Carmeuse looks for better 2009

by Peter Jakey– Managing Editor

Carmeuse Lime & Stone, the parent company of Calcite Operation of Rogers City, is preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best in the new year, a company official said Tuesday morning. The downturn in the nation?s economy, and even tougher times in Michigan, have predictably showed up on the final shipping tally from 2008. Philip Johnson, senior vice president of sales and marketing at the corporate office in Pittsburgh, said the totals slipped from 6.7 million tons to just a tad over 6 million tons last year. Johnson said a drop in the in the building industry really played a part in the slide.

?BUILDING AND construction across the country has been significantly down,? said Johnson. ?All our markets in California and over to the east coast are down in construction and the Great Lakes are no exception.? Construction was weaker than they had hoped. ?Steel had a very strong year in 2008, but the last two months of the year (November and December) saw a sharp downturn,? said Johnson. ?Our expectations in 2009 are probably going to be a lower shipping season than 2008. We do expect to see a significant rebound starting in 2010. The Rogers City plan

t closed a little earlier in 2008. ?AND, ACTUALLY, that was a very deliberate plan. The year before we ran a little late into the season and some of our facilities suffered damage to operating equipment because of ice,? he said. ?We did tell all of our customers, our intention is to close these facilities, to stop shipping by mid-November. We didn?t make that, we carried on until the end of November. That was a prudent move to protect our equipment.? Plans call for the plant to operate on time in late March, early April. Company officials believe President Barack Obama?s stimulus plan could increase production.

?His infrastructure plan is of great interest to us,? said Johnson. ?Infrastructure will drive steel and construction markets.? Carmeuse Lime & Stone is the largest producer of lime and limestone products in North America, manufacturing and distributing up to 7 million tons per year of finished products.