A passion for stone and rock quarries instilled by his dad is what drives Joe Vinci to return the Butler Quarry to its heydays of the 1960s.
Vinci, 55, bought the Butler Quarry at 1527 Falls Road on June 7, 2005, and immediately embarked on a rebuilding program that includes renovating the main office, buying high-tech equipment and reaching out to the former architects and customers who relish the unique silver/gray/brown stone that seems to bring a sense of class to a building.
He has renamed it Vinci Stone Products Butler Quarry and copyrighted the “Chesapeake Hue” brand name for the stone, which can be found on buildings at Loyola College, Morgan State University, several churches in the Baltimore region, homes in Baltimore City?s Roland Park and buildings as far away as Japan.
During the 1960s, the 12-acre Butler Quarry was a premier stone provider, but over the years, and under different owners, the quarry became lessof a player and unable to meet the demand for its stone, Vinci said.
It has been in operation for more than 200 years.
Joe Vinci, said his dad, John Vinci, who died in 1975, would bring him to the family-owned Patapsco Natural Stone Quarries in Marriottsville in the 1950s and ?60s and Joe immediately became enamored with working at the quarry. With the blessings of his uncle Frank Vinci, who co-owned the company, Joe Vinci, at the age of 25, became president of the family business in 1975.
“I was the only boy. I was the only one in line and I had the interest,” Vinci said.
Joe Vinci always had his eyes on Butler Quarry and tried unsuccessfully to buy it once before he finally grabbed it in 2005.
He is now reaching out to former architects who wanted the unique stone, but the previous owners couldn?t guarantee delivery.
Vinci has spent about $750,000 on new equipment and upgrades to speed up production and meet customer demand. He has more than doubled production.
The stone was selected for the new headquarters for the Masonry Institute of Maryland in Laurel.
“Vinci Stone offers a great variety of stone to contractors and the public,” said Robert Bertazon, executive director of the Masonry Institute of Maryland.
“The Butler Quarry should be a wonderful addition for their company, and it should help in the distribution of Butler stone throughout the mid-Atlantic region.”
