Ozinga marked the opening of its low-carbon cement manufacturing facility in East Chicago with an Oct. 13 ribbon cutting.

The new plant is expected to produce 1 million tons of slag cement annually. With access to rail, truck and water via the Great Lakes and inland waterways, the facility will serve customers across the United States and Canada.

“We built this mill in the heart of the Midwest because we believe it is central to producing high-performing, American-made materials that will be the foundation of U.S. infrastructure for years to come,” said Marty Ozinga, CEO of Ozinga, in a press release. “We are taking the cement-to-concrete process from start to finish — with American ownership at every step of the domestic supply chain, with homegrown scientific innovation and with American workers all the way.”

More than 250 construction workers built the facility. Ozinga will need about 50 union steelworker jobs to man operations at Burns Harbor where slag is processed at the Cleveland Cliffs steel mill once the the East Chicago facility is fully operational.

The East Chicago facility marks a milestone in the company’s mission to deliver net zero concrete by 2030. Traditional cement accounts for nearly 7% of global CO₂ emissions. The location will use recycled slag, a byproduct of steelmaking, to make cement.

Ozinga's proprietary slag cement reduces its carbon imprint by 80%, according to Ozinga. The plant is expected to offset more than 700,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions every year.

The location is essential because of supply chain constraints, Ozinga said.

“Our message to the market is clear: We have new domestic capacity to meet your needs for reliable, sustainable and cost-effective materials,” Ozinga said.

About 22% of cement in 2024 was imported, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Ozinga, which has headquarters are in Mokena, Illinois, employs more than 2,000 people at 100 ready-mix sites in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and South Florida.