BEYOND THE SHOWROOM:
VETTER STONE
BY: JEN LEVISEN, EDITOR AT THE FORUM, MORTARR
For more than a century, Vetter Stone has quarried, cut and shipped stone to destinations around the world from their Minnesota quarries in the Kasota-Mankato stone district and from their Alabama quarries. A fourth-generation family business, Vetter Stone and Alabama Stone have earned a reputation for consistent product quality, technical precision and personalized customer service.
Paul J. Vetter, Sr., along with his four sons, founded Vetter Stone in 1954 with a simple philosophy – provide customers with a quality product and back it up with superior customer service.
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So what makes the stone from their quarries so unique? Strength, durability and beauty — the list goes on. Minnesota Stone is strong, durable dolomitic limestone known for its great strength and warm earth-tone colors. Alabama Stone is an oolitic limestone known for its light grey to white background color and its silver shadow veining.
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In an interview with Minnesota Valley Business magazine, current company president, Ron Vetter, recalled a pivotal moment in the company’s history. Architect Cesar Pelli had been hired to design what is now the Wells Fargo building in Minneapolis. Pelli asked for stone samples for the exterior of what would become, at the time, the city’s second tallest building. Out of 38 samples, Pelli chose the pinkish Vetter stone. Ron told the magazine, “That really put us on the map.” It was the first of numerous occasions Pelli and Vetter Stone worked together.
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Scroll down to see what else has put Vetter Stone on the map over the years.
RSA JUDICIAL CENTER
LOCATION: Montgomery, AL
PROJECT ARCHITECT: WR Holmes Wilkins Architects
PRODUCT USED: Vetter Stone Sterling Alabama Stone
A FOURTH GENERATION FAMILY BUSINESS, VETTER STONE AND ALABAMA STONE HAVE EARNED A REPUTATION FOR CONSISTENT PRODUCT QUALITY, TECHNICAL PRECISION, AND PERSONALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE.
HARVARD, TATA HALL
LOCATION: Cambridge, MA
PROJECT ARCHITECT: William Rawn Associates Architect
PRODUCT USED: Vetter Stone Minnesota Stone
FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, VETTER STONE AND ALABAMA STONE HAS BEEN QUARRIED, CUT, AND SHIPPED TO DESTINATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.