General Shale

There’s an art to building dream homes. For more than 80 years, General Shale has helped turn ideas and blueprints into welcoming classics—homes that are appealing, yet functional expressions of individuality crafted to add value for generations.

Founded in 1928, General Shale Brick is now one of the leading exterior building materials manufacturers in the United States. The company offers more than 250 types of brick in a full range of colors and textures as well as special shapes and details, a variety of landscaping materials, concrete masonry units and brick sculptures. Downtown Chattanooga is landscaped with structures like the infamous brick “Rocking Chair,” the “Couch” and so many more that were all constructed from General Shale brick!

General Shale of Chattanooga takes pride in delivering high-quality products and excellent customer service. Plants in Spring City, Tenn., and Rome, Ga., serve the Chattanooga area. Customers in the greater Chattanooga market are encouraged to visit the design showroom located at 7833 Lee Highway, so they can quickly see why General Shale Brick’s newest catch phrase is “Building America’s Dream, Designing Your Vision.”

Most recently, the company has increased its product line to focus on Thin Brick and Hardscapes, adding to its commercial appeal. General Shale Brick’s production facilities manufacture more than one billion bricks a year, and are located in key distribution areas within easy access to any building project in North America.

In 2006 Robinson Brick Company which is based in Denver, Colo., joined General Shale. Sales are supported by a network of distributors in the U.S. and Canada, as well as dedicated showrooms. Arriscraft International, a leading producer of building stone, was acquired by General Shale in 2007, adding another premier product line to the company’s masonry portfolio.

At the company headquarters in Johnson City, Tenn., General Shale Corporate employs 2000 people. The corporate building is also home to a museum that showcases a unique collection of historically signifi cant bricks including a 10,000-year-old specimen from the ancient city of Jericho. In July 1999, General Shale Products joined the world’s leading brick manufacturer, the Wienerberger Group of Vienna, Austria.