According Empresas Melon Corporate Affairs Manager, Ignacio del Rio, Chile’s cement industry “will grow at a 4.5%-5% rate over the next two years”. Empresas Melon is controlled by Lafarge.   In this context, the company presented the Environmental Report to build a new grinding plant in the V Region, which will demand a US$20m investment.  Once approved, the project will take two years to be ready. The company plans to reach an annual output of 300,000t of cement and will supply mainly Chile’s central region. By 2008, Empresas Melon plans to reach an output of 600,000t.