Stone Supplier Expands Facility

STONE IS OUR PASSION

The Post-Crescent, Appleton-Fox Cities-Sunday, July 30, 2006

Written By: Judy Waggoner

Who: Carved Stone Creations Inc. opened for business in 2004. From its 10,000-square-foot Kaukauna facility, the company’s six employees and occasional sub-contractors design, import and install all types of architectural detail stone, such as fireplace surrounds, columns, fountains and statuary.

“We are reviving a lot of things people thought they couldn’t have, but if money is an issue, stone is not going to replace brick and concrete,” said Carved Stone Creations’ owner Rob Ripley.

Ripley, 52, worked in construction for 10 years, but had earned a degree in structural architecture from Northwest Technical College in 1974.

“If you really learned it, it’s still there”, Ripley said.

When Building a subdivision northwest of green bay, Ripley put fountains in all the cul-de-sacs. He chose granite over concrete fountains because granite lasts longer.

“In order to get the quality we wanted, we had to import granite fountains from China,” Ripley said.

What: Chinese craftsmen have carved granite fountains for 8,000 years, Ripley said.

“It’s a unique product and they can put a lot of people to work carving stone,” he said.

In mid-April Ripley broke ground on a 23,000-square-foot addition to the Kaukauna facility, doubling the size of the company’s showroom – Stone Studio – and increasing the warehouse space.

Keller is framing the structure, which is expected to be useable in August. Carved Stone will take up to a year to finish applying the cladding, or exterior thin stone veneer.

Why it’s important: Ripley designed the addition to have four different stone facades – two contemporary, one resembling a Medieval castle and a full-scale replica – 36 feet high by 64 feet wide – of the Alamo “without shell holes”.

When visiting the Alamo, Ripley bought construction plans in a gift shop and took about 300 photos.

“The detail is blown away from the assault it took; it was bombarded for days by cannon fire,” he said.

Ripley chose the Alamo because “it is very recognizable” and he wanted to show that his company could duplicate any style that a customer wants.

“Stone is our passion,” Ripley said.

For more information:

Carved Stone Creations Inc.
2101 Progress Way, Kaukauna WI 54130

920-759-1920
www.carvedstonecreations.com