France’s Bagnac-sur-Célé quarry celebrates 100th anniversary

The quarry in Bagnac-sur-Célé is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2013.

French construction group 402 Colas took over the quarry in 1980 with the creation of the Société des Carrières du Massif Centrale (SCMC), which employs a dozen staff and produces 250,000 tonnes of hard rock per year for turnover of €3.80 million that are destined for the concrete industry, road or railway construction works, artisans, individuals, and building material traders.

Some €1.4 million of investments have been spent over three years on the renewal of the site's mobile equipment.

The quarry's granulates are used in the concrete on the high-speed railway between Tours and Bordeaux, and it produces 70,000tonnes of ballast/year and supplied 650,000tonnes of material for the Midi-Pyrénées Railway between 2007 and 2012. The project represented up to 50% of its activities in certain years.

The quarry has ISO 14001 environmental management certification and conforms to OSHAS 18001 security standards.

Around €1.3 million will be invested in the site in 2013 to increase its crushing, washing and sifting capacity.