Holcim US - Holcim Awards: Submissions From the U.S. Up 110 Percent

Waltham, Ma. (March 10, 2008) – The Holcim Awards continue to spur sustainable construction projects in the United States and around the world. The just-completed awards submission process saw the number of accepted U.S. submissions jump more than 110 percent over the previous awards cycle in 2005-2006. A total of 112 submissions from the U.S. were accepted this year after meeting all the formal requirements, up from 53 accepted in 2005-2006. Overall, Holcim Awards applications grew 59 percent, from 3,004 during the 2005-2006 awards competition to 4,774 in 2008-2009 -- demonstrating increased awareness among designers, architects, students, and others in the field of construction.

“We are pleased to see so much interest in the competition and look forward to seeing what this year’s submissions have in store for the future of sustainable design and construction” says Patrick Dolberg, president and CEO of Holcim (US) Inc. “We, as a company, remain committed to ensuring continual advances in sustainable development.”

The Holcim Awards seek to encourage and inspire designs that meet current needs for housing and infrastructure, as well as create innovative, future oriented, and tangible sustainable construction projects around the world. The competition is an initiative of the Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction and is supported in the North American region by the Holcim Ltd Group companies Holcim (US) Inc., St. Lawrence Cement, and Aggregate Industries.

The deadline for submitting a project for consideration was February 29, 2008. Of the 4,774 projects that were submitted, 1,875 met the formal requirements for consideration. That number is up from the previous awards cycle, when a total of 3,004 entries were submitted, with 1,450 meeting the formal requirements.

A total of $2 million in prize money will be awarded for the 2008-2009 competition. Winners of the Holcim Awards five regional competitions, selected in 2008, will advance to the global competition to be held in 2009.

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction is supported by Holcim Ltd but is independent of its commercial interests. Holcim Ltd is one of the world's leading suppliers of cement and aggregates (crushed stone, gravel, and sand) as well as further activities such as ready-mix concrete and asphalt including services. The Holcim Group holds majority and minority interests in more than 70 countries on all continents, and employs almost 90,000 people.

Holcim (US) Inc. is a subsidiary of Holcim Ltd, and one of the nation’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of cement and mineral components. Holcim (US) has approximately 2,900 employees and operates 16 manufacturing plants and over 76 distribution facilities in the United States.

St. Lawrence Cement, a company of the Holcim Group, is a leading producer and supplier of products and services for the construction industry, namely cement, concrete, aggregates, and construction. The company operates in Canada and employs approximately 3,000 people. Aggregate Industries, a subsidiary of Holcim Ltd, is an environmentally responsible producer of high-quality aggregate-based construction materials in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company produces aggregates, ready-mixed concrete, concrete products, and asphalt (and related contracting services) in seven regional businesses in the United States, and employs over 6,000 people.