The Holcim (US) Inc cement plant in Theodore, Ala., received the Environmental Performance Award from the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine as part of the 2011 Cement Industry Energy and Environment Awards. The award was presented at PCA’s Spring Meeting in Chicago.

This honor recognises facilities that take steps beyond those contained in environmental laws, regulations, and permits to minimize their impact on the environment. The plant was also a runner-up in the Outreach category.

In 2010, the Holcim Theodore facility more than met its corporate requirement to "improve and demonstrate continued sustainable environmental performance." The plant had major emission reductions in particulate matter and nitrogen oxides when compared to 2009, exceeding state and federal requirements. In 2010, the facility focused efforts on utilizing alternative fuels in place of traditional fuels. It conserved a tremendous amount of traditional fossil fuels buy utilizing fuels such as used tires (1.1 million), used oil and oil materials (including 10,000 gallons of site-generated oil), wood chips, and plastic byproducts.

The Theodore plant even stepped up to assist with the disposal of oil absorbent materials resulting from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. More than 1000t were utilised in their kiln system rather than being landfilled. The plant was able to increase its alternative mineral component in the final cement product by 20 per cent compared to 2009, further limiting CO2 emissions.

The Holcim plant and its employees in Theodore support a range of environmental projects in their community including cleanup of the Theodore Industrial Canal, Derelict Crab Trap Removal Day, and Used Electronics Recycling Days, which collected more than 500,000 pounds of unwanted electronic devices in 2010.