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28|July 2021 Krukowski
Stone
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The upside of American pro- duction is that the higher la- bor costs translate to good local jobs, and the shorter shipping distance helps offset the higher price of production compared to an imported stone. “It’s more cost effective, freight-wise,” says Joanie.
Local architects appreciate that Krukowski stone earns LEED credit for locally-sourced mate- rials, and customers are drawn to the stone because it’s American- made. “We should all try to sell ‘Made in the USA,’” Joanie says.
The family has adopted numer- ous sustainability measures, not to bolster a green image for their brand, but simply out of a long- standing tradition of not being wasteful.
“We use everything, from end- to-end, once we quarry it,” says Brad. Smaller rock fragments are crushed into landscaping chips or a DOT-approved road base.
Cardboard gets reused as corner protectors for shipping stone, and shredded office paper is mixed with molding plaster to secure blocks during the sawing process. Broken pallets are repaired, and new LED lights illuminate the manufacturing and office spaces. Saws are used during off-peak hours whenever possible.
Joanie summarizes their out- look: “We were green before green was a term. We’ve al- ways done everything we could to be very responsible with the environment.”
‘Can-do, Will-do’
One thing that’s abun- dantly clear when talking to the Krukowski family is their abil- ity to work hard. Even while run- ning their stone business, they still tend the family farm. “Jeff grows corn and soybeans and raises beef cattle,” says Joanie. Undaunted by Wisconsin’s bitter climate, they quarry right through the winter, “as long as it’s above 10 degrees,” says Brad. The team appears easygoing and collabo- rative, though allegiance to the Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears causes an occasional in- tra-family dust-up.
Joanie reflects on the arc of her career as a woman in the stone in- dustry. “They look to the man to answer the question,” she says, recalling instances where her expertise was overlooked. “It’s been a big struggle at times, but it’s getting better.” She credits programs like Women in Stone to help encourage a more diverse workforce in the industry. “Plus, I’m older and more confident now,” she says.
“We have a can-do, will-do at- titude,” says Joanie, but the sen- timent is already completely evident.
Brad and Chris both became first-time fathers in September, a happy development for every- one. “And as soon as those kids can walk I’m going to teach both of them how to do bookkeeping,” Joanie laughs, “and answer the phone!”
The pandemic has driven a major
upswing in sales, so it looks like the Krukowski family won’t get to rest on their laurels anytime soon. “Our retail sales went up 200 percent last year,” says Brad. By late January, they had already received enough orders to carry them through the end of 2021. “We just got a 15,000 square foot job ten minutes ago,” says Brad.
Joanie chimes in, “Yeah, you never know what that next call is gonna be.”
Slippery rock Gazette
Cambrian Cream thermal fin- ish, and Sandy Creek Highland Brown from Krukowski Stone Company combine for this mod- ern construction project.
Karin Kirk is a geologist and science educator with over 20 years of experience and brings a different perspective to the stone industry. Karin is a regular con- tributor to usenaturalstone.com and the Slippery Rock Gazette. Contact her at karinkirk@gmail. com .
Note: This article is part of a series about American quarries. If you work for a quarry that’s a member of the Natural Stone Institute and you’d like your quarry to be featured here, con- tact Karin Kirk. Thank you!
Below: This busy quarry is the source of the unique Aqua Grantique blue-grey limestone. Thanks to glacier action, boul- ders of Aqua Grantique dot the area.
Left: Wire saw powers through a block of quartz sandstone. Right: Traditional fieldstone con- struction shows off the beauty and versatility of this dense, di-
mensionally stable sandstone.