Ozinga Installs CarbonCure CO2 Recycling Technology
Chicago family business known for quality and service reinforces its commitment to sustainability
CHICAGO, IL – Known for its iconic red and white striped concrete mixers, the Ozinga name is synonymous with providing the highest quality and best service to its communities. In continuing to reinforce its commitment to sustainability, Ozinga has partnered with concrete innovator CarbonCure technologies.
Ozinga recently installed the CarbonCure technology at its downtown Chicago ready mix concrete plant. The CarbonCure technology recycles carbon dioxide gas generated by? an ethanol plant in neighbouring Wisconsin? and injects it into Ozinga’s concrete in order to improve the concrete’s compressive strength and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
The Ozinga family has a rich history of service and entrepreneurship, and the adoption of the CarbonCure technology represents a natural evolution for the company. Established in 1928 by Martin Ozinga Sr., a Dutch immigrant and former Chief of Police, the company now operates under the helm of Martin Ozinga IV.
“Ozinga was founded on the principal of service to others; service to our colleagues, to our customers, and to our community,” says Martin Ozinga IV. “The CarbonCure technology allows us to further serve our community by being better stewards of the environment.”
Since its conception, the company has overcome numerous challenges, including the Great Depression, World War II (in which the Ozinga brothers suspended operations to serve in the war), and the recent economic recession.
Now in its fourth generation of ownership, Ozinga is led by the 6 sons of Martin Ozinga III – Martin IV, Karl, Justin, Aaron, Paul and Tim, alongside their cousin Jeff.
“We faced many challenges over the past decade because of the economic recession,” says Martin Ozinga IV. “The recession forced us to reflect on our true purpose as a company, which is to serve others and to provide high-quality products. We look forward to continuing to grow as a company with CarbonCure as our partner.”
The ability to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint is appealing to architects, engineers and building developers. Rand Ekman, Chief Sustainability Officer of leading national architectural firm HKS, Inc., who is based in Chicago, is an advocate for? carbon reduction initiatives within the design community.
“As architects, we have a responsibility to understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of the building materials we use,” explains Ekman. “I’ve been anticipating the launch of CarbonCure ready mix concrete in Chicago for some time, and I’m delighted to offer my congratulations to the Ozinga family for leading the industry with this innovation.”
About Ozinga
Ozinga is a fourth-generation family-owned business providing concrete, materials, energy and logistics solutions. For over 85 years, Ozinga has offered the highest quality and best service in its communities.? Learn more at www.ozinga.com
About CarbonCure Technologies Inc.
CarbonCure is concrete’s gateway to the green building community. Its technology chemically repurposes waste carbon dioxide during the concrete manufacturing process. Through collaboration with leading designers, the company and its partners are supplying a scalable solution to address the growing demand for green building materials. CarbonCure concrete is available through leading concrete manufacturers across North America. Learn more at www.carboncure.com.
Source: CarbonCure Technologies Inc., press release, 2016-09-15.