Building the Future: Terra Taps Industry Veteran to Scale a Concrete Revolution

GOLDEN, CO – July 22, 2026

The global effort to decarbonize our built environment reached a pivotal moment today as Terra CO2 Technology, a firm at the forefront of low-carbon building materials, announced the appointment of Pete Lyons as its new Chief Executive Officer. The move signals a critical transition for the Colorado-based company, shifting its focus from breakthrough research and development to the immense industrial challenge of commercial-scale manufacturing. With its first major production facility rising from the ground in Texas, Terra is betting that Lyons, a seasoned executive from the heart of the traditional cement industry, is the architect it needs to turn a promising climate solution into a global reality.

This leadership change is more than a simple C-suite shuffle; it represents a maturation point for one of the most-watched companies in the green technology space. For years, Terra has operated as an innovative startup, proving its science and securing over $290 million from a powerhouse list of investors including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Just Climate, and strategic industry giants like Cemex and Eagle Materials. Now, as the company moves to deploy its technology, the task is no longer about invention, but execution. Lyons’ appointment is a clear statement of intent to master the complex logistics, operational excellence, and market expansion required to disrupt an industry as old and entrenched as cement.

An Architect for a New Era

Pete Lyons joins Terra not as a Silicon Valley disruptor, but as a veteran of the very industry he is now tasked with transforming. With over three decades of leadership experience at companies like CEMEX and, most recently, as President and CEO of Irving Materials, Inc. (imi), Lyons has a deep, granular understanding of the cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete sectors. His track record is built on driving operational efficiency and financial performance in legacy businesses, making him a pragmatic choice to lead Terra’s next chapter.

"Pete is uniquely qualified to lead Terra through this next stage of growth," said Board Chair Stephanie Cox in the official announcement. "His proven record of building high-performing organizations, driving operational excellence, and leading some of the largest businesses in the construction materials industry makes him the ideal leader."

This sentiment is echoed by industry analysts who see the hire as a strategic masterstroke. "Terra has the technology and the capital. What they need now is someone who speaks the language of tons, trucks, and supply chains," noted one materials industry consultant. "Lyons doesn't just understand the market; he has spent his career building it. That's an invaluable asset when you're trying to integrate a novel product into a highly traditional ecosystem."

Lyons himself acknowledges the unique position the company is in. "Terra has developed one of the most compelling technologies in the cement industry today," he stated. "I am excited to join this exceptional team as we execute our next chapter—bringing scalable, competitively priced, low-carbon cement solutions to markets around the world." His focus is squarely on execution, a crucial skill as the company transitions from validating its product to producing and selling it at scale.

The Science of Greener Concrete

At the core of Terra’s mission is a proprietary process that addresses one of the world's most significant sources of carbon emissions. The production of Portland cement, the key binding agent in concrete, is responsible for an estimated 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Terra’s solution is to create a high-performance supplementary cementitious material (SCM) that can replace a large portion of Portland cement in a concrete mix.

The company's flagship product, OPUS SCM™, is commercially ready and can replace up to 50% of traditional cement. Critically, it does so using abundant, low-value silicate rock sourced from existing, permitted mines. This elegantly solves a looming supply chain crisis: the decline of fly ash, a byproduct of coal-fired power plants that has long served as the industry's primary SCM. As coal plants are decommissioned, the construction industry faces a critical shortage of this essential material.

Terra's technology has undergone rigorous independent validation. Third-party labs, accredited by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), have confirmed that OPUS SCM™ meets or exceeds performance standards like ASTM C618. Real-world demonstration pours, including a sidewalk in Dallas and a Porsche dealership in Houston, have shown its workability and strength to be on par with conventional concrete. This "drop-in" nature is key to its potential for rapid adoption.

"The goal was never to ask the construction industry to reinvent its processes," an independent materials engineer familiar with the technology explained. "Terra's product works with the same equipment, the same trucks, and the same batch plants. By making the sustainable choice the easy choice, you remove the biggest barrier to adoption."

Beyond its first product, the company is also advancing trials for OPUS ZERO™, a potential full replacement for Portland cement. This next-generation material aims for a zero-carbon pathway, representing a holy grail for sustainable construction.

The Texas Proving Ground

The theoretical promise of Terra's technology is taking physical form in Cleburne, Texas. Six months into construction, the company’s first commercial-scale manufacturing facility is on schedule and on budget. Slated to become operational in mid-2027, the plant will produce 240,000 tons of OPUS SCM™ annually, supplying the booming Dallas-Fort Worth construction market.

The facility's design embodies Terra’s strategy of local, efficient production. With a small footprint of just 5-10 acres, it is being built adjacent to an existing aggregate quarry, eliminating the need for new mining permits and dramatically reducing transportation emissions for raw materials. The plant will be acquired and operated by partner Asher Materials upon completion, establishing a replicable business model for future expansion.

This first plant is more than a production site; it is a proof point for the entire industry. Its successful operation is intended to de-risk the model for the six additional North American facilities already in Terra’s development pipeline. One of these future projects, planned for the Salt Lake City area, is already backed by a $52.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, signaling strong public sector confidence in the technology's potential.

Fueling the Transition

Bringing such a capital-intensive technology to market is a monumental task, one that has seen many climate tech startups falter in the so-called "valley of death" between pilot and commercial scale. Terra’s ability to raise over $290 million is a testament not only to its technology but also to its strategic coalition of backers.

The investor list includes climate-focused venture firms like Breakthrough Energy Ventures, dedicated funds like Just Climate, and, crucially, corporate venture arms from industry incumbents CEMEX and Eagle Materials. This blend of financial and strategic capital provides both the funding and the market access needed for success. Eagle Materials has already signed exclusive agreements to deploy Terra plants in multiple regions, while CEMEX offers a global network to accelerate growth.

Furthermore, a $22 million investment from the All Aboard Coalition—a collaborative including Ara Partners, Clean Energy Ventures, and Khosla Ventures—was specifically targeted at bridging this commercialization gap. As the outgoing leadership team of CEO Bill Yearsley and COO Chance Allen are thanked for their foundational work, the path they forged has enabled Lyons to step in at a moment of maximum opportunity. With capital secured, technology validated, and the first factory underway, the focus now shifts to building the systems that will deliver on the promise of a low-carbon foundation for our future world.