More than 1,200 people gathered in Birmingham, Ala., for this year’s IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference, which took place May 4-8. The event included more than 200 exhibitors, the Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) Spring Economic forecast, the latest on carbon capture, utilization and storage infrastructure (CCUS), and a major announcement from the PCA.
Rock Products, Concrete Products and Cement Optimized magazines were on hand to cover the event.
David Simchi-Levi, an internationally recognized thought leader in supply chain management and analytics, was the featured speaker at the May 6 Opening General Session. He was followed by a panel discussion with senior leaders from across the supply chain who will share insights into today’s real-world challenges and the dire need to build more targeted logistics networks.
“This year’s line-up managed to touch on many of the new and possibly pivotal challenges faced by the cement, concrete and construction industries today,” said Mike Ireland, president and CEO of PCA. “Attendees heard from the experts on everything from what it will take to provide resilient infrastructure for CCUS projects, to how U.S. cement manufacturers are working to align their priorities with those of the Trump White House, while still advancing with their plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.”
At the event, PCA announced it is changing its name. The association will now be known as the American Cement Association (ACA). Ireland made the announcement on May 7 at the association’s morning session.
“The most important reason for the name change is that in recent years, U.S. cement manufacturers have expanded the types of materials they produce beyond portland cement, working to develop more lower-emission cements in an effort to decarbonize the industry and increase domestic cement manufacturing capacity,” Ireland explained. “The name ‘Portland Cement Association’ no longer accurately reflects the modern mindset of today’s manufacturers, or the materials they currently produce. Additionally, the rebranding makes it clear that we are a national association that speaks for cement manufacturers across the country.”
The association’s Market Intelligence group released its latest industry forecast. Regional Forecaster Trevor Stork offered a “fragile” baseline scenario in which U.S. cement shipments drop 1.6% this year, to 99.98 million metric tons (Mt), from 101.57 million Mt in 2024 and 107.13 million Mt in 2023 – representing 0.6% and 5.25% year-over-year declines.
Planning is already underway for next year’s IEEE-IAS/ACA Cement Conference. It will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., April 26-29, 2026.
