FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
Join Us For The 75th Anniversary Midyear Meeting Sep 7-11 ↗

Johnson Concrete Company announces addition of CarbonCure Masonry Technology

Words: Christie ColvilleJohnson Concrete Company, a family owned business with locations across North Carolina, has announced the addition of the CarbonCure Masonry Technology in its Lexington plant. The CarbonCure technology recycles waste carbon dioxide into concrete products, effectively making Johnson concrete masonry units more environmentally friendly.

The Johnson Concrete Company was founded in 1947 by Allen Starling Johnson Jr., an All-American starting guard for the Duke University football team. When Allen passed away in 1982, his wife Frances Johnson assumed the role of President. Meanwhile, Charles Newsome, who had begun his career at Johnson in 1968, took on the position of Executive Vice President. To this day, Johnson’s children and Newsome continue to serve on the executive leadership team.

The decision to license the CarbonCure technology was not taken lightly by Newsome, who oversees the business and operations at Johnson. Says Newsome, “We completed extensive due diligence into the viability of the technology, and its potential to create value for Johnson Concrete, and we are now pleased to offer our customers concrete products with a reduced carbon footprint.”

The CarbonCure technology injects carbon dioxide gas captured from nearby smokestacks into concrete products during the mixing phase. Once introduced into the concrete mix, the carbon dioxide chemically converts into a solid calcium carbonate mineral. Since the gas has been converted into a mineral, it will never escape into the atmosphere. This means that Johnson Concrete will continue to provide high quality concrete products, and effectively get rid of local air pollution at the same time.

The Johnson announcement comes on the heels of Charlotte-based ready mixed company Concrete Supply Co.’s addition of the CarbonCure Ready Mixed Technology. Architects, engineers and developers in the Charlotte metropolitan area now have access to green concrete in both poured concrete and masonry products. In addition to Washington, DC, Charlotte is the second metropolitan center in the world to offer concrete made with recycled carbon dioxide in both ready mixed and concrete masonry products.

Robert Niven, CEO and founder of CarbonCure Technologies, remarks, “I am excited by the opportunity to work with Charles Newsome and the Johnson family. Johnson Concrete Company has held a long-standing reputation as a highly ethical, quality-driven operation. On behalf of CarbonCure, I welcome Johnson Concrete Company to the growing CarbonCure family.”
 0
Chairman's Message: REFLECTIONS SPANNING SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS
September 2025

MCAA has been posting lots of wonderful old photos from decades of records as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary. Many of these photos are black and white and show people at our MCAA events with men wearing suits and ties while the women wore dressy gowns

Dick Dentinger
Chairman’s Message
Read More
Business Building: What Are You Doing To Develop Future Leaders?
September 2025

When I ask my coaching clients if they have anyone in their construction company who could potentially move up from field superintendent to estimator or project manager, the typical answer is “No!” The same answer is usually given when asked if they have

George Hedley
Business Building
Read More
Building More: Smoke Signals or Fire Extinguishers
September 2025

Ever watch a hot-potato game break out on your jobsite? It usually starts small. Somebody spots a crooked door frame, mutters, “I’ll make a note,” and flicks the issue to the next trade like it’s radioactive. By the time that frame comes back around, dryw

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Episode 27 Recap: Rob McKay, Chief Operating Officer at Instone
September 2025

On this episode of the MASONRY STRONG Podcast, Rob McKay from Instone joins the show to talk about his story as well as the processes and procedures of manufacturing natural stone. Getting Started in Masonry: Rob’s Story Rob entered the masonry field by

Justin Stengel
The MASONRY STRONG Podcast
Read More