In October 2023, it was announced that RioCal S.A.S. has been purchased by Carmeuse and will be rebranded as Carmeuse Colombia. Carmeuse continues to focus on expanding the brand throughout Latin America and the rebrand of RioCal as Carmeuse Colombia is an exciting step towards this goal. The growth plan for Carmeuse includes investments in new regions of the world where growth and opportunity are possible and solidifying the Carmeuse name in various markets around the world with Latin America being a target market.
The Long Road to Carmeuse Colombia
In 2023, the establishment of Carmeuse Colombia was made official, however, there has been a long road to get to this point with many milestones and challenges.
The story of Carmeuse Colombia begins in 2014 when Carmeuse began a partnership with a company, Procecal, a lime and limestone provider with 8 primitive kilns and one of the best quality limestone resources that can be found in Latin America. By 2016, Carmeuse held 100% ownership and Procecal had started cementing a footprint in the region. In 2018, a joint venture was established between Procecal and another company in the area, Promical creating a new entity named, RioCal S.A.S.
In late 2019, Michael Felsmann was appointed the CEO of RioCal and was tasked with growing the business, making it profitable, and planning for a prosperous future. A focus was placed on safety, technological advancement, efficiency, automatization and process improvement. Over the next few years investments were made in infrastructure including a PFR kiln overhauling, new hydration system, and trucking dock to increase efficiency of production and the safety of employees.
In 2023, complete control of Procecal and Promical was granted to Carmeuse as Carmeuse purchased 100% of the shares within the company and any outstanding kiln payments. The decision was made to officially rebrand as Carmeuse Colombia.
A Rock-Solid Future in Colombia
As the path for Carmeuse Colombia continues to take shape, it is clear that there is a bright future ahead. Carmeuse creates a culture that focuses on ethical business practices, collaboration, and community engagement which can be seen flourishing in Latin America. As a strong community leader, Carmeuse Colombia invests heavily in the local community in which it does business. For example, the Santiaguitos School, which is fully supported by Carmeuse Colombia, supports education and experiences for local school children. Supporting both the building and maintenance of the school, the health of the children, and the technology they have access to. Carmeuse Colombia will continue to grow with plans to increase production capacity and profitability in the coming years. As a provider of the highest quality hydrated lime in Latin America, the company is poised to expand into other regions with the strong cultural foundation of Carmeuse now firmly embedded in the company.