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52-472: Las Pozas is near the village of Xilitla, San Luis Potosí , a seven-hour drive north of Mexico City. In the early 1940s, James went to Los Angeles, California , and then decided that he "wanted a Garden of Eden set up . . . and I saw that Mexico was far more romantic" and had "far more room than there is in crowded Southern California". In Hollywood in 1941, his lifetime friend and cousin, Magic Realist painter Bridget Bate Tichenor , encouraged him to search for

104-588: A tropical monsoon climate ( Köppen climate classification ). Xilitla's altitude moderates the hot temperatures recorded in nearby areas at lower altitudes. Receiving more than 100 inches (2,500 mm) of precipitation annually, Xilitla is one of the wettest areas of Mexico. Rainfall occurs throughout the year, with maximum precipitation coming in summer, but winters are not as dry as in many other parts of Mexico. The natural beauty of Xilitla inspired eccentric English artist Edward James to create Las Pozas ("the Pools"),

156-498: A 1990 baseline, and to deliver net zero concrete by 2050. In May 2021 CEMEX partnered with British oil company BP to research industry-wide decarbonization of cement production. In 2024, Oishi (Philippine brand) and CEMEX Asia Holdings Ltd. (Philippines) partnered to support sustainable disposal of plastic waste per commitment to environmental stewardship and circular economy principles in industrial operations. “Our partnership with Liwayway allows us to support them with

208-595: A 50% market share; a deal on compensation was still to be reached in March 2009, despite agreements being reached in mid-2008 with the other two major cement producers. In December 2011, an agreement was reached, with Cemex receiving $ 600m in compensation, and benefiting from the cancellation of $ 154m in debt. After having problems with the Mexican peso devaluation of 2008, including problems with derivatives, CEMEX had to rethink its international standings to decrease debt and avoid

260-519: A Colombian cement company in 1996, CEMEX became the third largest cement company in the world. In 1997–1999, the company expanded its scope to include Asia and Africa, making major purchases in the Philippines , Indonesia and Egypt , as well as Costa Rica . The acquisition of U.S. based Southdown made CEMEX the largest cement company in North America, and further international purchases were made in

312-480: A cease and desist order asking for "administration civil penalties", stating that "the operation is narrowing beaches and impacting environmentally sensitive habitat." Cemex denied the allegations and continued to operate. A settlement was reached in 2017 and CEMEX ended mining in December 2020. In 2020 CEMEX announced a new climate action strategy, aiming to lower its overall carbon footprint by 35% in 2030 compared to

364-470: A default. In June 2009, CEMEX sold its Australian operations to Holcim for A$ 2.2 billion ( US$ 1.75 billion) helping refinance its US$ 14 billion debt, which partly was due to the acquisition, two years earlier, of the Rinker Group . In December 2010, DOL Resolves Employee Back Wage Case With CEMEX – The U.S. Department of Labor announced the filing of a consent judgment in a case against CEMEX Inc. and

416-399: A garden in a subtropical rainforest just outside the town of Xilitla. It includes more than 80 acres (32 ha) of natural waterfalls and pools interspersed with towering surrealist sculptures in concrete. James' objective was to create a " Garden of Eden " at Las Pozas. A foundation now owns and operates Las Pozas which is open to the public. Edward James house, near the centre of Xilitla

468-479: A large role in the creation of the concrete sculptures is Jose Aguilar, a skilled Mexican carpenter. Using the sketches and designs of Edward James he made wooden molds in which cement could be poured in through, and when dried would harden to the shape of the mold. Originally, Edward James used his stay in San Luis Potosi, Mexico as a ground to grow orchids and create his own private zoo. For this reason, many of

520-627: A new policy that an employer who interferes with an election will be compelled to recognize the union without an election, where previously a new election would be ordered. The case marked a significant new policy which partly revived the Joy Silk doctrine. CEMEX World Corporate Headquarters is in Monterrey, Mexico and its U.S. operations headquarters is in Memorial City, Houston , Texas . The company operates in over 30 countries/territories around

572-455: A number of caves and caverns in Xilitla, as well as many natural springs . Parakeet Cave, a short walk from the town, is home to a large number of green parrots which leave and re-enter the cave at dawn and dusk every day. The land is largely sedimentary rock with striations visible on cliffs and roads. The climatic classification for Xilitla is a humid subtropical climate closely bordering

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624-470: A prominent thumb-shaped mountain, scalable only with mountain climbing gear, rises to 8,350 feet (2,550 m) six miles west of the city. The land area in the municipality is largely steep but habitable slopes. To the south and west, Xilitla borders the mountains of Querétaro and Hidalgo states. To the northeast, Xilitla borders flat terrain along the Tancuilin river, and Mexican highway 85. There are

676-584: A surreal location in Mexico to express his diverse esoteric interests. In Cuernavaca , he hired Plutarco Gastelum as a guide. They came to know Xilitla in November 1945. Eventually, Plutarco got married and had four children. James was "Uncle Edward" to the children and frequently stayed with them in a house Plutarco had built, a mock-Gothic cement castle, now a hotel – La Posada El Castillo. Between 1949 and 1984, James built scores of surreal concrete structures which carry

728-534: A third from its plants in the U.S., 30% from its operations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and the rest from its other plants around the world. CEMEX currently operates on four continents, with 64 cement plants, 1,348 ready-mix-concrete facilities, 246 quarries, 269 distribution centers and 68 marine terminals. In the 2021 Forbes Global 2000 , Cemex was ranked as the 1178th -largest public company in

780-691: Is 50 km south. Buses run hourly from the town to Ciudad Valles and Tamazunchale and several times daily to Monterrey , Mexico City , San Luis Potosí and Tampico . More frequent buses are available at Y Griega. 21°23′02″N 98°59′24″W  /  21.384°N 98.990°W  / 21.384; -98.990 Cemex CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V. , known as Cemex , is a Mexican multinational building materials company headquartered in San Pedro , near Monterrey , Nuevo León , Mexico . It manufactures and distributes cement , ready-mix concrete and aggregates in more than 50 countries. In 2020 it

832-610: Is held in August. A local food specialty is the zacahuil, a giant tamale (3 to 4 feet long) wrapped in banana leaves and filled with pork on one side and chicken on the other. The town of Xilitla has an elevation of 676 metres (2,218 ft) and is located in the eastern slopes of the Sierra Gorda mountain range, part of the Sierra Madre Oriental . Narrow valleys in the municipality dip to 400 metres (1,300 ft). La Silleta,

884-415: Is known as El Castillo and is now a hotel. A museum with sculptures of Leonora Carrington opened October 19, 2018. The highway to the southwest winds around tight curves through the mountains to Querétaro and Mexico City . Heading northeast from town, the highway winds 10 km to La Y Griega , a large T-intersection into highway 85. Ciudad Valles is 100 km north along 85, and Tamazunchale

936-411: Is said for an average project over 40 masons, carpenters, bricklayers and black smiths were needed. From the beginning of La Pozas to the death of Edward James it is approximated he employed over 100 local workers. Upon hearing of James’ death, Plutarco Gastélum halted construction of Las Pozas leaving several structures unfinished. Edward James had a passion for the surrealism style and he believed he

988-544: The Indian shot leaves (papatla), flowers made of concrete and birds made of concrete. Edward James, at one point had also constructed a house made of concrete, bricks and bamboo in which he resided when he traveled to Mexico. One of the most popular structures would have to be  “the stairway to heaven,” which refers to the concrete structure composed of columns that imitate the reproductive aspects of an orchid flower, with two staircases spiraling around them and connecting at

1040-570: The Mexican state of San Luis Potosí in the Huasteca region of Mexico . The town is located at 21°23′08″N 98°59′25″W  /  21.38556°N 98.99028°W  / 21.38556; -98.99028 The municipality has an area of 415 square kilometres (160 sq mi) and had a population of 51,498 in 2010 of whom 6,576 lived in town of Xilitla. Xilitla is known for its fertile mountains and springs which create panoramic landscapes throughout

1092-468: The 1960s, CEMEX grew significantly when it acquired several more plants throughout Mexico. In 1976, the company went public on the Mexican stock exchange, and that same year, became the largest cement producer in Mexico with the purchase of three plants from Cementos Guadalajara. In 1982, the company made significant progress in overseas markets, doubling its exports. Further acquisitions of Mexican cement companies were made in 1987 and 1989, making CEMEX one of

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1144-852: The Barcelona School of Architecture. Also, CEMEX has created the Centro CEMEX-Tecnológico de Monterrey, which is a research and development program for sustainable communities across Mexico thru the Premio CEMEX-TEC. In 2007, the Organization of American States (OAS), through their Trust for the Americas, awarded the company The Corporate Citizen of the Americas Award 2007, for the social benefits of their program "Patrimonio Hoy", in Mexico, that according to José Miguel Insulza , President of

1196-569: The Hotel Francis in Mexico City . Massive sculptures up to four stories tall punctuate the site. The many trails throughout the garden site are composed of steps, ramps, bridges and narrow, winding walkways that traverse the valley walls. Construction of Las Pozas cost more than $ 5 million. To pay for it, James sold his collection of surrealistic art at an auction. In the construction of the structures, large amounts of workers were always needed. It

1248-664: The Indians in 1569 and 1587 and largely abandoned by the Augustines. In the 17th century, the Dominicans made another attempt to evangelize but were unable to overcome the hostility of the Indians. Finally, in the mid-18th century, Fray Junípero Serra and the Franciscans succeeded in establishing a permanent missionary presence in the region. The economy is primarily agricultural with the main crops being coffee and citrus . A coffee fair

1300-693: The Monterey Bay (California) Unified Air Pollution Control District reported high levels of chromium VI , also known as hexavalent chromium, a cancer causing chemical agent, at an elementary school and fire department in Davenport, California . Chromium VI is the contaminant that inspired the movie, Erin Brockovich . The toxic substance apparently originated from dust emitted by the Cemex Cement plant in Davenport, as

1352-830: The OAS, has a positive effect in low-income families. This initiative, conceived in 1998, aims to reduce the Mexican housing deficit, which leaves more than 20 million people with inadequate shelter. Patrimonio Hoy organizes low-income families into self-financing cells that facilitate and expedite the typical homebuilding process. CEMEX and its network provide the products needed but also the technical assistance, including an architect who helps design homes to optimize space and reduce waste. To date, more than 150,000 Mexican families have realized their dreams of home ownership As of 2020, CEMEX Social Responsibility initiatives had benefited over 23 million people in its neighboring communities world-wide. The company also restated its Social Impact policy, with

1404-557: The auspices of the EU Waste Incineration Directive as it burns waste tires for fuel. There are concerns over the impact on both the environment and human health from this practice, although it is common practice in many cement works. In 2021 CEMEX announced investments in Europe to promote an environmentally-friendly “ circular economy ,” safely using waste as a substitute for fossil fuels, including in its Rugby plant. During tests conducted from June 10 to August 5, 2008,

1456-555: The commitment from the holders of more than 50% of the shares to complete the acquisition. Shortly after the apparent finalization of the Rinker deal in 2007, the United States Department of Justice brought an antitrust lawsuit against CEMEX, blocking the acquisition. After a lengthy process, CEMEX complied with regulators by divesting (selling) 40+ cement and concrete plants formerly part of itself or Rinker, essentially devaluing

1508-415: The company Cemex , and the government of San Luis Potosí paid about $ 2.2 million for Las Pozas and created Fondo Xilitla , a foundation that oversees the preservation and restoration of the site. As a result of opening Las Pozas to the public in 1994, the town of Xilita began to receive a higher number of tourists. Today one can visit Las Pozas to see the sculptures of Edward James and also to bathe in

1560-615: The company failed to install modern air pollution controls, despite spending millions in renovations. The case was settled in 2009. In February 2021 the U.S. Department of Energy awarded funding for research on carbon-capture at the CEMEX Victorville cement plant. In the United Kingdom, CEMEX was originally fined £400,000 in October 2006 after hazardous dust was deposited up to three miles (5 km) away from its Rugby works. The fine

1612-660: The country as an accidental, previously unknown byproduct of the cement-making process. In 2007, the EPA filed a complaint against CEMEX for violating federal air regulations at its Victorville plant, and in 2006, CEMEX was cited for violations at plants in Santa Barbara and Michigan. Cemex had a sand mining operation in the city of Marina, California , along the Monterey Bay coastline that concerned environmentalists and scientists. The California Coastal Commission in March 2016 issued

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1664-552: The following two years—a Thai company in 2001, and in 2002, a Puerto Rican company. On March 1, 2005, CEMEX completed its $ 5.8 billion acquisition of the London-based RMC Group , which made CEMEX the worldwide leader in ready-mix concrete production and increased its exposure to European markets. With the acquisition, the company expected its annual cement production to increase to 97 million tons. Also they had hoped to see its annual sales grow to $ 15 billion, just shy of

1716-1006: The goal of benefiting 30 million people by 2030. Fortune Magazine ranked CEMEX in 39th place in its 2020 Change the World Index. CEMEX has been accused of violating environmental laws in the United States. Environmental watchdog groups and the United States Environmental Protection Agency are threatening to file suit claiming the company has committed numerous violations of the Clean Air Act in Lyons, Colorado . CEMEX divested its operation in Lyons, Colorado, in 2016. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has also filed suit against CEMEX in Victorville, California , claiming

1768-404: The height of 20m. After the death of Edward James in 1984, Plutarco Gastélum Esquer, a Yaqui indian who was a photographer. He met James when he first traveled to Mexico became responsible for Las Pozas, which he unkept for a couple years in the 1980’s. Gastélum had always overseen construction for Las Pozas while James was not in Mexico as he was the true land owner of La Conchita. However due to

1820-537: The initial deal. In April 2008, the President of Venezuela , Hugo Chávez , announced the nationalization of "the whole cement industry" in that country, in response to the belief that the industry was exporting its products in order to receive prices above those it was allowed within the country. In mid-2008 the Venezuelan government took over the Venezuelan operations of CEMEX, the largest Venezuelan producer with around

1872-704: The levels of Chromium VI measured eight times the air district's acceptable level at Pacific Elementary School and 10 times at the Davenport Fire Department. Both are located less than a half-mile from CEMEX. Chromium VI may have been unwittingly produced at the CEMEX plant in Davenport for the last seven years. According to Ed Kendig, the executive director of the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, it's "highly possible" that Chromium VI continues to be produced across

1924-464: The market leader, Lafarge NYSE :  LR , which had sales of $ 17 billion. As none of these targets was met, CEMEX started looking for another suitor in its M&A push. On October 27, 2006, CEMEX announced a US$ 12.8 billion offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Rinker Group , Limited. Seven months later, on April 10, 2007, the Rinker board of directors approved an upgraded offer of USD 14.2 billion, and on June 7, 2007, CEMEX secured

1976-502: The municipality. Las Pozas gardens are a major tourist attraction. The rugged landscape has partly shielded Xilitla from industrialization, helping preserve its indigenous Huastec and Nahuatl cultures and traditional agrarian lifestyles. Most of Xilitla's residents live in over 100 rural villages of several dozen up to several hundred people. About 30,000 people in Xilitla live in indigenous households and about 20,000 of them speak an indigenous language, principally Huastec . Most of

2028-532: The names The House on Three Floors Which Will in Fact Have Five or Four or Six , The House with a Roof like a Whale , and The Staircase to Heaven . There were also plantings and beds full of tropical plants, including orchids — there were, apparently, 29,000 at Las Pozas at one time — and a variety of small homes, niches, and pens that held exotic birds and wild animals from the world over—James owned many exotic animals and once even took his pet boa constrictors to

2080-409: The natural pools found in the area. Tours are available to take. There are several hotels surrounding the area and restaurants that surfaced as a result of the area's gain of popularity. 21°23′49″N 98°59′49″W  /  21.3970°N 98.9970°W  / 21.3970; -98.9970 Xilitla, San Luis Potos%C3%AD Xilitla is a municipality ( Spanish : municipio ) and town in

2132-753: The original structures found in Las Pozas at one point were meant to house his pets: deer, flamingos, ducks, boa constrictors, etc. Jose Horna was the artisan who was given the job to create the cages for the boa constrictors. Besides the structures designed for the animals, most of the structures the James’ brought to life had no intended functionality, their main purpose was purely for aesthetics. Edward James often described how wanted his structures to form part of nature and/or blend into it. For this reason many of his designs were of plants, flowers, mushrooms and other natural elements. There are arches made to imitate plants like

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2184-516: The purchase of Spain's two largest cement companies, Valenciana de Cementos (Valcem, currently head of CEMEX Spain) and Cementos SANSON. Venezuela 's largest cement company, VENCEMOS, was acquired by CEMEX in 1994, and plants were purchased the same year in the United States and in Panama . In 1995 CEMEX acquired a cement company in the Dominican Republic , and with the purchase of a majority stake in

2236-421: The recovery of $ 1,514,449 in overtime back wages for 1,705 current and former ready-mix drivers who worked in eight states. In 2016, Cemex sold its Rinker Materials pipe business to Quikrete. In February 2018, the company reported record earnings of $ 750 million for all of 2016, the highest in a decade. Lowering company debt after recent acquisitions were a main cause of the company's financial performance. In

2288-491: The second-quarter 2021 CEMEX reported a net profit of US$ 270 million and a Debt-to-Ebitda 2.85 leverage ratio, within investment-grade range. In July 2022, Cemex acquired majority stake in ProStein, a German aggregates producer. In 2023, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board affirmed findings that Cemex had committed over two dozen unfair labor practices leading up to a 2019 union election. The board used this case to set

2340-553: The speakers of an indigenous language also speak Spanish. Augustine missionary activity in the Xilitla area began in 1537 and in 1553 construction began on the St. Augustine Convent. It was built to serve both a religious building and a fortress as the Chichimeca war was in progress and one of the hostile Chichimeca tribes, the Pame , lived to the northwest. The convent was attacked and burned by

2392-481: The strong financial burden of its upkeep Gastélum was forced to take certain measures. At first, he had sold parts of the land for which Las Posas reside on. Due to the Mexican law that declares waterways federal property any, in 1994 the land was opened to the public which eventually led to its declaration of a state culture heritage site in 2006.   In the summer of 2007, the Fundación Pedro y Elena Hernández,

2444-543: The ten largest cement companies in the world. In 2004, CEMEX received the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award for their creative and efficient use of information technology. In 2005, CEMEX acquired RMC Group , a ready mixed concrete , quarrying and concrete products company headquartered in Egham, United Kingdom . In 1992, CEMEX began its push into the international landscape with

2496-773: The world including: CEMEX has developed a number of educational and social responsibility initiatives. For example, it instituted the Premio CEMEX , an annual award that recognizes works in the fields of sustainability, accessibility, construction and architecture. Also, it funds the Catedra Blanca , and honors architecture courses in three universities: the ITESM , in Monterrey, the Universidad Iberoamericana , in Mexico City, and

2548-502: The world with over US$ 13 billion in annual sales. The company's world headquarters are in San Pedro Garza García, a city that is part of the Monterrey metropolitan area in the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. CEMEX was founded with the opening of Cementos Hidalgo, in 1906. Meanwhile, Cementos Portland Monterrey began operations in 1920, and in 1931, the two companies merged, becoming Cementos Mexicanos, now CEMEX. In

2600-438: Was born a surrealist. He created Las Pozas as his expression of surrealism. He often emphasized how Mexico is “naturally surrealistic” and how he wanted the structures he was designing to form part of that. He went to great lengths to achieve his desired surrealistic style in creating his sculptures and at one point he also conducted electricity from the nearby town Xilitla to light up the forest. One significant artisan who played

2652-399: Was ranked as the 5th largest cement company (by amount of cement produced annually) in the world, at 87.09 million tonnes. Lorenzo Zambrano was the chairman and chief executive officer until his death on May 21, 2014. The Board of Directors named Rogelio Zambrano Lozano as chairman, and Fernando A. Gonzalez as CEO. About a quarter of the company's sales come from its Mexico operations,

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2704-619: Was the highest ever given under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control regulations, and was also the highest for an Environment Agency prosecution for six years. The fine was, however, judged excessive by the Court of Appeal and so reduced to £50,000. In April 2007, CEMEX announced that it had installed a £6.5 million dust abatement system at the same works in Rugby, which had cut particulate emissions by 80%. The site comes under

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