Rock of Ages Corporation

Rock of Ages granite quarry, viewed from an observation platform during a factory tour.
Rock of Ages granite shed

Rock of Ages Corporation is a granite quarrying and finishing company located in Graniteville, Vermont. It was founded in 1885. The company was one of the cemetery-related businesses profiled in the 2005 PBS documentary A Cemetery Special.[1]

The company employs around 230 people, and the company made a profit of around $800,000 in 2009 on revenues of $21.6 million, up from a loss of more than $2 million in 2008.[2]

On 19 October 2010, Swenson Granite, based in Concord, New Hampshire, announced that it and Rock of Ages had agreed to merge.[2] Swenson paid Rock of Ages shareholders a total of $39 million.[2]

ROAC maintains the world's largest "deep hole" granite quarry.[3][4][5][6][7] The quarry is called the "E. L. Smith Quarry", and the Devonian Barre Granite is mined there. Granite was originally quarried using primitive techniques which implemented hand saws and explosive charges to blast away the "benches" of the quarry. Modern techniques have evolved to include diamond-tipped wire saws and water jets. Visitors to the Rock of Ages factory and gift shop can also watch quarriers in the quarry cutting the granite away from the quarry wall.[8]

Notable works

Panorama of Rock of Ages in Barre, Vermont
Rock of Ages panorama

References

  1. ↑ PBS.org
  2. 1 2 3 "Swenson Granite to buy Rock of Ages in cash deal for $39 million". Vermont Business Magazine. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  3. ↑ RoadsideAmerica.com
  4. ↑ Central-VT.com
  5. ↑ Vermonter.com
  6. ↑ LinkVermont.com
  7. ↑ VermontGuides.com
  8. ↑ Tours and Activities | Rock of Ages Corporation. Rockofages.com. Retrieved on 2014-04-12.
  9. ↑ "Dedication of the U.S. Korean War Memorial in Busan, South Korea on July 28". Events:. American Battle Monuments Commission. 22 July 2013. This is the third memorial commemorating the Korean War created by ABMC.
  10. ↑ Korean War Monument at Busan
  11. ↑ Delcore, David (September 28, 2013). "Barre granite is new, unique memorial in South Korea". Vermont Today. Rutland Herald.
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