Downturn forces GCC to halt production at Pueblo plant

The new $225 million cement plant in Pueblo, USA, owned by Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC) has temporarily halted operations. The company’s president blames a slowdown in the construction industry, reports KOAA, USA.

GCC stopped making cement in March one year after the plant opened, and plans to remain inactive for the month of April. The company has also reduced hours or salaries for all of its workforce, which is about 85 employees, but no staff have be laid off.

GCC’s president says he expects to re-start operations by May. "I cannot guarantee of course that things don’t get tougher, but with what we see in the economy and with the stimulus package in front of us, we have hopes and expectations that this will start slowly turning again to positive and our employees are going to continue with us," said Enrique Escalante, President of GCC of America.