What Cementos Progreso does

Cementos Progreso is a privately held, family-owned Guatemalan cement, concrete, lime, and construction materials producer founded in 1899 by Carlos Federico Novella Kleé. The company operates two manufacturing plants in Guatemala — Planta San Miguel in Sanarate (founded 1974; 2.93 million metric tons per year of cement, 1.94 million metric tons per year of clinker) and Planta San Gabriel in San Juan Sacatepéquez (founded 2018; 2.2 million metric tons per year of cement, the largest facility in the region) — supported by an ISO 17025-accredited R&D center (Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo / CETEC) with 32 accredited tests, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and the first COBOD 3D concrete printer installed in Central America. Its product portfolio spans Portland cements with natural pozzolan (UGC, Estructural, Pegablock, Blanco, ARI, ARI Plus), ready-mix and pre-dosed concrete, Horcalsa lime for construction, agriculture, and water treatment, and aggregates.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time unit sales of bagged and bulk cement, concrete, and related construction inputs to enterprise contractors, government and municipal infrastructure projects, hardware stores and building material retailers, and individual builders across Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. Distribution combines direct enterprise field-sales teams, a retail storefront network, and the Cempro En Linea e-commerce portal; supplementary revenue comes from paid CID laboratory testing services and from the UPRO digital academy, which has trained more than 6,000 construction professionals since March 2019. Progreso X, the company's corporate accelerator, channels innovation partnerships and startup engagement, including the ECM program with 3DCP Group. The company is recognized for ethical business practices (six consecutive years on Ethisphere's World's Most Ethical Companies) and workplace culture (Great Place to Work in Latin America every year since 2010).

Name

Cementos Progreso

Legal name

Cementos Progreso, Sociedad Anónima

Website

https://cempro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cementos Progreso is a Guatemalan family-owned producer of cement, concrete, lime, aggregates, and pre-dosed construction materials, operating two large plants in Guatemala and regional sales operations across Central America and Colombia, serving construction companies, government infrastructure, retailers, and individual builders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cement and Construction Materials Manufacturing

NAICS

Cement Manufacturing (327310), Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing (32732), Lime Manufacturing (32741), Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing (3273), Other Concrete Product Manufacturing (327390)

SIC

Cement, Hydraulic (3241), Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270), Industrial Inorganic Chemicals (2810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cement Manufacturing (Portland, Blended & Specialty) (IMADAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ready-Mix Concrete Production & Delivery (IMADAAAA), Cementitious Binders & Additives (Fly Ash, Slag, Silica Fume, Lime) (IMADAAAH), Concrete Admixtures & Curing Compounds (IMADAAAL), Mortar, Grout & Masonry Cements (IMADABAL), Concrete Repair, Crack Injection & Grouts (IMADAOAD)

Keywords

• Cement manufacturing
• Ready-mix concrete
• Construction materials supply
• Lime production
• Building materials distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Guatemala City

HQ country

Guatemala

HQ region

Latin America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Cement Sales: Production and sale of hydraulic cement products including Portland cement, pozzolanic cement, and specialized cements for construction applications. Revenue generated through direct sales to construction companies, distributors, and retail customers.
2. Concrete and Related Products: Commercialization of ready-mix concrete, pre-dosed products, lime, and aggregates for the construction industry.
3. Laboratory Testing Services: CID provides laboratory testing services for construction materials through its accredited facilities, including chemical analysis, physical testing, and technical assistance to external clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cementos Progreso manufactures and distributes cement (multiple specialty types), ready-mix concrete, lime (Horcalsa), aggregates, and predosed construction products for the Central American and Colombian markets. It also offers paid laboratory testing services through its accredited CID/IDIC research center for cement, concrete, water, and environmental samples.

Product overview

Cementos Progreso is a cement, concrete, lime, and construction solutions manufacturer offering a diversified portfolio of products and services. The product lineup includes specialized cements (UGC for general use, Estructural for high-strength structures, Pegablock for masonry, Blanco for decorative applications, and ARI/ARI Plus for prefabricated elements) alongside concrete, lime products under the Horcalsa brand, and pre-mixed predosificados for finishing applications. The company also operates a research and development center (CID/CETEC) providing laboratory testing, technical advisory, and innovation services including 3D concrete printing. A digital academy offers construction professional training. The products serve residential, infrastructure, and commercial construction across Central America and Colombia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UGC: Cemento portland with natural pozzolan addition for general use in construction.
• Estructural
• Pegablock
• Blanco
• ARI
• ARI Plus

Products and services

• Cemento UGC General-purpose cement product sold in 42.5 kg bags and bulk presentations, intended for general construction use by contractors and builders.
• Cemento Estructural Structural cement designed for slabs, columns, beams, and load-bearing construction elements requiring higher strength performance.
• Cemento Pegablock Masonry cement specifically formulated for laying blocks, bricks, and other masonry units, available in 42.5 kg bags.
• Cemento Blanco White cement intended for architectural, decorative, and finishing applications where color and aesthetics matter.
• Cemento ARI High early-strength cement formulated for applications requiring rapid strength gain, such as precast elements and fast-track construction.
• Cemento ARI Plus Premium high early-strength cement providing higher 28-day resistance than the standard ARI cement, targeted at demanding structural applications.
• Cal Horcalsa (Lime) Lime products for construction, soil stabilization, and industrial uses, marketed under the Horcalsa brand across Central America.
• Concreto (Ready-Mix Concrete) Ready-mix concrete produced and delivered by an owned mixer fleet to construction sites across the region.
• Agregados (Aggregates) Sand, gravel, and crushed stone aggregates produced and supplied for construction and concrete production.
• Productos Predosificados (Predosed Products) Pre-measured construction product mixes designed to simplify on-site preparation and ensure consistent dosing for builders.
• CID Laboratory Testing Services ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratory testing services for cement, concrete, water, and environmental samples, priced per test (Q125–Q2,500) and offered to external construction firms, cement producers, and researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32 tests accredited under ISO 17025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration including the bioconcreto project studying bacteria that produce calcium carbonate for sustainable construction materials. Joint research on materials science and construction technologies with university students and faculty.
• Main Universities of GuatemalacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic alliances with higher education institutions for mutual collaboration agreements supporting the formation of future professionals. Part of CID's mission to foster knowledge transfer and research.
• 3DCP Group (Denmark)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on 3D concrete printing technology using COBOD equipment. The startup from Denmark was selected through Progreso X's Exponential Changemakers (ECM) 2022 program for joint development of construction additive manufacturing.
• Progreso X (Corporate Accelerator)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate accelerator of Progreso that drives innovation and technology adoption including 3D printing technology, startup partnerships, and exponential change programs.
• Ethisphere InstituteminorOthersNew York-based institute that recognizes ethical business practices globally. Cementos Progreso has been recognized among the World's Most Ethical Companies for 6 consecutive years.
• Great Place to Work InstituteminorOthersGlobal research and consulting firm that recognizes best workplaces. Cementos Progreso has been recognized as best in Central America and Caribbean every year since 2010.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Holcim: Swiss-headquartered global cement and aggregates major with extensive Latin American operations including cement plants in Guatemala, El Salvador, and other Central American countries. Closest direct competitor to Cementos Progreso in its core Guatemalan and Salvadoran markets.
• Cemex: Mexican-listed global cement, ready-mix, and aggregates multinational with deep Central American and Colombian presence. Directly comparable in product portfolio (cement, ready-mix, specialty products) and a key regional competitor across Cementos Progreso's footprint.
• Cementos Argos: Colombian-listed cement and concrete producer — the dominant player in Colombia, the newest market Cementos Progreso entered. Comparable in product mix and regional Latin American focus; a direct competitive threat in Cementos Progreso's expansion geography.

Broad incumbents

• Heidelberg Materials: German-listed global cement, aggregates, and ready-mix major with selected Latin American operations. Comparable in core cement manufacturing and sustainability programs, though broader and more diversified than Cementos Progreso.
• CRH plc: Irish-listed global building materials group with cement, aggregates, and concrete operations across the Americas. Operates a broader portfolio at greater scale than Cementos Progreso but overlaps in cement and concrete product categories.
• Carmeuse: Global lime producer with Latin American operations, directly comparable to Cementos Progreso's Horcalsa lime business. Offers similar quicklime and hydrated-lime products for construction, environmental, and industrial applications.

Regional players

• Cementos Pacasmayo: Peruvian-listed cement and construction materials producer focused on the Andean region. Highly comparable as a regionally anchored, multi-product cement-and-concrete operator in Latin America, though with a different geographic footprint.
• Yura S.A. Peruvian cement producer supplying cement, concrete, and lime across southern Peru and Bolivia. Comparable in vertically integrated cement-and-concrete model and Latin American regional focus.
• Cemento Nacional (Holcim Ecuador): Ecuadorian cement producer (part of Holcim group) offering Portland cement and concrete products in a neighboring Latin American market. Comparable in product portfolio and regional positioning, though owned by a larger multinational.
• Cementos Ultratodo: Panamanian construction materials distributor and cement supplier operating in one of Cementos Progreso's core regional markets. Comparable in product mix (cement, concrete, aggregates) and Panamanian end-market exposure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC39vB_OrUw9LZczh_5GKP0A
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProgresoGuatemala
• LinkedIngt.linkedin.com/company/progresolatam
• Instagraminstagram.com/progreso_latam

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cementos Progreso