A Brief History of Cement

It is unclear where cement, a hydraulic mixture created from a combination of hydrated non-hydraulic lime and a pozzolan, was first discovered. However, it was first used for building structures by the Ancient Macedonians. It wasn't until three hundred years later that Roman engineers used concrete to build on a large scale. One of their most notable concrete structures that still stands is the dome of the Pantheon in Rome.

Making cement didn't become a technical process until the 18^th century in France and Britain. It was in Britain that people began to see its true value, and thus, a period of high-volume cement building began and the cost of the material went up. Rosendale cement, which is a natural cement found in deposits of dolostone rock, was the first type of cement used in a large scale building project in the United States. It was discovered in the early 1800's near Rosendale, NY, hence its name, and was used for the foundations of many buildings such as the Statue of Liberty.

During the time of the industrial revolution, carpenters were building all sorts of structures in all sorts of locations. Thus, different types of cement materials had to be made to suit their most common building needs: hydraulic cement render is used as a final material for brick buildings erected in climates with high levels of moisture; hydraulic mortars are used in structures that come into contact with sea water; and generally stronger concretes. The process of making cement, however, has come a long way from there; there are now countless different types and combinations of materials for various pigeonholed needs, and making specific types is a very intricate and scientific process.

Now, the cement trade is one of the most important industries in the world. International cement trading is still a fairly young concept; it wasn't until Alex F Bouri conceptualized the floating terminal just a few decades ago that traders could easily ship bulk materials overseas. However, after experiencing a period of stagnancy, the cement industry is regaining health as the result of the newly introduced ability to transport the material, so the future of the sector looks bright.

The Educated Earth: Education Focused Charity Profiles

With so many different problems going on in the world, more and more people are feeling compelled to do something to make the planet a better place to live.  Many try to donate to charity, but since there are so many different established charities for various causes some people don't know which one to give to. 

There is a cause you can support that can help solve a variety of problems: education.  Businessmen from Bill Gates to Alex F Bouri devote their time and money educational causes.  Bettering the quality of and access to education around the world can only benefit humanity.  The future hunger activist, women's rights organizer, and environmental crusader will all get their start in a classroom.  There are many different educational charities you can volunteer and donate to, but for this blog post we'll just focus on one large education focused charity in India. 

Pratham: Every Child in School Working Well

Pratham was founded in the city of Mumbai in 1994, and since its founding it has turned into the largest non-governmental organization in India.  Their goals are to help underprivileged children in the country get access to better educational opportunities.  The charity has its roots in the Bombay Education Initiative, a program that was started by UNICEF.  The program formed a unique partnership between the government, corporate interests, and civilians in the country.  Eventually the program grew larger and faster than anybody had planned for, so it became its own independent organization in 1994.

The program began its work by teaching underprivileged students in the slums of Mumbai.  The teaching volunteers taught children in community spaces, offices, temples, and even the homes of volunteers.  The group eventually hopes to provide every children with a quality education, and raise the literacy levels of the poor.  Through increased education and literacy, Pratham hopes to improve the economic and social inequalities in the country. 

                                                                               

Construction and Real Estate Investors Seeing Better Profits

The stock market is never stable, but it seems like this year there has been a considerable amount of changes in the market. People with stock in the construction businesses, like Seament the international cement trader now run by Charlie and Mark Bouri, have probably been having quite a good few weeks. After years in a dire slump it seems like the American housing and construction market is finally on the mend. People were shocked on September 19th when stocks closed higher than they had in almost two years, and the positive stock market news came not too long after positive news about the housing market. According to the National Association of Relators, sales rose 7.8% to an adjusted annual rate of 4.82 million. It may not sound like much, but it’s actually the most the market has since May 2010.

The US government also reported that construction of single family homes in August was the fastest in more than two years. Those two tidbits of information from the government and realtors were enough to get investors moving. The stocks of home builders have been on a steady rise since the construction report was released, but when news about the jump in home sales was reported. D.R. Horton Inc, Beazer Homes USA Inc, and KB Home all saw their stock value increase.

Some people are seeing this as a sign to not only invest in real estate and construction businesses in the US, but to also look into investing in overseas housing and construction stocks. Construction is booming overseas not only in the housing section, but in both the public and private sector thanks to government organized building projects.

Alex Bouri, The Man Behind the Business

If not for Alexander F Bouri, Seament would have never come to be. It is because of his ambition and creative thinking that Seament was formed, that the cement industry was turned around due to the new opportunities, and even that several countries were able to break through their cement shortage crises. Many of us wish that we could put our plans into action in such a way, and we should let his story inspire us. In fact, aside from his successes, he's an average guy like everyone else.

He's the oldest of eleven children and is Lebanese and Greek national. He attended the American University of Beirut with a degree in Business Administration, and at this time he was an avid athlete – he was even a member of the national volleyball team. Then, he moved to Nigeria to sell insurance as his first job, and this is where he began first trading cement working only with a $50,000 loan. This is where he began to earn his title as the "Cement King," which was given to him in the 1980's.

Later he married a British woman and together they now have five children: Vanda, Mark, Leila, Maurice, and Charlie Bouri. Now, he's still the chairman of Seament Holding, his immensely successful cement trading business that has been putting an end to the world shortage of cement one step at a time.

Now, he spends a lot of his time on his main hobby, agriculture – he grows most of his own food and knows much about growing various crops. He also enjoys playing chess and Scrabble with friends and family and even writes some poetry.

As you can see, Alex is just a typical man who had big dreams and put them into action – it should be inspiring to anyone looking to start their own business.