Turkish cement producer Medcem plans to begin operations at its brownfield clinker grinding facility in western Florida by September as cement demand rises in the region, reported S&P Global.
The company signed a long-term lease agreement at SeaPort Manatee in May 2024 and began construction in February 2025 after securing the necessary permits. Cold commissioning and testing are scheduled for August, with commercial production starting in September, Medcem Business Development and Investment Director Enver Celikbas told Platts, part of S&P Global Energy.
“The U.S. is our biggest export market, and U.S. cement imports have increased from 15 mt to 22 mt over the last seven years, and we expect this trend to continue,” Celikbas said. “That is why we want more investment in the U.S., and we are already engaged in discussions – solely and together with some potential partners – for a few more locations and also actively searching for both greenfield and brownfield investments there.”
The facility has two grinding mills and will initially operate one of them through the end of this year. At full capacity, with both lines running, the facility can process 40 metric tons (mt) per hour on each line, translating into an annual output of 450,000 to 500,000 mt of ASTM Type I/II and Type IL cement, Celikbas said.
Medcem will source clinker from Turkey for the Florida operation, marking the company’s first U.S. production footprint. To support the expansion, the company plans to increase its clinker capacity in Turkey by 500,000 to 600,000 mt annually by year-end.
Beyond standard cement production, Medcem plans to use the Florida mill’s flexibility to grind ground granulated blast furnace slag in the near future, though no supplementary cementitious materials will be used from day one.
