CGC marks milestones in construction of $210M eco-friendly wallboard plant
Backed by a $210-million investment, CGC — the Canadian division of USG Corp. — has announced three milestones in the construction of its huge state-ofthe-art wallboard manufacturing plant in Wheatland County.
The site, covering 214 acres northwest of Carseland, has been acquired for the construction of a 220,000-square-foot facility. Its location gives good access to the Stoney Trail ring road and the CP rail line.
Currently, wallboard is shipped to Western Canada from CGC'S plants in Ontario and Eastern Canada — the new facility will reduce delivery time and cut down on costs and emissions of delivery from the east.
CGC has also announced that Ledcor has been awarded the contract to construct the new plant, which is expected to open within the year. It is anticipated that the development phase of the project will create approximately 200 local jobs in construction and the skilled trades.
The third important announcement is that Duane Vanduuren has been named plant manager, and will be moving to the Calgary area with his family in the next few months. Vanduuren grew up in Kingston, Ont., and earned his degree in civil engineering at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay. He joined CGC almost 25 years ago, and has served it and its parent company USG in a variety of jobs in construction, engineering, design and detailing in a number of different locations.
He currently resides in Buffalo, N.Y., but he, his wife and two children are looking forward to returning to Canada — and Alberta for the first time.
“I could not be more excited to take the reins as CGC'S Wheatland plant manager,” says Vanduuren. “We have aspirations for what this new facility will accomplish once it is built. We will have the opportunity to make a positive difference in the community, create new jobs and give western Canadian builders and residents much easier access to the products they have come to know and trust.”
When fully operational, the plant will provide job opportunities for around 100 employees, including electrical and mechanical technicians, equipment operators and supply chain personnel. Local trucking companies will also be contracted to deliver products to distribution centres.
Vanduuren says the plant will offer the Canadian market the lightest and most sustainable product in the world, implementing the latest innovations and cutting-edge technology to optimize operational stability, making the end-product more eco-friendly. It will be CGC'S first plant built using a zero-waste approach — 100 per cent production waste will be recycled back into the manufacturing process — and nothing will go to landfill.
Plans are for a high-efficiency, gas-fired kiln using low energy to dry product, recovering evaporated water, and an on-site solar field will power 100 per cent of the plant's electricity needs.
The investment to generate economic growth in rural Alberta is the result of a partnership between CGC, Wheatland County, the Government of Alberta and Invest Alberta, which is providing $3.7 million from the Investment and Growth Fund.
CGC, first known as the Canadian Gypsum Co., began in Nova Scotia in 1907, concerned primarily with the quarrying and exportation of gypsum rock to the U.S. Today, it is the leading marketer, manufacturer and distributor of gypsum wallboard products, interior finishing materials and suspended acoustical ceilings in Canada. It operates three mines, five plants and several distribution and customer service centres across the country.
The company benefits from global affiliations and research and development facilities through its parent company, USG, the leading drywall manufacturer in North America.
CGC opened a plant in Calgary in 1999 that has around 50 staff working three shifts, manufacturing ready mix joint treatment products and distributing wallboard, tile, bead and underlayment products.
NOTES
The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) has announced the appointment of Marco De Iaco to its board of directors. The appointment marks a significant milestone as De Iaco assumes the role of the first-ever public director. De Iaco is a former executive director of the Calgary Downtown Association and vice-president of sport, culture and major events at Tourism Calgary. “We are thrilled to welcome him to our board,” says CREB chair Christian Twomey. “His extensive experience and unwavering commitment to community empowerment makes him a valuable addition.”