The parent company of Dragon Cement in Thomaston announced Wednesday that it will idle production there starting in December, laying off about 65 employees over the ensuing year.
Dragon Cement has been in business for nearly 100 years. In recent years, it has drawn safety violations and fines. In July, the Maine Monitor reported that federal regulators cited Dragon for 33 violations, including 10 for “significant and substantial” problems.
Giant Cement, which has owned Dragon since 2006, cited “persistent escalation of operating and logistical costs” including the price of energy as the reason for shutting down the plant, which is a major landmark near the coast along U.S. Route 1.
The company was among the large power consumers that had been negotiating for a $90 million natural gas line from Belfast to Thomaston, but local opposition led Summit Natural Gas to pull the plug on the idea in 2021. The plant is fueled by petroleum coke, a major carbon producer, as well as waste products that include used tires and carpet.
Layoffs will happen gradually from December through the beginning of 2025, Giant Cement said. Giant will continue to provide cement and slag through New England via its distribution terminal network, it said.
Thomaston officials have not discussed the plant’s closure, said Diane Giese, the chair of the select board, declining to make a statement on it until they had.
Gov. Janet Mills told Maine Public’s “Maine Calling” on Thursday that she was hoping to speak with the company, blaming the closure chiefly on the region’s refusal to embrace the gas line and adding that the cement produced there is vital for the state economy.
“It’s very, very concerning to me,” the Democrat said of the closure. “We need Dragon Cement.”
BDN writer Michael Shepherd contributed to this report.
Jules Walkup is a Report for America corps member. Additional support for this reporting is provided by BDN readers.
