CEO MESSAGE
Our website was designed to offer visitors an in-depth overview of General Shale, highlight the pride that we as employees have in our company, our products and our people. This website conveys our mission and vision for our future to continue as the preferred solutions provider of building materials in North America.
General Shale’s corporate culture is driven by our employee’s ability to listen to our customers, provide solutions to their needs and lead the industry in design and innovation. From 1928, when General Shale was first created, to today our attention to details has driven continuous improvement in all aspects of our business.
General Shale is North America’s largest brick, stone and concrete block manufacturers, supplying a wide variety of masonry materials for residential, commercial and specialty architectural projects. These materials include brick, thin masonry, stone, outdoor living kits, concrete block and various building materials, which include Arriscraft(r) Stone Products. The company offers an endless array of sizes, colors and textures to complete any building project. With a life cycle of more than 100 years, the sustainability of brick is the company’s commitment to responsible stewardship.
Throughout the U.S. and Canada, General Shale operates 28 manufacturing locations, in addition to a network of 26 General Shale-branded retail showrooms and over 200 affiliated distributors across North America. In 1999, General Shale grew even stronger when it joined Wienerberger AG of Vienna, Austria, the world’s largest brick manufacturer.
As you explore our website, we hope that you will note our commitment to the environments in and around our locations; our continued efforts to create the greenest material known to man; our leadership in energy efficient construction; and the professional grade products at a fair price that we offer our customers.
Our employees work hard every day to continue General Shale’s leadership within the masonry and construction industry. We will do so through our advanced manufacturing process that reduces its impact on the environment and for the safety of our employees. We are committed to offering energy efficient materials that enhance the beauty of your project. We are likewise committed to being the best at technical support and customer service. It is simply our way of doing business to the benefit of our customers.
That, hopefully, will include you.
Thank you,
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North America Comprehensive Overview
History is in the making
The General Shale Products Corporation began operations in 1928, when the Johnson City Shale Brick Company, founded in 1903, merged with the Kingsport Brick Corporation, which was established in 1910.
Today, General Shale is North America’s largest brick, stone, and concrete block manufacturer, featuring 31 production facilities in 17 states and provinces, including a PVC pipe manufacturing operation in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. General Shale also has a network of 27 sales locations and more than 200 affiliated distributors across North America.
General Shale’s mission is to continue as the preferred solutions provider of sustainable building solutions in North America with products that offer enduring quality, energy efficiency, and natural beauty, which are driven by innovation that is modern and future-oriented.
Discover General Shale's...
- History
- Footprint
- Portfolio
- Brands
- Sustainability
- People
General Shale's solutions provide access through a regional network of tactical brands
Product Base: Clay Brick
General Shale Brick is at the core of General Shale’s 95+ years of success and is the company’s legacy brick solutions brand. The name is trusted by generations of customers and has carried General Shale to where the company is today representing seven manufacturing sites with over 100 colors and styles for residential and commercial design.
Product Base: Stone
As the stone products brand of General Shale, Arriscraft has been providing premium full bed and thin stone solutions to architects and builders for six decades. Two manufacturing facilities offer a variety of quarried options, which create timeless projects and enhanced value without the costs normally associated with stone.
Product Base: Clay Brick
With a storied history that began in 1890, the Columbus Brick brand is known for its industry-unique “paper cut” texture and classic styles. Two plants are strategically located in the heart of the South to offer builders and architects a catalogue with dozens of truly timeless and
elegant options.
Product Base: Clay Brick
Watsontown Brick offers a gorgeous line-up of full-bed brick, molded brick, thin brick, and clay pavers, including white tones, pastels, and contemporary finishes. Its boutique-style capabilities uniquely positions the brand for
rehabilitating or remodeling centuries-old structures to a nearly seamless match.
Product Base: Clay Brick
Red River Brick brings General Shale into the Southwest U.S. markets – the country’s largest market for brick construction. Across eight plants, the brand boasts more than 60 unique residential colors. Red River Brick’s retail distribution sites offer regional builders access to numerous options with ease.
Product Base: Clay Brick
The Canada Brick brand lays claim to a rich heritage of legacy craftsmanship in the Canadian marketplace. Today, distribution within the U.S. offers customers in the Northeast a variety of brick options to pair with building stone for compelling and creative masonry designs.
Product Base: Clay Brick
Michigan Brick positions General Shale to be a leading provider of brick solutions in the Midwest. Along with color varieties from classic to trendy, Michigan Brick features one of the few extruded thin brick operations in the industry, resulting in renovation and remodel options that are equal parts beautiful and practical.
Product Base: Clay Brick
Summitville produces premium grade quarry tiles, high durability industrial floor brick, and tile care products. Best known for “Strata-Tile®, a unique mixture of clays that emulate the earth’s natural striations, Summitville’s offering expands General Shale’s portfolio in commercial precast and industrial solutions projects.
Product Base: Clay Rooftile
Ludowici clay tile is known for its distinctive look and sustainable, long-lasting beauty. The brand offers a range of color and textures, allowing endless inspiration for architects, designers, and homeowners alike. Ludowici tiles reflect the unparalleled beauty of the past with the technology of the present.
Product Base: Pipe Solutions
The NA division of the PipeLife Group, Jetstream PVC pipes include solutions for municipal water and sewer, well casing, plumbing, and irrigation for water and infrastructure management in cities and rural communities across the United States, as well as humanitarian efforts for well development and clean water access.
AWARDS
As a forward-thinking building materials company, General Shale takes care in ensuring that our products are well-positioned straight out of the kiln for excellence and quality. That is why we are known throughout the industry as the preferred solutions provider for building projects across North America. Superior quality is evident in everything we make, and our uniquely beautiful products lend exceptional character and visual appeal — qualities architects and builders choose time and again to help achieve outstanding designs.
General Shale’s brick, stone and thin masonry are consistently featured in award-winning residential and commercial projects. For example, our thin brick for precast and tilt-up panels was instrumental in several recognitions for Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field, including a Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) design award and a Best Use of Architectural Precast in a Stadium award from the Precast Concrete Manufacturers’ Association (PCMA) of Texas. In addition, General Shale has won numerous Brick in Architecture awards presented by the Brick Industry Association for projects such as The Jefferson multifamily complex in New York City’s East Village, the Education Center for Beardsley Community Farm in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the Morton Street Mews condominium development in Cabin John, Maryland, among others. The company earned a Best-in-Class Brick in Architecture Award for Naylor Court Townhomes in Washington, D.C.
Other noteworthy projects featuring General Shale masonry products extend from Queens, New York (New York Mets Citi Field), to Salt Lake City, Utah (University of Utah’s School of Dentistry), and from Durham, North Carolina (Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina headquarters), to Dallas, Texas (George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum), to name just a few.
Brick in Architecture Awards
- 2019 Brick in Architecture Awards: Silver – Residential Family Category - Watsontown Brick
- 2019 Brick in Architecture Awards: Bronze – Residential Multi-Family Category - Watsontown Brick
- 2020 Brick in Architecture Awards: Bronze Award – Residential Multi-Family Category - Watsontown Brick & General Shale Brick
- 2021 Brick in Architecture Awards: Gold Award – Commercial - General Shale Brick & Columbus Brick
- 2021 Brick in Architecture Awards: Gold Award - Educational - Watsontown Brick
- 2021 Brick in Architecture Award: Silver Award – Single Family Residential - Watsontown Brick
- 2021 Brick in Architecture Awards: Bronze Award – Commercial - General Shale Brick
- 2021 Brick in Architecture Awards: Bronze Award – Residential Multi-Family - General Shale Brick & Watsontown Brick
- 2021 Brick in Architecture Awards: Craftsmanship Award - Watsontown Brick
- 2022 Brick in Architecture Awards: Silver Award – Higher Education - General Shale Brick
- 2022 Brick in Architecture Awards: Bronze Award - Thin Brick Category - General Shale Brick
- 2022 PCI Awards: Façade Only Parking Structure Award - General Shale Brick
- 2023 Brick in Architecture Awards: Bronze Award – Single Family Residential - General Shale Brick
OUR MISSION
General Shale’s mission is to continue as the preferred solutions provider of building materials in North America because of the enduring quality, energy efficiency and natural beauty that our products provide. Driven by innovation that is modern and future-oriented, General Shale employees set the standard because of our shared commitment to safety, the environment and an intense focus on creating the ultimate customer experience.
CAREERS
With more than 90 years as a market leader in the building materials industry, General Shale now offers a variety of manufacturing and sales/distribution locations across North America. Career opportunities within General Shale’s network of brands are as diverse as our product line, ranging from engineering and sales to accountancy and frontline supervision.
View Careers
SUSTAINABILITY
