Ozinga Opens New Low-Carbon Cement Mill in Indiana

CHICAGO, Oct. 13, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Ozinga, a fifth-generation, family-owned American company, has unveiled a new low-carbon cement mill in East Chicago, Indiana. The plant, the largest of its kind in North America, is expected to produce 1 million tons of slag cement annually, significantly bolstering the domestic supply chain for building materials and promoting Midwestern construction.

The state-of-the-art facility, which will have direct access to rail, water, and highway routes, aims to address the economic and environmental challenges of cement production. Slag, a byproduct of steelmaking, will be recycled to produce the slag cement, which is a key ingredient in concrete. This process not only reduces the reliance on foreign-owned multinational companies but also cuts down on the carbon footprint associated with cement production.

The new plant will produce ASTM C989-compliant low-carbon slag cement, as well as proprietary blends under Ozinga's CarbonSense™ brand, meeting ASTM C1157 performance standards and delivering up to 80% reductions in embodied carbon over traditional Portland cement mixes. Once fully operational, the plant is projected to offset more than 700,000 metric tons of CO₂ emissions annually, comparable to taking more than 150,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles off the road for a year.

The strategic location of the facility, with access to the Great Lakes and inland waterways, will enable Ozinga to ship finished slag cement by barge as well as highway. The rail infrastructure at the site will also create new business for the Indiana Harbor Belt railroad, connecting to all Class 1 railroads. One railcar carries more material than four semi-trucks, while one barge carries the equivalent of 17 railcars, or 75 semi-trucks, highlighting the efficiency of the transportation methods.

The construction project created more than 250 temporary jobs, many of them through Indiana-based Morrison Construction, an employee-owned company. At full operation, the plant will create approximately 50 permanent union steelworker jobs between the mill and Ozinga's Burns Harbor operation at the site of the Cleveland Cliffs steel mill, where the slag is initially processed.

Ozinga's private investment in the project was supported by state, federal, and local public officials, including Gov. Mike Braun, U.S. Sen. Todd Young, U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland, and the East Chicago City Council. The company is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Mokena and has more than 2,000 employees and more than 100 ready-mix sites across Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, and South Florida.

The new capability will expand the market reach of Ozinga, which is committed to developing environmentally responsible products and practices that make a positive impact and shape the future of the built environment.