About us
Dunbar Plant
Welcome to Dunbar
Dunbar Cement Plant is a limestone quarry and cement works that generates around £8 million annually for the local economy through salaries, rates and contracts with local suppliers.
Limestone and cement
Limestone is the main raw material used to make cement, and this comes from our quarry at Dunbar. Our Dunbar Plant uses this limestone to produce cement, which is the most versatile building material in the world. It is essential for creating many aspects of the built environment on which we all rely, including homes, hospitals, and infrastructure in the highways, transport, and water sectors.
Our History
Dunbar has a long and proud history within the East Lothian community. The plant celebrated its 50 anniversary in 2013. Here are some of the highlights:
| 1963 | Blue Circle built a cement plant in Dunbar, the only site in Scotland with sufficient raw materials for cement-making. The company took on 550 people when the plant opened, 90 per cent of them from the local area. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | A single, highly efficient kiln and landmark preheater tower replaced the three existing kilns, expanding the factory’s production capacity. | |
| 1990s | A £35 million investment increased capacity. | |
| 2001 | The site became part of Lafarge Cement UK. | |
| 2007 | A £22 million gas scrubber is installed to halve emissions of sulphur and dust. | |
| 2008 | Quarry operations were moved to the North East Quarry; the old North West Quarry was ‘retired’ and the restoration process started. | |
| 2009 - 2010 | A £7 million investment programme ensured the Dunbar plant was fully up to date technologically. | |
| 2011 | The site was selected to be the first in the world to pilot a brand new project to improve reliability and performance. | |
| 2013 | Dunbar became part of Tarmac. |
Meet the team
At Dunbar, our employees work in a range of diverse and exciting roles. Here, we put the spotlight on a team member and get to know more about them and their job at the site.
Chris Bradbury, Plant manager
I started my career at Blue Circle Cement in 1994 as an apprentice in the maintenance team, working in many functions and having the opportunity to travel both around the UK and the World doing the job I enjoy.
I have a BSc in Engineering from Coventry University
My current role is varied and diverse and people development is one of the main areas that I enjoy. Each day can present a different challenge and be able to leave the office and spend time walking and talking in the plant or quarry is fantastic.
Josh Bryan, safety, health and environment advisor
I joined Tarmac in 2014 when I covered the role of environmental coordinator at a cement plant in Staffordshire. I then took the opportunity to join the Dunbar Team in a permanent role in July 2015. My role on site is multi-faceted - however my main duties include monitoring and improving the site's Environmental and Energy Management Systems, coordinating our carbon compliance system, and serving as liaison for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and our local communities. My background includes a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and a master's degree in environmental management and consultancy. I've proudly lived in Dunbar as a member of the local community since 2018.
Sanchita Patjoshi, purchasing manager
I am a chemical engineer with over 15 years of experience in project management, contract management and procurement in the cement, mining and material handling industries. Over the years, I have worked in various parts in Asia, Denmark, US, Italy before moving to UK and settling in this beautiful coastal town of Dunbar with my husband. I have been working for Tarmac Cement works, Dunbar as purchasing manager since October 2015. In my role I am responsible for ensuring that the business purchases the right quality goods and services from the right sources at the right time and at a sustainable price. I take pride in building on foundations of close collaborations with our key suppliers to continually improve and deliver procurement value.
Elizabeth Kennedy, HR business partner
I began my HR career in London in 2006, working for Christian Dior Perfumes and Cosmetics. I have an MSC in Human Resource Management and have worked in an HR capacity for other company’s such as The Glenmorangie Company and the NHS.
I have worked for Tarmac as an HR Business Partner since January 2019. Firstly, in the Dunbar Cement Plant, then I worked at the Aberthaw Cement Plant in South Wales for a year. I am now back in Dunbar looking after both cement sites.
My role is diverse and varied which I thoroughly enjoy. Tarmac is a fantastic company to work for - it supports inclusion and diversity and encourages colleagues to seek out challenges and constantly strive to be the best.
Mark Grieve, quarry manager
I have been in this role since September 2020. I started at Dunbar in 2002 as a production operator and I have progressed through all roles at Dunbar Quarry over this time. I have lived in Dunbar for most of my life so am proud to work for one of the biggest employers in the area. I am also keen to be involved in Tarmac’s good relations with the local community.
Gauthier Autrand, operations manager
I have been at the Dunbar Cement Plant since December 2016. I started work in the cement industry in 2005 and have worked in production, maintenance and plant management in seven different countries so far.
Stephen Cook, packing plant and bulk rail manager
I started at Dunbar in November 2015, supporting the kiln upgrade project. I then took on my current role at the beginning of 2016.
Prior to Tarmac, I worked at the Teesside steel-making facility at Redcar for about 25 years in several different roles.
About Tarmac
Tarmac, a CRH company, is the UK's leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business.
Tarmac combines the knowledge and expertise of two of the construction industry’s most iconic brands: Tarmac, the pioneers of the modern road and Blue Circle, the company that patented Portland Cement.
Our innovative products and solutions not only safely deliver the infrastructure needed to grow the UK economy today but also help to create a more sustainable built environment for the country’s long-term future. We have contributed to some of the UK’s biggest construction projects, including The Sainsbury Laboratory, Wembley Stadium, Heathrow Terminal 5, Blackpool Sea Defences, The Shard and London 2012.
The company has over 150 years of experience and directly employs around 5,500 people across a nationwide network of over 350 sites. Our solutions span aggregates, asphalt, cement, readymix concrete, road contracting services, building products and recycling services. This unique combination of people, technology and assets enables us to offer customers unrivalled choice, innovation and flexibility.
About CRH
CRH (NYSE: CRH, LSE: CRH) is the leading provider of building materials solutions that build, connect and improve our world. Employing c.78,500 people at c.3,390 operating locations in 29 countries, CRH has market leadership positions in both North America and Europe. As the essential partner for road and critical utility infrastructure, commercial building projects and outdoor living solutions, CRH’s unique offering of materials, products and value-added services helps to deliver a more resilient and sustainable built environment. The company is ranked among sector leaders by Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating agencies. A Fortune 500 company, CRH’s shares are listed on the NYSE and LSE.
For more information visit: www.crh.com
Health and safety
Protecting the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, contractors and those around us is a core value of our business. We work in potentially hazardous environments so it’s important that everyone understands how to go about their jobs safely.
We believe that no task is so important that it can’t be done safely and through measurement and learning we can continuously improve our performance. Everyone working at Dunbar is expected to work in a safe, responsible manner and to challenge unsafe behaviour.
We give everyone on site a thorough induction so they know our behavioural expectations and how to stay safe. We are very careful to separate out traffic and pedestrian movements, and we undertake risk assessments before each activity so that we know the risks involved and can prepare for them.
We measure our safety record by recording everything from a Near Miss (Unsafe Act or Condition), First Aid Treatment, Medical Injuries, and incidents that mean someone has to take time off work, known as a Lost Time Injury (LTI), so we can learn and avoid them altogether in the future.
On site, everyone outside the office buildings must wear Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).
The Mineral Products Association’s (MPA) has a Safe Quarry hub where you can access further information.