Standard Lafarge
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The Skinny: This cover story for Stone Review magazine spotlighted a Lafarge quarry modernization project. While not a publication aimed at Lafarge's target sales market, the article served as a nice profile piece. Style: Case study format - problem/solution Excerpt: Dualization and Lake Shipping Key to Ohio Quarry's Future In the late 1980s, Standard Slag's Marblehead quarry shipped nine out of 10 tons of its limestone and washed products by freighter. The Ohio quarry's location on Lake Erie between Toledo and Cleveland provided the perfect setting for low-cost shipping. With more than 100 years of reserves covering 2500 acres, the facility seemed destined for a strong future. However, antiquated equipment had lowered production levels and raised production costs. And the facility's capabilities were not living up to competitive standards. Lafarge Corporation saw the potential of the Marblehead Quarry when it acquired the Standard Slag companies in 1989. The Reston, Virginia-based company renamed the slag operation Standard Lafarge and went to work modernizing and upgrading its key facilities in the northeast United States. For Marblehead, the company planned significant improvements. It had all the makings of a first-rate quarry, but its success depended on its ability to service large vessels and cut production costs.
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