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For Immediate Release
May 27, 2005

Contact:
John Slagle
(207) 774-6355

Peter Merfeld, ASCE
(207) 871-7711x116

Web Site: http://www.dragonproducts.com

Dragon Cement Plant and Quarry Receives Historic Designation from American Society of Civil Engineers

The Maine Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has designated the Dragon Cement plant and quarry as a State Significant Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. A dedication plaque was presented to the company at ASCE’s annual meeting in Rockport on May 25.

Dragon joins other Maine landmarks with the designation, including Cribstone Bridge to Bailey Island, the Waldo/Hancock Bridge, the Poland Spring House, Portland Head Light and the Maine Turnpike.

In addition, Dragon will join other designated sites in a promotional pamphlet highlighting sites from around the state to showcase civil engineering and provide visitors to Maine with a unique opportunity to see noteworthy places of civil engineering significance, according to ASCE.

Maine section, ASCE is made up of more than 700 civil engineers from throughout Maine. Established in 1950, the Maine section supports the profession of civil engineering by providing educational and professional development opportunities for members, performing special projects, providing members with up to date information on latest technologies or proposed legislative changes, supporting college scholarships, and promoting the profession as a career to young people. ASCE, nationally, is over 150 years old with a mission including developing leadership, advancing technology, advocating lifelong learning, and promoting the profession. More information on Maine Section ASCE can be found at www.maineasce.org

Dragon was chosen for the historic designation for a number of reasons. The company’s Thomaston cement plant is the only cement manufacturing plant in New England and has been in continuous operation since 1928. The adjacent limestone quarry is unique in the region. It is the largest limerock body in the state of Maine and provides the rock of the necessary chemistry for cement manufacturing. Concrete is one of the major civil engineering materials used to build projects throughout the U.S.

“Cement is the key ingredient in concrete and having a local plant and quarry has moderated the cost of these important projects in Maine by making the state less dependent on cement supplies beyond our borders,” said Peter Merfeld, Vice President of Maine ASCE and Chief Operations Officer of the Maine Turnpike Authority.

“We certainly appreciate this recognition from Maine’s engineering community,” said Terry Veysey, Dragon’s President and CEO. “Dragon has a long tradition of providing cement and concrete for major projects throughout the state, and we continue to be the only producer of cement in Maine and New England.”

The company’s history began when the Lawrence Portland Cement Company built the first Dragon Cement plant at the Thomaston location in 1928. Many of the civil engineering structures in the region during the expansive growth of infrastructure during the post-depression era were built using Dragon Cement from Thomaston including the Wyman Dam in Bingham; Seaboard Paper Mill (now International Paper) in Bucksport; as well as many concrete roads, bridges and buildings in the region. At the time, the longest concrete highway in Vermont was built using Dragon Cement – it spanned 17.5 miles.

The cement plant was rebuilt in 1971 by Martin Marietta, which included expanding the production of the plant to 500,000 tons. In 2004, under its current ownership by Cementos Portland and Cementos Lemona of Spain, the Dragon plant was modernized to convert to a more energy efficient dry process. The $50 million modernization expanded production to 750,000 tons and secures the future of the plant for another generation.

Dragon’s products are used in many of the regions infrastructure projects including the Casco Bay Bridge in Portland, bridge widenings of the Maine Turnpike’s Widening & Modernization project as well as construction and expansion of many major Maine manufacturing facilities. In addition to shipping bulk and bagged product by truck directly to customers, Dragon ships product by rail and barge to Newington, New Hampshire; Boston, Massachusetts and Windsor, Quebec; for distribution to other New England and Canadian Markets.

Headquartered in Portland, Dragon employs more than 225 full-time employees statewide. The cement is supplied to most ready-mix companies in the state, and others throughout New England by barge through Coastal Cement terminals in Newington, N.H. and Boston. Dragon also has ready-mix concrete plants in Biddeford, Westbrook, Portland, Lewiston, Brunswick, Augusta, Canton, Fairfield, Madawaska and Presque Isle. For additional information, visit the company's web site at www.dragonproducts.com.

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