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Acme Brick Company is an American manufacturer and distributor of brick and masonry-related construction products and materials. Founder, George E. Bennett (October 6, 1852–July 3, 1907), chartered the company in Alton, Illinois as the 'Acme Pressed Brick Company' on April 17, 1891. The company grew to become the largest American-owned brick manufacturer by the mid-20th century and was the first of its type to offer a 100-year limited guarantee to its customers. Acme Brick Company was acquired by Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. on August 1, 2000

History

In 1890, Acme Pressed Brick Company was established fifteen miles (24 km) southwest of Weatherford near present-day Farm Road 113, in southwestern Parker County, TX. The company town that evolved from the establishment of the manufacturing plant was called 'Bennett'. The community included Acme Brick homes (for 100 employees and their families), a church, a public school, and a general store.
In 1916, Acme Pressed Brick stockholders elected new officers, applied for a Texas charter, began doing business as Acme Brick Company, and dissolved the company chartered in Illinois. Walter R. Bennett (George E. Bennett's son) was elected the first president of the newly renamed Acme Brick Company.
In 1968, a merger of the Acme Brick Company and the Justin Boot Company resulted in the formation of the First Worth Corporation.
In 1972, First Worth Corp. changed its name to Justin Industries, Inc., a 'parent' corporation who would grow to acquire many 'children' companies.
In 1976, Featherlite (then known as Kingstip-Featherlite) was acquired. Featherlite began as a Texas-based, privately held company in 1949. Featherlite began acquiring concrete block companies in 1953 and continued its expansion over the years - now operating 7 block producing facilities and 2 cement bagging facilities in Texas and 3 other locations.
In 1981, as housing starts hit a 35-year low, Acme built inventory: 400 million brick were manufactured by the year's end.
In 1984, record housing starts propelled Acme to record sales years in 1983 and 1984.


Acme Brick stamps its logo into the end of select bricks.
In 1987, Acme began stamping its logo on one end of select residential brick. This tradition in brand recognition continues today.
In 1993, Troy Aikman, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys football team, became an Acme Brick spokesperson - initially in radio and print advertising, and later on television.
In 1994, American Tile Supply, a tile distributor and retailer in Texas, was acquired.
In 1997, Fort Worth-based Innovative Building Products, developer and manufacturer of a mortarless installation system for glass block windows, skylights, shower enclosures, and floors, was acquired.
In 2000, the Justin Industries Board of Directors approved the sale of the publicly traded company to Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway. The boot companies and the building companies were split to form Justin Brands and Acme Building Brands as separate entities. At the time of the acquisition, Acme Building Brands was 'parent' to the following four 'child' companies:
Acme Brick Company, the leading domestically owned United States manufacturer of face brick.
Featherlite Building Products Corporation, the leading Southwest producer of concrete masonry products.
American Tile Supply Company, a major Texas distributor of ceramic and marble floor and wall tile.
Justin Brands - Justin Boot Company, Nocona Boot Company, Tony Lama Company, and Chippewa Shoe Company.
In 2001, Acme Brick set a new company record for shipments - exceeding 1 billion company-manufactured bricks shipped.
In 2003, Acme Brick's residential products started carrying the Good Housekeeping Seal.


Brick mock-up panels are sometimes created to aid commercial customers in the selection process. These bricks are likely candidates for the new Acme Brick Company Headquarters building.
On October 6, 2006 (October 6 was also the birthday of Acme's founder, George Bennett), Acme Brick broke ground for the company's new headquarters building to be located in southwest Fort Worth. The 77,000-square-foot (7,200 m2), three-story building was completed in 2007.
On January 24, 2011, Acme Brick agreed to purchase Jenkins Brick in Alabama.

Acme Brick's founder, George Bennett, knew the importance of quality. He carefully sought a suitable clay or shale deposit and invested in what was then state-of-the-art equipment. Bennett's commitment set the mark for all future Acme managers, and so did his brick. Acme Brick homes built a century ago are still standing, and they are as beautiful as ever. More than a century of history with success stories such as these gave Acme managers the confidence to launch a multifaceted quality-assurance program for homebuyers.

Commitment to homebuyers

100 Year Limited Guarantee: Introduced in 1991, Acme's centennial, this document puts Acme's commitment to quality in writing in order to assure customers of quality on the exteriors of their homes. To read the guarantee, click here.
Good Housekeeping® Seal: Acme participates in one of the oldest and best-known consumer-protection programs in the nation. For general information on the Good Housekeeping Seal, click here.
The Acme name: Acme proudly stamps its name into one end of select residential brick just before hard-firing. On a typical home, the Acme name appears several times, along windowsills and at corners. This logo forms a subtle but unmistakable indicator of the quality that was built into the home's exterior.
Premier quality for all homebuyers: Acme makes brick for each home and for every budget, from starter homes to mansions. All Acme Brick are manufactured to exceed the standards of applicable building codes. Acme's commitment to affordability makes a quality exterior available to all homebuyers.
Education: In the late 1970s, so-called adobe brick from Mexico flooded into the Southwest. Underfired and thus prone to crumbling and weathering, these imports posed a risk to unsuspecting homebuyers. Acme and an industry trade organization mounted a public-information campaign to alert consumers to the deficiencies of adobe brick. Today, Acme informs homeowners of the disadvantages of other home-exterior options, such as artificially colored concrete brick, fiber-cement board and preformed synthetic stucco panels.
Commitment to communities

Support for local causes: Through cash and in-kind contributions, local and regional Acme offices support charities in their communities, such as Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald Children's Charities, United Way, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Junior Achievement, and many others.
Continuous improvement

Through ongoing research and capital investment, Acme Brick continues to advance both the art and science of the world's oldest manufactured product.

Holes: The holes that you see in each Acme Brick are an industry innovation credited to George Bennett, Acme's founder. Bennett recognized that "coring" the brick would make the brick easier to handle and less expensive to ship. Core holes allow every part of the brick to reach the desired firing temperature–-just as the hole in a doughnut allows the dough to cook evenly.
King Size: One of the largest costs of brickwork is the mason's time. In the 1960s, Acme introduced King Size brick with a face about 20% larger than that of standard modular brick, but with the same height-width proportions. The larger face area means fewer brick to handle, which saves money on construction--and helps keep Acme Brick affordable for entry-level homes.
Also, Acme Brick engineers advance the uses of brick in innovative, economical applications. Double Wall construction, for example, makes use of brick as an interior and exterior surface, in loadbearing and non-loadbearing applications.

Color selection

Within Acme Brick's marketing region, no other manufacturer offers a wider selection of attractive colors: reds, whites/grays, tans/browns, darks, pinks/roses, and bolds/blends.

Since 1891, homebuyers have trusted Acme Brick to add unsurpassed beauty and lasting value to their homes. Acme Brick provides quality products, excellent customer service, and the 100 Year Limited Guarantee for Homebuyers. When you decide to build your dream home, choose an Acme Brick exterior.

Acme Brick Company is the the nations largest American-owned brick company. Acme Brick has provided products to build lasting legacies, including face brick in numerous sizes, special shape brick, and paving brick.

The Acme Brick Company logo is stamped onto select residential brick for very specific reasons. When you see the Acme name, you can be sure that the brick are:

Hard-fired for lasting strength. The presence of the Acme name indicates that the brick are made from premium clay and hard-fired in computer-controlled kilns at temperatures that often exceed 1,800 degrees. The result is a brick that will outlast your mortgage and will stay beautiful without having to be painted, sealed, or maintained in other ways.
Tested for durability and safety. The Acme name is your assurance that the brick on the home exceed the specifications included in all local building codes.
American-made by an American-owned company. Acme operates 24 brick plants in the central United States.
Backed with two of the strongest commitments in the industry: Acme's pacesetting 100 Year Limited Guarantee for Homebuyers and the famous Good Housekeeping Seal.


The Acme Brick logo is easy to spot - along windowsills and at corners. If you don't see the Acme name, ask the builder.
 
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