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Superior Northern
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The active quarry occupies 36 acres, within a leased property of 120 acres. “And it is just beauti- ful,” says Barkley. He describes the site as a “drive-in quarry” be- cause the deposit juts upward from ground level, with almost no top- soil above the rock. “The glaciers wiped it clean,” says Barkley.
“Just drive up and there’s the face—unreal,” says Barkley, pan- ning his hands across an unseen slab of rock. “Like I said, it is rare.”
Uses of Superior Northern
The current emphasis for their black granite is landscape archi- tecture, according to Archer. “We are having a lot of success with granite pavers right now,” he says. “Landscape is a big part of our business, but we do a lot of cut-to- size architectural stone as well,” says Archer.
Superior Northern is suited for walls, sculptures, and monuments, and the lack of fracturing in the stone makes it adaptable to many uses. The granite is fabricated in their Mankato factory, or sold as raw blocks and slabs.
Superior Northern granite’s abil- ity to produce big blocks make it particularly useful for large-for- mat retaining walls, where the pri- mary competitor is cast concrete, “which is a huge, huge market,” says Barkley.
Concrete has a cheaper upfront price, but Barkley explains, “a lot of those materials were having is- sues after ten or fifteen years, from road salt and other things.” Over the long haul, granite out- lasts concrete several times over, says Barkley. “So we’re finding a good niche – using stone in those instances where it can stand up to the elements.”
Archer fills in more details, “I’ve gotten a lot of feedback from ar- chitects that they absolutely love natural stone,” but the higher price can be a drawback. “We’re always having to coach and really help them to look beyond the initial up- front costs, and consider the life- time costs and benefits.”
“But, the other thing is we’re more sustainable than the con- crete,” adds Barkley. Concrete production releases CO2 from crushing limestone, and uses
substantial amounts of energy to manufacture. Hence, concrete ac- counts for 8 percent of global car- bon emissions. For natural stone, the only emissions come from cut- ting, finishing, and transporting it. The material itself needs no energy inputs.
Greenspaces Ease Covid Stress
As 2021 reaches its midpoint, many of us are still wondering what the evolving pandemic has in store for our lives. Barkley reflects on implications for their company as we shift from staying home to branching out again. “I feel like
part of the society change in the last year might be people wanting to en- gage with the outdoors and a sim- pler life.”
These changes have a direct con- nection to their business focus, as Kimball explains, “Every commer- cial project I have seen lately has an acute focus on how to get a great greenspace.”
Greenspaces can be part of a park, waterfront, restaurant, or busi- ness plaza. Stone elements within a greenspace can include pavers, benches, outcroppings, and retain- ing walls. Using natural stone em- phasizes a connection with the natural landscape, and “it’s really
Left & Bottom: dropping a shelf of high-quality, durable Superior Northern granite. The stone cleaves into large blocks with few fissures, and is a suitable re- placement for concrete outdoor projects such as large-format re- taining walls and seating benches.
clear that people have a heightened level of comfort outside,” says Kimball.
Archer emphasizes that the large blocks of Superior Northern are well-suited for “seat blocks,” and Kimball noted that schools are interested in outdoor benches, “They’re getting ready for next year already, where they want to have 4th grade reading time outside.”
Barkley chimes in, “You know, we talk a lot about how the world has changed in the last year and a half, well, people have changed too. A lot of people are exhausted right now and they are realizing that there’s more to life.”
Barkley takes the conversa- tion full circle by linking back to the company’s vision. “Our pur- pose is to enrich lives and enhance
August 2021|29 communities. We want to bring
people together in these greenspa- ces. If we can be a part of that, we want to be.”
An outdoor gathering place for family, friends, and impromptu so- cializing amongst natural elements may be just the tonic for a weary society.
Barkley adds, “And it is my belief that this trend is going to outlive the virus.”
Karin Kirk is a geologist and science educator with over 20 years of experience and brings a different perspective to the stone industry. Karin is a regular con- tributor to usenaturalstone.com and the Slippery Rock Gazette. Contact her at karinkirk@gmail. com .
Note: This article is part of a series about American quarries. If you work for a quarry that’s a member of the Natural Stone Institute and you’d like your quarry to be featured here, con- tact Karin Kirk. Thank you!