Hello all, welcome to blog #8 of my Cyprus trip! Today, we visited the Vassiliko Cement Company. As you may have already guessed from the name, this company focuses on the exportation of cement and clinker from Cyprus. One of the aspects that makes Vassiliko Cement Company so interesting is the degree to which they are virtually integrated within the cement supply chain. Virtually integrated companies own and manage the majority, if not all, of the necessary supply chain processes to export their product (e.g., raw materials, manufacturing, and distribution). Vassiliko Cement Company controls the entire process of making and exporting its cement. They own the limestone, clay, and gypsum quarries, which they use to supply their cement ingredients. They also have their own grinders, burners, and silos which they use to break down, mix, and store components from their quarries to make the ground cement. Furthermore, they package the products themselves so they can immediately be either distributed to stores and markets for consumers or exported by ship from the Vassiliko Port, the main industrial port in Cyprus that they manage. They are the largest production company in Europe and produce around 2.4 million tons of ground cement annually; this is only possible because of their efficiency from being so virtually integrated.