SESCO Cement has expanded its operations after officially opening its new facility in Tampa, Florida.
The company held an opening ceremony to mark the occasion, with Port Tampa Bay executive vice president and chief commercial officer Raul Alfonso and state representative Michael Owen in attendance. At the ceremony, SESCO Cement chief executive officer Rick van Eyk described the expansion as a significant long-term investment in the Tampa market and one that will create permanent local jobs and strengthen the company’s ability to serve customers throughout the region, according to the company’s LinkedIn.
“This was a proud moment for our team and a reflection of our continued growth and commitment to delivering quality cement solutions across the region,” the company posted.
“We’re thrilled to bring the SESCO standard to Tampa and look forward to building lasting relationships in the community.”
The ceremony comes after the company announced that Jihad Chahine would be its terminal manager at the Port Redwing facility at Port Tampa Bay.
The promotion came after Chahine joined SESCO in 2021 and worked as its vessel operations manager at SESCO’s facility in Houston, Texas, which is one of the largest cement terminals in the US.
“Jihad’s deep knowledge of our systems, processes, and culture makes him the ideal leader to bring our Tampa terminal to its full potential. He helped us in Houston to maintain double-digit growth in operations for five years in a row,” SESCO Group vice president of operations Mohamed El Nokali said.
“We are confident that under his leadership, our facility at Port Tampa Bay will deliver on the promise we’ve made to Florida’s construction industry.”
Chahine’s remit will include leading the Tampa terminal from commissioning through ramp-up to steady-state operations. The company has estimated it will move up to 500,000 tonnes of cement and crushed limestone aggregates at the Florida facility by the end of 2026.
“I’m proud to be part of SESCO’s expansion into Florida and excited by the opportunity to build something from the ground up here in Tampa,” Chahine said.
“Our team is focused on delivering safe, efficient operations that support Florida’s construction sector and create lasting value for the community.”
