When his cement-making business opens up, there is an entire city to patch and restore.

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Originally involved with cement-making, he moved on to property development, hotels, and a hugely successful insurance business.

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Thus, India's Shree Cement, which has long suffered from water shortages, developed the world's most water-efficient method for making cement, in part by using air-cooling rather than water-cooling.

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The dramatic ceiling vaults to impressive 43-feet at the center, providing an arched steel truss over a 150- by 234-foot cement floor making it an ideal venue for rehearsals as well.

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By the 1950s it was running sugar-cane boards and making rubber, cement, mining materials and explosives.

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His cement operations are making waves in Ethiopia with low-priced offerings.

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Builders watch out: electricity makes up 8% of the cost of making glass, 15% of cement and 20%-plus of bricks.

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