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First Dutch Cement Industry (E.N.C.I.)
Contrary to what the name of the Maastricht cement factory E.N.C.I. suggests, the first cement factory in the Netherlands was not located in Maastricht, but in Vijlen!
On 18 June 1875, Willem van Reij (pharmacist from Vaals), Jacob Kalf (engineer from Aachen) and Hendrik Scheins (merchant from Aachen) received permission to start using a cement factory in Vijlen. Why Files? The Romans had discovered that this area was rich in marl. The 'caementum', intended to be used to build houses and buildings, was made by burning quarried limestone. There was plenty of limestone in Vijlen. The limestone that was burned was 'Limestone of Vijlen', belonging to the 'Gulpen Formation'. This is limestone with a fairly large clay content of 20 to 22%. The high percentage of clay is beneficial for cement production. Vijlen became an industrial centre, which led to the establishment of a second factory in 1894. It was officially opened around 1899.
The new factory was located in the valley of the Lombergerbeek. The factory was connected to the quarry by a 60-metre-long wooden bridge and the tunnel under the Vijlenerberg street. In 1919, the factory's production stopped. There was hardly any demand for cement and coal had become too expensive.
On December 1, 1927, the E.N.C.I. bought the factory and tried to make it profitable again. Unfortunately, this did not work out.
On June 16, 1929, the company was finally shut down. The site was sold on the condition that no industry would be established there.
Source: Vijlenplein.nl

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