Fortera to launch patented sustainable cement technology, producing 300,000 tons of ReAct® cement annually using carbon captured from MLC’s lime production

STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo., Oct. 22, 2026 /CNW/ — Fortera and MLC plan to build Fortera’s first commercial low-carbon cement plant at MLC’s Ste. Genevieve site. The plant would capture CO₂ emitted by MLC’s lime production and transform it into a reactive cement that is nearly 50% captured CO₂ by weight.

The Ste. Genevieve operation was selected due to its scale and strategic location. Situated in the Central Midwest on the Mississippi River, the site enables economical delivery across most of the U.S. and internationally. Adding domestic cement supply also reduces U.S. reliance on foreign imports, which account for 21% of consumption, according to the 2025 U.S. Geological Survey.

ReAct cement is one of the most consequential cement innovations in generations, introducing a fundamentally new way to manufacture an essential building material that meets or exceeds traditional cement’s performance.

By transforming captured CO₂ from lime production into value-added cement, this project offers an approach to reduce the carbon footprint of two critical, hard-to-abate industries. Cement accounts for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (according to the U.S. Department of Energy), so innovations have the potential to meaningfully impact global climate change.

“The Ste. Genevieve plant marks a new era for American cement production, one where technology turns emissions into a high-quality product the market needs while creating lasting local jobs,” said Ryan Gilliam, CEO and co-founder of Fortera. “Building alongside the largest lime operation in the Americas lets us turn an existing emissions stream into hundreds of thousands of tons of cement to meet demand that already exists.”

This project is also significant for the lime industry because it provides a scalable solution to capture and re-use CO2 released by limestone during calcination, which generates roughly 60% of scope-1 emissions. The National Lime Association (NLA) aims to decarbonize the U.S. lime industry by 2050; meeting that goal requires innovation in low carbon technologies.

“While MLC has reduced our carbon footprint by 8% since 2022, and I am proud of that progress, current technologies will only take us so far. Lime producers need practical solutions to capture calcination emissions,” said Paul Hogan, CEO of MLC and current serving president of the NLA. “Fortera has developed an innovative approach that not only reduces the amount of carbon we release — it also turns it into a valuable product.”

The cement manufactured at the Ste. Genevieve plant is planned to be used across the Midwest, including by Ozinga, a fifth-generation, family-owned concrete and building materials company.

“Scaling the next generation of cement requires more than innovative technology; it requires strong partnerships across our industry,” said Marty Ozinga, CEO of Ozinga. “Fortera’s ongoing work with Ozinga represents the kind of collaboration needed to bring lower-carbon cement solutions to commercial scale while strengthening domestic manufacturing and ensuring we can continue to deliver the performance and reliability our customers expect.”

About Fortera
Fortera is revolutionizing the global construction industry. The company’s proprietary ReCarb technology integrates seamlessly with existing cement and lime facilities, allowing partners to keep their kilns, make full use of their limestone, and leverage their established distribution networks. Fortera’s breakthrough approach transforms waste CO₂ into productive feedstock, enabling plants to produce more from existing resources. The company has proven it can produce cement at cost parity with portland cement while cutting CO₂ emissions by 70%. Fortera operates a 15,000 ton per year facility in Redding, California, regularly placing product in real-world commercial projects, and is executing on a global commercial pipeline that includes the 300,000 ton per year Fortera Cement Plant in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. For more information on how Fortera delivers proven, cost-competitive, and deployable low-carbon cement technology worldwide, visit forteraglobal.com.

About MLC
For over a century, critical industries have relied on Mississippi Lime Company, LLC (“MLC”) to provide the highest purity lime and calcium products, backed by the most advanced technical services and patented equipment. Lime solutions from MLC play an essential role in drinking water treatment, pollution control, agriculture, and the production of steel, glass, paper, polymers, raw materials, foods, and beverages. MLC has built its reputation on an unwavering commitment to safety, service and performance. The company’s expanding global footprint includes a diversified, reliable network of production and distribution facilities in the U.S. and U.K. MLC is an HBM Holdings company headquartered in St. Louis, Mo.

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SOURCE MLC

New products include ESD protection gear, precision tools and more

THIEF RIVER FALLS, Minn., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, announced it is expanding its DigiKey Standard portfolio with essential tools and ESD-safe products designed to meet the everyday needs of engineers, technicians and makers, delivering quality, reliability and value from a name they trust.

DigiKey created the DigiKey Standard product portfolio to simplify purchasing decisions for engineers by offering a line of dependable products carefully selected and vetted by DigiKey. Selected for reliability and everyday use at an approachable price point, the trusted product line provides tools for design, prototyping, testing and production environments.

“The expansion of the DigiKey Standard product portfolio reinforces DigiKey’s commitment to providing quality, cost-effective and readily available solutions for everyday electronics work,” said Jose Gonzalez, director, new market development for DigiKey. “These new additions, ranging from ESD protection gear to precision tools, address essential needs in prototyping, assembly and repair environments.”

What new products are available in the DigiKey Standard portfolio?

Helping Hands Solder Station: Designed for electronic assembly, repair and precision applications, this soldering station has four flexible arms and alligator clip ends to hold the workpiece at optimal height.ESD Molded Mat: With molded features to organize small parts, components and tools via 20 storage areas, this large ESD silicone mat supports electronic projects, repairs and manufacturing environments.DigiKey Standard Boxes: Available in 15 sizes, DigiKey Standard boxes include a custom-fit breadboard and are ready for prototyping projects.Electrical Testers: Test equipment includes an RMS AC/DC clamp meter for troubleshooting and maintaining electrical systems and a non-contact AC voltage detector.Environmental Testers: These portable environmental testers can check air temperature and relative humidity as well as AC, DC and permanent magnetic fields.Multimeters: The product line includes an industrial digital multimeter, 2000 and 4000AR true RMS autoranging digital multimeters, and a waterproof true RMS digital multimeter with LoZ. 

For more information about the DigiKey Standard portfolio, visit DigiKey.com.

More information about DigiKey Standard

The DigiKey Standard portfolio includes 117 products, from essential tools to ESD-safe products.A total of 14 new DigiKey Standard products released this year include an ESD molded mat, the Helping Hands solder station, a variety of 15 box sizes, environmental testers and electrical testers.

About DigiKey
DigiKey, headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., USA, is the global leader in electronic components and automation products distribution. DigiKey offers the broadest and deepest selection of products for fast shipment worldwide, with more than 17.4 million components from over 3,000 trusted manufacturers. More than one million customers each year, including engineers, designers, builders and procurement professionals, makers and students, rely on DigiKey for innovative digital solutions, design tools and frictionless purchasing experiences that simplify every stage of their projects. Discover more about DigiKey’s electronics distribution, automation solutions and design resources at digikey.com and on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Editorial Contact
Laura Stengrim 
DigiKey 
(218) 681-8000 ext. 14489 
laura.stengrim@digikey.com

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SOURCE DigiKey

Company emphasizes specialized expertise and adaptive AI to help legal, financial and regulated organizations navigate increasingly complex multilingual requirements.

TORONTO, Oct. 22, 2026 /CNW/ — Apertera (formerly Alexa Translations), a provider of professional language services and adaptive AI solutions, today announced an even greater emphasis on specialized professional translation, reinforcing its commitment to helping organizations balance the benefits of AI with the expertise required for high-stakes communication.

As AI makes translation faster and more accessible, organizations face new decisions about how technology should be used, where professional oversight is essential and how to maintain quality across increasingly complex multilingual workflows.

For organizations operating in legal, financial and other regulated environments, these decisions carry particular significance. Terminology, context, confidentiality and regulatory requirements can influence not only the quality of a translation but also the risks associated with its use.

“AI has fundamentally changed what is possible in translation, but faster doesn’t always mean better,” said Gary Kalaci, Founder and CEO of Apertera. “We’ve been investing in AI for years because we recognize its potential to support language professionals and improve how work gets done. The real opportunity is understanding when to use technology, when specialized expertise is essential and how to bring the two together to deliver the right outcome for each client.”

Apertera’s approach builds on more than two decades of experience supporting organizations with complex multilingual requirements. By combining professional translation expertise with adaptive AI technology, the company helps clients select workflows appropriate to their content, objectives and risk requirements.

Having developed and implemented AI for more than eight years, Apertera also helps organizations adopt the technology effectively, training teams to integrate it into their workflows while finding the right balance between AI and professional expertise. The company also shares its experience through thought leadership and educational webinars covering practical challenges such as AI adoption, implementation and measuring return on investment.

The renewed focus also reflects broader changes in the language industry. As AI increasingly handles routine translation tasks, the role of language professionals is evolving toward greater specialization, contextual judgment and risk management.

For Apertera, professional translation remains a core part of its business and an essential component of its broader vision for adaptive AI in high-stakes communication.

About Apertera

Apertera is leading the evolution of language solutions for high-stakes content. We partner with enterprises as an extension of their teams, combining professional expertise with Adaptive AI technology that is continuously refined by client context.

For more than twenty years, Apertera has set the bar for legal, financial, and regulatory translation, serving the most rigorous buyers, including over 75% of major national Canadian law firms, all major banks, and leading securities regulators.

Apertera is Canadian-owned, ISO 17100 and SOC 2 certified.

SOURCE Apertera (formerly Alexa Translations)