Johnson Concrete Company announces addition of CarbonCure Masonry Technology
CarbonCure Masonry Technology to be used in Lexington plant
Johnson Concrete Company, a family owned business with locations across North Carolina, has announced the addition of the CarbonCure Masonry Technology in its Lexington plant. The CarbonCure technology recycles waste carbon dioxide into concrete products, effectively making Johnson concrete masonry units more environmentally friendly.
The Johnson Concrete Company was founded in 1947 by Allen Starling Johnson Jr., an All-American starting guard for the Duke University football team. When Allen passed away in 1982, his wife Frances Johnson assumed the role of President. Meanwhile, Charles Newsome, who had begun his career at Johnson in 1968, took on the position of Executive Vice President. To this day, Johnson’s children and Newsome continue to serve on the executive leadership team.
The decision to license the CarbonCure technology was not taken lightly by Newsome, who oversees the business and operations at Johnson. Says Newsome, “We completed extensive due diligence into the viability of the technology, and its potential to create value for Johnson Concrete, and we are now pleased to offer our customers concrete products with a reduced carbon footprint.”
The CarbonCure technology injects carbon dioxide gas captured from nearby smokestacks into concrete products during the mixing phase. Once introduced into the concrete mix, the carbon dioxide chemically converts into a solid calcium carbonate mineral. Since the gas has been converted into a mineral, it will never escape into the atmosphere. This means that Johnson Concrete will continue to provide high quality concrete products, and effectively get rid of local air pollution at the same time.
The Johnson announcement comes on the heels of Charlotte-based ready mixed company Concrete Supply Co.’s addition of the CarbonCure Ready Mixed Technology. Architects, engineers and developers in the Charlotte metropolitan area now have access to green concrete in both poured concrete and masonry products. In addition to Washington, DC, Charlotte is the second metropolitan center in the world to offer concrete made with recycled carbon dioxide in both ready mixed and concrete masonry products.
Robert Niven, CEO and founder of CarbonCure Technologies, remarks, “I am excited by the opportunity to work with Charles Newsome and the Johnson family. Johnson Concrete Company has held a long-standing reputation as a highly ethical, quality-driven operation. On behalf of CarbonCure, I welcome Johnson Concrete Company to the growing CarbonCure family.”
About the Author
Christie Gamble, LEED Green Associate, is sustainability director at CarbonCure Technologies. Her mission is to educate and engage the design and development community around CarbonCure's efforts to improve sustainability in the concrete industry. Gamble promotes transparency through the creation of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) and the HPD for CarbonCure's manufacturing partners. She is a LEED Green Associate and an active member of the HPD Manufacturers Advisory Panel developing HPD version 2.0. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and MBA from Dalhousie University. Christie can be reached at 902-442-4020 or or by email at cgamble@carboncure.com.
