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22|OctOber 2020
Building Strong Communities, One Stone at a Time
Slippery rOck Gazette
Natural stone is more than just the culmination of its physi- cal characteristics. Each piece has a life and an energy and soul of its own. A gorgeous slab can spark con- versations, memories, and emotions. Natural stone has been used to build some of the most historic buildings across North America —including the National Cathedral, the Empire State Building and the Biltmore Estate— landmarks that have stood the test of time in part because they are made of stone.
Stone from Polycor’s historic North American quarries are truly some of the stones that built the United States. And their stone is used everywhere— from national landmarks to hometown monuments, to backyards where we gather with friends and family. This is because our quarries are everywhere, too: from Indiana to Georgia, from New England to Oklahoma. America was built with local, natural stone, and our communities continue to benefit from it today.
The Benefits of Locally Quarried Stone
Beyond the fact that when you use Polycor, you are getting such a high quality stone, by buying locally sourced natural stones, you’re mini- mizing shipping and transportation, which saves fossil fuels and money in taxes and transportation costs, while boosting the local economy and community.
Now more than ever, people have realized how important it is to support local businesses. Keeping jobs and money in your local community has far-reaching value. Plus, it takes a lot to manufacture a synthetic stone. The impact to the environment cannot be overstated. Manufactured stones don’t have the longevity of natural ones,
Steven Schrenk
Polycor.com
they require a lot more to be made and they are not recyclable.
Natural stone has become an important building product. Here’s why:
Construction of the Vanderbilt’s Biltmore mansion near Asheville, NC, using Indiana Limestone.
For millennia, natural stone has been used as the literal bedrock of construction projects around the world, and the future looks no dif- ferent. The modern building indus- try is increasingly choosing natural materials for their projects, due to their proven, trusted results and min- imal environmental impact. While our great legacy of stonework can be seen in our portfolio of historical landmarks, institutional, commercial and residential projects around North America, what we want people to un- derstand is that all of this is possible through our local quarries and manu- facturing plants.
Committed to Our People and the Planet
The asset Polycor is the most proud of is their team of nearly 1,200 em- ployees around the world. The peo- ple in the quarries, in the plants, they are invaluable. Polycor’s plants are a vital part of the community wherever they operate: that’s why sustainable development — economic, social and environmental — is so important to them. As the world’s largest natural stone quarrier, they’re committed to
being an industry pioneer in every way, including being leaders in de- veloping and implementing a socially responsible workplace.
Each stone is handled by one of their employees working under fair and safe conditions. Polycor’s slabs are a culmination of their quarry or- igins and the hands and hard work of the people who made them. Their solid commitment to their people and the communities where they work en- sures sustainability on the local level. Read more about Polycor’s fair labor practices on their website.
How Important is Sustainability?
Natural stone is the organic food of building materials. We are heavily focused on sustainable development and the environment, and ensuring that our natural stone deposits are mindfully managed with minimal in- trusion. It’s not only good for people and the planet, but it means we can deliver the most comprehensive of- fering of natural stone building prod- ucts for the hardscapes and masonry industry for generations to come.
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Locally sourced stone – Polycor’s plants and the people who work there are a vital part of the communities where they are located – in most cases, for generations.