Cement company Holcim has chosen Timaru and Auckland as its destinations for import terminals as it transitions from producing cement to shipping it in and distributing it.
Holcim is closing its manufacturing plant in Westport on the West Coast where about 120 jobs will go.
The company will now build two 30,000-tonne import terminals, one each for the North and South islands. They will be built in the next two to three years when the Westport plant closes.
Holcim says a terminal in Auckland allows it to supply direct to one of its major markets, while Timaru allows it effective access to Christchurch, where a new silo project is nearing completion at Lyttelton.
Holcim was also considering building a new production plant at Weston, near Oamaru, but plans for this are on hold.