’s new creative district, Musicon. It operates as a multi-functional activity park and
a rainwater harvesting system at the same time – which is perhaps the reason why it was the winning project in Danish Concrete’s ’Concrete Sustainability Award’ in 2013.
FACTS Rabalder Parken thinks concrete and sustainability into a collective project that successfully combines the environment, aesthetics and social responsibility. In wet periods, the park also functions as a rainwater basin, but the skaters come flooding in during dry periods. The park has a total of 445 metres of channels, including110 metres laid in concrete - especially constructed for the benefit of wheel-using fanatics. Among other notable achievements, Rabalder Parken has won the Concrete Sustainability Award, and the skate park was selected as a finalist in the Index Award - the world’s largest design prize. The concrete is supplied by Unicon and is based on cement from Aalborg Portland. The project has used 163 m3 of construction concrete, 370 m3 of shotcrete and 637 m3 of traditional concrete, primarily C35/45 Aggressive type. With aforementioned amounts of concrete that is a total amount of 431 tonnes of cement.
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MOBILE CONCRETE FACTORY FOR NORWAY’S LARGEST CONSTRUCTION PROJECT The E6 - Dovrebanen project is Norway’s largest construction project ever. Along Lake Mjøsa north of Oslo, from 2012 to 2016, the stretch between Brøhaug and Strandlykkja will be provided with a total of 21.5 km four-lane motorway and 17 km double-track railway. The project also includes three road tunnels and two railway tunnels. The main contractors on the project are Veidekke Entreprenør and Hochtief Solutions. As a subcontrac-
tor, Unicon Norway has supplied the concrete for the tunnels, and this has been no ordinary task: ”A special technique has to be used to cast the tunnel vaults, where large amounts of sprayed concrete have to be delivered on site. This means that a high production capacity per hour is required. Unicon has solved the task with a new, mobile concrete plant, which has been specially designed so that it can be set up at the site in just
two weeks - and later moved away again quickly. In addition, we have purchased six new concrete trucks to ensure a stable supply at the casting site,” says Mobile Manager Inge Olav Dalen from Unicon. Aalborg Portland cement was selected for the entire project, both because of its strength and because of the fact that it can be mixed with fly ash in the concrete plant, thereby optimising both quality and cost.
FACTS Client: Statens vegvesen Construction: Veidekke Construction and Hochtief Solutions for the Morskogen construction In total, the constructions comprise 21 km four-lane motorway and 17 km doubletrack railway Three road tunnels and two rail tunnels Concrete Delivery from Unicon: 160,000 m3 of concrete and about 60,000 tonnes of cement
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FROM ROME TO AALBORG ALONG WITH ITS 125TH ANNIVERSARY, AALBORG PORTLAND CAN ALSO CELEBRATE THAT THE COMPANY THIS YEAR ROUNDS 10 YEARS WITH CEMENTIR HOLDING AS OWNER. DESPITE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE DANES AND ITALIANS, IT HAS DEVELOPED INTO A VERY FRUITFUL COOPERATION. Group CFO Henning Bæk remembers the days in 2004 when Aalborg had been put up for sale by FLSmidth. At that time, Aalborg Portland had been in Danish hands for more than 100 years, only interrupted briefly by 10 years of joint Danish-English ownership from 1990 to 2000. In the field of interested private equity funds and large cement groups, Cementir Holding appeared as an outsider. “We didn’t know them, but the Italian delegation surprised us by being extremely professional. They were skilled in their negotiations and in building relations, and they ended up buying Aalborg Portland at a very attractive price,” recalls Henning Bæk.
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Cementir Holding went for a company with a technological platform and an international presence, and from day one they were closely involved in the day-to-day management. However, the new Italian owner clearly indicated that they were focusing on long-term investment rather than quick profit. And he did exactly as he said. ”Under Cementir Holding’s ownership, Aalborg Portland has played a far more important role than we would ever have done with a private equity fund or a large, industrial cement group as the owner. They have invested billions of kroner in the company, and they have only taken out profit for the shareholders one year,” points out Henning Bæk.
TWO CULTURES MEET The new ownership was also a meeting between two types of work cultures. ”We had probably made some assumptions about the southern approach being more open and improvised than the Nordic way, where we are more focused on the agreed agenda. It has also often turned out that way too,” says Henning Bæk, who on the other hand has seen that the southern flexibility can provide better results in other situations: ”The Italians are sharp at negotiating, because they are good at improvising in difficult situations. They don’t mind parking an obstacle if they assess that the problem can be better addressed at a later stage and with a new angle. This can give better results in some situations compared to the rigid and purpose-driven Danish approach, where we push all we can to get from A to B.”
with the well-organised, structured efficient approach that the Danes are good at. We have integrated individual talents in teamwork, and this has strengthened both the company and the relations between employees.” COMMON RESULTS
Aalborg Portland today holds great value for Cementir Holding, not only financially but also in terms of its global branding. The Group has a clear eye for the opportunities that lie in future expansion, emphasises Paolo Zugaro: ”Over the last 10 years, we have provided results that I think all parties are very satisfied with. We have moved the company from being production-driven to being much more market-driven. As in the last period of time, we continue putting emphasis on competitiveness, sustainable development and focusing on innovation. Innovation not only in the products but in the way we are used to work. I think this means a lot to everyone in Aalborg Portland.” OPENNESS IS IMPORTANT This view is shared by Henning Bæk: ”I think we make better decisions through a common Paolo Zugaro took over as CEO in Aalborg Portland in 2010 and moved to Denmark with his family. He has had an open mindset than we would otherwise have done on our own in attitude to the cultural differences and use this diversity po- this country, where the Danes sometimes have a negative sitively, although he also sensed that the Danes sometimes attitude towards success and achievement. I cannot help thinking of H.C. Andersen, have been a little anxious who took an educational about the partnership: // The company’s positive development in recent trip to Italy in the 1800s. His ”I am aware that the years is largely due to the fact that we have maencounter with the Italian fusion of two cultures can naged to take the best qualities of both worlds and culture greatly influenced create some challenges, but combine them in our shared values. his subsequent creativity, I see it as a natural part of and he wrote his breakththe integration process,” he rough novel, The Improvisays and continues: “The company’s positive development in recent years satore, when he returned home. It is a good example of the is largely due to the fact that we have managed to take positive energy that can be created when the Nordic and the best qualities of both worlds and combine them in our Latin cultures meet.” shared values. We have made space for the creativity and flexibility that is typical of Italian culture, and matched it
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AALBORG PORTLAND IN THE BLOOD TWO MEN - TWO FAMILY STORIES. BOTH THE BORUP CLAN AND THE JØRGENSEN FAMILY HAVE BEEN AT AALBORG PORTLAND FOR OVER 100 YEARS. When the Rørdal factory was founded in 1889, it was constructed in an empty field. It was a long way to Aalborg, so the workers who were employed at the new factory, moved
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into the factory housing and their whole life revolved around the cement factory. In 2014, you can still find descendants in the fourth generation at Aalborg Portland.
BENT OLE BORUP
JAN MOGENS JØRGENSEN
A STRONG SENSE OF SOLIDARITY
SHORTCUT TO APPRENTICESHIP
Everyone at Aalborg Portland knows BOB. Bent Ole Borup, as he is actually called, is the fourth generation from his father’s side to work at Aalborg Portland. His great-grandfather was a lifetime gardener for the managing director, his grandfather started as a young man in the cooper’s workshop, making wooden barrels for the cement, and his father started his career at Aalborg Portland by cutting peat in Lille Vildmose during WW2. BOB started an electrician apprenticeship at Aalborg Portland in 1969. He helped to introduce EDP in production in the late 1970s and has been working with eduction since 1986. It was also in 1986 that he was given the responsibility for showing guests around the factory - over the years he has shown over 80,000 visitors around. He knows every nook and cranny and every anecdote and is somewhat of a carrier of Aalborg Portland’s history. Since 2007, he has also acted as a Service Coordinator – a kind of caretaker for both the factory and our properties and land. ”Looking back, a lot has happened. The good old days are always the most fun. We were many people. We had a strong social solidarity, and we had plenty of laughs - our security man today would have a heart attack if was the same now as it was then. But I’m also very happy with the role I have today,” says BOB and continues: ”I could easily have taken early retirement. But I have no desire whatsoever.”
Jan Mogens Jørgensen’s mother was born on Aalborg Portland’s grounds. His father was born on the other side of the road. Both were third generation Aalborg Portland employees, and Jan Mogens Jørgensen’s relations have been a part of Aalborg Portland’s history since 1889, when his great-grandfather’s brother was among the first to be employed. Positions held by the family have included everything from the head groom to canteen ladies. He himself started an apprenticeship at the age of 16. ”It was typical in those days that you got your children into the factory. My mother had been over to talk to the head of the machine workshop, and after I had been introduced to him, he informed his floor manager that I was the new apprentice. There were no available places, but the decision was not up for discussion. That’s how you got an apprenticeship back then. It actually stated in the employee handbook that you had to give priority to children of Aalborg Portland employees,” he says. For a short period, he was out trying his hand at other things, but soon returned to Aalborg Portland. Today he has been at the port for 30 years. Much has changed - both the number of employees and the nature of the work at the port. But his explanation for staying so many years at Aalborg Portland is simple: ”I thrive on being here. Even though my daily life has changed greatly in the last 30 years, I have grown very fond of the place and of my colleagues. My work is meaningful and makes a difference.”
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AALBORG PORTLAND GROUP - IN BRIEF NORDIC & BALTIC
OVERSEAS
TYRKIET TURKEY
NORDIC CEMENT
NORDIC RMC
A En leading af Nordens cement største producer producenter in the Nordic af cement region
Leading Nordens supplier størsteof ready-mixed leverandør concret in af thefabriksbeton Nordic region
Verdens World leading største producer leverandør of afwhite hvid cement cement
Omfattende Extensive aktiviteter activities in i Tyrkiet Turkey
Producerer Produces grå greyog and hvid cement white cement på anlægget at its plants i Aalborg. in Aalborg.
Unicon er markedsleder is market leader iinNorden. Produktion the Nordic region. på 80 anlægtakes i Danmark, Production place Norge oginSverige. at 80 plants Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Udvinding og afsætning af tilslagsmaterialer Quarrying and sale of (især granit og grus) aggregates (mainly fra granite 15 brudand og grusgrave gravel) i Danmark Sverige. from 15og sites in Denmark and Sweden.
Fremstilling pålarge store Production at anlægin i Danmark, plants Denmark,USA, USA, Egypten, Malaysia Egypt, Malaysia and og Kina. China.
Cimentas is er among the Cimentas blandt largest cement groups de største cementwith koncerner productionmed at more sites in the country. produktion flere steder i landet. In addition, Cimentas has 13 ready-mixed Derudover concrete plants. har Cimentas 13 fabriksbetonfabrikker. Recydia AS processes håndterer and recycles waste in og genanvender affald iTurkey Tyrkietand og iEngland. England
The Afsætning products i Danmark are sold oginpå Denmark nærtliggende and neighbouring markeder. ountries.
Afsætning på en is The white cement række sold to amarkeder number of verden over. markets worldwide.
SALES SALGSVOLUMEN VOLUMES IN I 2013 2013
1,299,000 1.299.000
2,163,000 2.163.000
tonnes grey cement tons of grå cement
m3 of m ready-mixed concrete 3 fabriksbeton
531,000 531.000
3,234,000 3.234.000
tonnes white cement tonsof hvid cement
tonnes of aggregates tons tilslagsmaterialer
1,396,000 1.396.000 tonnes white cement tonsof hvid cement
4,760,000 4.760.000 tonnes grey cement tons of grå cement
1,493,000 1.493.000
m3 of m ready-mixed concrete 3 fabriksbeton
THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES IN DENMARK The training of apprentices and trainees is a part of the responsibility that Aalborg Portland takes for the surrounding community. At the factory in Aalborg, there are 16 apprentices in the production and a varying number of trainees in the offices, and this makes Aalborg Portland the industrial company that has the largest proportion of apprentices and trainees in Denmark. // We have a responsibility to educate the next generation - and I’m proud that we shoulder this responsibility. For us, apprentices and trainees also mean good access to skilled workers who know our factory and processes. We have a tradition of educating, and we stick to this tradition. We did so even during the crisis, when many others cut right back on apprenticeships. From 2015, we plan to create two more apprenticeships. In this way we can give something back to the community. MANAGING DIRECTOR MICHAEL LUNDGAARD THOMSEN
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JETTE BREDGAARD 36 YEARS
MICHAEL LARSEN 27 YEARS
BRIAN MØRCH 36 YEARS
Financial Controller in Corporate Finance In Aalborg Portland since 2009
Adult Apprentice, Management & Control In Aalborg Portland since 2013
Electrician at Cement mill – posted in Ipoh in Malaysia March-September 2014 In Aalborg Portland since 1995
// Whether you start work early or stay until late, you can feel the constant activity at the factory. It’s really inspiring, and I always enjoy working with the numerous dedicated colleagues I have here. The employees’ commitment and genuine interest in the welfare of Aalborg Portland help create a positive energy, both internally and externally with our partners. A lot has happened in the 5 years I’ve been here. We have become successful at working across functions and countries’ borders to optimally exploit our resources and skills. Today Aalborg Portland has a solid foundation on which it can evolve and move successfully forward into the future.
// I have great colleagues, and we have a really good team. I’m proud that we keep the production up and deliver a good product. So I always feel motivated when I get up in the morning. In our department, we keep an eye on production to make sure everything is running smoothly. We check temperatures and ensure there’s the right flow. It is also our responsibility to make sure the gases are cooled down and converted to heat. I think we will get more orders in the future, and therefore we need to have more people. Although lots of things will be modernized, there will always be a need for people like us to check if things are working properly.
// Working at Aalborg Portland has become a part of my identity. I feel I’m appreciated and have never had a single day where I’ve been reluctant to go to work. But it was rather a mouthful when I was given two days of reflection to decide whether I wanted to spend half a year in Malaysia. We were to leave within a month. Malaysia was fantastic. I was part of Cementir’s project group, which was responsible for the expansion of the factory. It was hard work, it was a very exciting project and it was both fun and challenging to work in a foreign culture with many different nationalities. If anyone else is offered such an opportunity by Aalborg Portland, they definitely have to say yes - this kind of offer is ‘once in a lifetime’.
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CEMENT, SERVICE, PARTNERSHIP AND CONSULTING AALBORG PORTLAND CUSTOMERS GET MUCH MORE THAN JUST THE PRODUCT ITSELF. WE OFFER A NUMBER OF SERVICES AND TECHNICAL CONSULTING SERVICES THAT ENSURE OUR CLIENTS ARE SUPPORTED SAFELY THROUGH THEIR PROJECTS - BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER CONSTRUCTION.
BASIS®
cement is a cement type with very high early strength and used as a binder in mortar and concrete. BASIS cement is suitable for production of pre-cast concrete elements and dry-cast concrete products. BASIS cement is approved for all types of purposes and used by all types of customers.
Fast strength development, high late strength, environmentally friendly, wide applicability.
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RAPID® cement is Aalborg Portland’s cement with the widest range of applicability and is used as a binder in mortar and concrete. This cement is used for ready-mix concrete. The cement is less prone to drying out and reduces shrinkage cracks better than Portland limestone cements, such as BASIS cement. RAPID cement is therefore especially recommended for casting of decks and floors. RAPID cement can be used for all purposes in all environmental classes. Fast strength development, superior resilience against drying out, environmentally friendly, fewer shrinkage cracks.
The production process Our technical support centre offers a consultancy service throughout the entire concrete production process - from specification, to mixing and finally the finished product - and we are always happy to share our feedback and advice with you. We help to demonstrate the product properties and to keep track of how far the product is in the process. Standards We assist concrete manufacturers with information about complex construction standards, both Danish and European. Energy and the environment We are an ambitious partner regarding energy and environmental issues, and we advise on energy optimisation in concrete constructions and sustainable transition.
Development projects and new business areas If a customer needs a specially developed product, we offer partnership with our very experienced research and development department. We assist with laboratory testing, analyses, know-how and documentation. We also work together with our customers to develop applications for new and existing areas of commerce and utilisation. The right composition We help to optimise the composition of mortar and concrete to make sure our customers get precisely the desired type, strength, durability and appearance. In this way, we make it easy for our customers to design the right product, both aesthetically and economically.
AALBORG WHITE速
Logistics At Aalborg Portland, logistics is not just about delivery. Currently 87% of our customers make use of our online ordering service and we ensure that the customer can follow the order from placement to delivery. Our team of consultants are always ready to help with flexible solutions, if any special requirements should arise. IT Our IT tools help our customers to optimse the composition of concrete and document and demonstrate the quality. Recept2000 makes it easier for customers to manage, handle and adjust their formulas. The temperature simulation program TempSim makes it possible to plan casting operations and anticipate the problems that may occur during the hardening of the concrete.
cement is a light coloured and widely applicable cement suitable for high strength jobs such as facades, balcony railings, tiles and paving stones as well as lighter masonry mortars and dry-mix mortars . The cement can be mixed with other types of cement, light grey materials and colour pigment in order to achieve the exact desired shade. AALBORG WHITE速 cement can be used for all applications in all environmental classes.
LOW ALKALI sulphate resistant cement is specifically de-
High strength, better shade management, light-reflecting.
Extra low alkali content, high sulphate resistance and low heat generation
veloped for concrete used for bridges and other civil works in exposed to aggressive environment. This can for example be structures exposed to alkali-silica reactions or structures in contact with sea water and sulphate containing groundwater. LOW ALKALI cement has an extra low content of alkali, high sulphate resistance and low heat generation. LOW ALKALI cement can be used in all environment classes.
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VISION
We make it easy to build with ambition.
MISSION
Our mission is to make it easy to build with ambition by supplying quality cement, concrete and aggregates. We provide value to our customers through innovative and sustainable products and services.
AALBORG PORTLAND A/S · RØRDALSVEJ 44 · 9100 AALBORG · DENMARK