New AAC Plant in Northeast Ready to Meet Demand

The exterior of the Cumberland TruStone plant in Vineland, NJ, which began production in November.

In late November, access to autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) became much easier for builders and contractors in the Northeast with the opening of the new Cumberland TruStone AAC plant in Vineland, New Jersey.

AAC has long been used in Europe and Asia but is relatively new to the North American building market. Although interest in this material was initially slow to take hold, thanks to the promotional efforts of IMI and AAC’s prominent role in the BAC/IMI Masonry Variations exhibit at the National Building Museum during the International Apprentice Contest, interest and demand for this material is growing rapidly.

The interior of the new AAC plant.

Already, IMI has developed special AAC training programs on its application and installation, which members from throughout the Union have taken advantage of at regional training centers, as well as at the BAC/IMI National Training Center. One of AAC’s most attractive features for members young and old is the weight of the AAC block, which is significantly lighter compared to other concrete units.

“At our 2000 Convention, delegates passed a resolution calling on the IU and IMI to identify and promote the development and use of light-weight materials to help reduce the physical wear and tear members experience. Expanded use of AAC is one step towards that end and responds to the directive our members gave us,” says BAC President John J. Flynn.

The potential for AAC in North America is tremendous. According to TruStone’s head of marketing, David Napier, if the New Jersey plant “provided AAC masonry units for only five percent of the fire walls within a 250-mile radius of Vineland, we’d max-out our production capacity.” It’s estimated that the materials produced by the plant have the potential to generate 700 new construction jobs for BAC members.

The $10 million manufacturing facility was built with BAC’s full support, help from the state’s Economic Development Agency, and TruStone’s owners. “The AAC manufacturing facility in Vineland is an excellent example of the good things that can happen when public and private entities work together on a project that will benefit the community and an entire industry,” says Jack Kocsis, CEO of the Building Contractors Association of New Jersey and a member of the board of directors of the state’s Economic Development Authority.