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When Jeremy Strebeck's DeSoto home burned down, the story could have easily gotten lost among all the other horrific tales on the evening news. Strebeck, a U.S. Marine assigned to active duty in Iraq, had inherited the home and had not yet been able to purchase insurance. There was no way the Strebecks could afford to replace it.

Their story did not fall on deaf ears. When the folks at Metro Brick & Stone Company heard about the young family's misfortune, they knew what they had to do. In true Texas fashion, they joined area builder L.A. Guthrie and agreed to help the Strebecks rebuild. Metro Brick would provide the brick and stone from their own quarry and set right a small piece of the world.

Metro Brick's integrity has been the cornerstone of their success, helping them establish their reputation both in the community and in the business arena. At the heart of the company is a group of young aggressive professionals who are hands-on and knowledgeable about their products and services.

Dennis Calandar first became involved with the brick business at 16, and seven years later, in 1983, began the Metro Brick & Stone Company. The company began by offering only used brick, but quickly grew, and now sells the products of more than 30 major manufacturers in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Used brick has been highly desirable for years and still enjoys tremendous popularity among homeowners. Metro Brick's own demolition and salvage division harvests used brick from sites around the Metroplex, which it offers to area builders.

In 2000, Metro Brick opened a 700-acre limestone quarry in Grandbury, TX, to provide natural limestone veneer to the building industry. "There is nothing quite like Texas limestone. It's beautiful, and it's another product that home buyers really love," Calander explains. Like other natural stone products, the popularity of limestone has grown exponentially over the last few years. It's light, bright color, along with its ease of maintenance and durability, make it an excellent choice for enhancing a home. Calander adds, "In the past, people thought of Grandbury stone as just one color, but we are producing three different colors of stone from out quarry -Champagne (cream), Plum (grey) and Fossil, which is the color we used on our new building. We have already supplied our stone to many prestigious residential and commercial projects in the Metroplex area."

Metro Brick & Stone Co. has been an active innovator in bringing exciting new products to the building trade in the Metroplex. Metro Brick & Stone received rave reviews on the Belgard line after they added it to their portfolio of products. Belgard is a nationally branded line of hardscape products consisting of antiqued pavers and a multi-piece retaining wall system called Celtik Wall, manufactured in Waco, TX.

Belgard concrete pavers are manufactured and colored to resemble antique cobblestone. Belgard's Celtik Wall system is a multi-piece, concrete segmented wall system that requires no mortar or construct. The result is a natural-looking stacked stone appearance in an easy-to-construct wall system.

Segmented retaining walls offer a lifetime of performance at an affordable price. Keystone's retaining wall system is arguably the best-known segmented retaining wall system on the market. According to Dennis Calander, We're proud to be the only authorized Keystone dealer in the Metroplex. Keystone was the first U.S.-made concrete segmental wall system available, and we have seen excellent results with it." Keystone wall units are structurally interconnected, avoiding the need for mortar and permitting water drainage to prevent hydrostatic loads. Keystone offers a variety of products and colors to meet any design need, from residential to commercial. One of the newest Keystone products is the Country Manor multi-piece system. This newest retaining wall offers a more natural stone look than the traditional Keystone Compac wall units.

Perhaps the most valuable commodity Metro Brick offers its customers is their knowledge and experience. Rather than simply taking orders for their products, the experienced staff at Metro Brick & Stone use their expertise to help builders and architects develop their ideas on the use of Masonry. Calander explains, "When we are involved in a project, we prefer to meet with everyone - the architect, the builder, the owner - in the design phase. We often suggest a product that can help maximize the value of the home and enhance its curb appeal, or a way to create a visual harmony between the homes exterior and interior through the use of stone or brick. Masonry products should be chosen and combined to achieve an elegant look without being too visually busy, and our experienced staff can help make that selection process easier." While uniqueness is always a goal, sometimes-subtle commonalities are even harder to achieve. Metro Brick also assists builders who want to achieve a signature look that makes their homes stand out from the crowd without sacrificing individuality.

This October, Metro Brick & Stone will be able to assist customers who are in the design and planning phase of their project in an impressive 5,000-square-foot showroom and office. "We will be able to match any need and supply the materials for any architect's area," says Calander. The new showroom is now open at 2184 Joe Field Road, conveniently located near I-35 and Royal. From that central location, Metro Brick will be able to provide fast, same-day delivery to anywhere in the Metroplex. Calander adds, We are really excited about the new facility because we know there is demand for it in our area. Having a huge selection of products at your fingertips, along with knowledgeable, professional support and fast service, is something we know our home builders will be excited about too."

Written By: Tina Cauller - Builder Architect Magazine 2003

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