Sudden Layoffs at the CalPortland Cement Plant North of Redding

A cement plant just north of Redding (CalPortland Redding Cement Plant in the Mountain Gate area) suddenly laid off 53 employees this morning (April 10). Many of those affected were longtime members of the local United Steelworkers union.

CalPortland acquires the Redding cement plant from Martin Marietta.

Why it’s happening: Employees and spouses posting in local community groups say the company told them it is now cheaper to import foreign cement than to produce it locally in California. The main driver cited is the state's extremely high energy costs, which have made local manufacturing unviable. One comment from a spouse of a laid-off worker: “They were told that until either the price of energy comes down or they can figure out how to make a CHEAPER material used to build our homes, bridges, dams, and roads, they won’t have a job at the Redding cement plant.”

Context: The CalPortland cement plant was originally operated as the Lehigh Hanson plant until it was acquired by Martin Marietta in October of 2021. Martin Marietta subsequently sold it to its Japanese parent company, Taiheiyo Cement, and it continued operating as part of its wholly owned subsidiary, CalPortland Cement Company. Some workers noted that CalPortland’s takeover of the plant has led to ongoing issues. One former employee said they left a year ago after the change in ownership “ruined the company” and expressed heartbreak for friends and family still there.

Information About the Parent Company: CalPortland operates four cement plants, three of which are located in California. They also operate several cement distribution terminals and aggregate quarries used in the manufacture of cement. As a privately held company, financial records are not published; all indications are that CalPortland has performed well for its parent company. Some reports indicate that total revenues for CalPortland's national operations may be around $800 million per year. There have been financial reports released by the parent company indicating that CalPortland may account for as much a 50% of the parent company's total profits.

Footprint of CalPortland's U.S. operations

Published reports indicate that California energy costs, specifically those affecting the Redding operations (PG&E), have been especially high. As of this date, operations of its other two California plants (Mojave and Oro Grande) have not been impacted.

Redding Impact: This is the most significant single-company layoff in Redding in 2026. No full official company statement or WARN notice details have been released in mainstream news yet — the news broke primarily via local Facebook crime/community alert groups and Instagram. It’s a significant blow to the roughly 100–110-person workforce at the historic plant (which has operated in Shasta County since the 1960s under various owners, including Lehigh Southwest Cement previously).

This fits a broader pattern of California manufacturing challenges driven by energy prices, but it’s hitting Shasta County hard and fast, with little advance warning for most workers.