Ash Grove Cement has marked a major milestone at its Durkee plant with the completion and official commissioning of a new finish mill, celebrated during a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by state and local officials, customers, and employees. As Oregon’s only cement plant and one of the region’s longest-operating industrial sites, the Durkee facility continues to play a central role in the state’s construction materials sector.
The newly installed finish mill significantly strengthens Ash Grove’s production capabilities, increasing cement output by 210,000tpa without raising clinker production or associated CO2 emissions. This is achieved by expanding the use of limestone and natural pozzolans as clinker substitutes, enabling higher volumes while reducing the overall carbon intensity of the plant’s cement products.
In support of this strategy, Ash Grove has recently secured rights to a natural pozzolan source in Oregon and is advancing product development to integrate these materials into future blended cement offerings. The move enhances the plant’s ability to supply high-performance, lower-carbon cements to regional markets.
Operational since 1979 and expanded in 1998, the Durkee plant now produces more than one million tons of clinker annually, employs over 130 people, and supports around 600 additional jobs across local supply chains. Full operation of the new mill is expected to deliver wide-ranging benefits to construction and infrastructure projects across the region.
