Serving the community since 1939!
Henry Kaiser at 80, looking over Hawaii-Kai, the vast resort city he was building – 1962.
History - 1960s
Moving farther afield...
With twenty years of experience behind it, Permanente Cement Company was no longer a flash in the pan. Maturity brought a well-earned respect, along with opportunities to expand into new territories and new ventures.
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A personalized holiday memo to every employee from Henry Kaiser, in the Aloha spirit.
Kaiser Cement
employees, then as
now, work very hard to
maintain Permanente’s
excellent safety record.
Operating
sacking machine.
Operating
sacking machine.
More and Bigger...
The company found a foothold in markets previously unexplored by U.S. cement companies as it constructed the Waianae plant in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Pacific Rim left the future wide open, and in time the company acquired interests in cement plants in Okinawa and Thailand.
A plant was built in Montana to supply construction of the Yellowtail Dam. A merger with Longhorn Portland Cement Company in San Antonio added new markets in the Southwest. New distribution terminals in North Dakota, Idaho, Oregon, Alaska and California meant that no matter how large the customer, Permanente could supply cement throughout the West. And supply it fast.
Permanente Plant
Permanente Plant
24001 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014
General Number:
(408) 996-4000
Media/Community Hotline:
(408) 500-5034
Kaiser Cement and Gypsum...
As the company diversified, with new industrial enterprises leading it to develop new product lines and facilities in new areas, the focus shifted. Permanente, long the foundation of the company, became a cornerstone.
Permanente, the West’s largest cement plant, circa 1962.
Permanente’s bulk cement fleet.
By 1964, Kaiser Gypsum, growing by leaps and bounds, accounted for one-third of the company’s sales. The fourth largest maker of wallboard and other gypsum products in the nation, it built plants in Florida and New Jersey, opening up the Eastern seaboard. No longer a small sibling within the company, the gypsum division had earned its own name on the door and Permanente Cement Company became Kaiser Cement and Gypsum Corporation.
Changing Times...
In response to changes in the construction markets, the kilns at Permanente were made more efficient in order to reduce fuel costs and increase clinker output. Additionally, improvements were made in the limestone beneficiation process and the world’s largest rod ball mill, a distinction in itself, was added to the plant to beef up raw grinding.
The fleet of cement trucks, long bustling to deliver its product to numerous projects in Northern California, was phased out in 1968, in response to changes in customer requirements.
In 1967, the company mourned the passing of Permanente’s “Papa”. Henry Kaiser died in his sleep at 85.
Permanente’s office and laboratory.
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