Come See GraniteCrete at the NorCal Landscape & Nursery Show!

The 2024 NorCal Landscape & Nursery Show is just A FEW WEEKS AWAY!

Held at the San Mateo County Event Center, this one-day, regional trade show is not to be missed! 
It’s packed from start to finish with educational opportunities (including continuing education credits,) and features exhibitors offering everything from landscaping equipment, to landscaping materials, to decorative fixtures — and more!

GraniteCrete is thrilled to be returning for the second year in a row.  We will be in Booth #341 — stop by and see us!

Happy Holidays from GraniteCrete!

As the year winds down and we turn our sights toward the one to come, we’d like to express our gratitude to everyone who chose to include us in their projects this past year. We appreciate your support, and look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.  Before we gear up for the new year, we’d like to take a moment to share a few highlights from 2023:

  • We were an exhibitor at the Nor Cal Landscape & Nursery Show in February.  We enjoyed it so much, we will be back again in 2024; come visit us at booth #341!
  • At The Landscape Expo in September, we enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by our booth and learning more about what landscape professionals are looking for in a permeable paving material.  We look forward to exhibiting at the Expo again in 2024!
  • Our retailer network in southern California grew by seven locations, as we welcomed Southwest Boulder & Stone as a retailer.
  • We continued to support the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) through membership in our local chapter, and through partnerships with a few other chapters in southern California and the Bay Area.
  • Taking feedback from architects into consideration, we revised our Specification Guide.  Not only did we strive to make the content more clear, we split it into three different Guides depending on the intended final application.
  • We’ve been developing a new Quality Control program.  Look for that announcement from us in the coming months!
  • Due to our continued growth, we are hiring for the following positions: Quality Assurance Field Supervisor (northern California, and southern California) and Sales Account Manager (southern California).  Interested in more information about these positions?  Shoot us an email at hiring@granitecrete.com

We cannot wait to see what exciting new developments GraniteCrete will experience – or be part of – in 2024!

We would like to thank landscape architect, Kathy Strickland, for including GraniteCrete in several designs throughout 2023 (one in Los Altos Hills above left, and one in Atherton above right).  Kathy chooses to use GraniteCrete in her designs for a few key reasons:

1. Environmentally friendly product (natural and sustainable material, reduces runoff, replenishes groundwater).

2. Practical (works on slopes with little erosion, low long term maintenance costs, lower material cost than other paving types, reduces load on stormwater management infrastructure, great customer support).

3. Good design choice (credit for impervious coverage calculations, crunchy feel and sound for a more organic vibe). 

Come See GraniteCrete at The Landscape Expo!

GraniteCrete is excited to be attending this year’s The Landscape Expo in southern California.  Our Senior Account Manager, Dave Ventura, will be overseeing our booth #382 during the Expo.  Please stop by to say hello, learn more about our product, and to enter to win a special, The Landscape Expo-exclusive giveaway!

We can’t wait to see you there!

From:The Landscape Expo:

“The Landscape Expo is a regional trade show and educational conference for landscape professionals from all facets of the industry. Featuring hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees every fall for the past 60 years, the Landscape Expo is the premier event for landscape professionals in the western United States.”

Introducing GraniteCrete’s New Specification Guides

GraniteCrete’s Specification Guide has long acted as a “catch-all” document.  It addressed every application of GraniteCrete, and every installation variable.  It became difficult to navigate as we added – and expanded on – information.

To simplify it, we took that singular guide and transformed it into three separate ones.  Each guide contains only the pertinent information for the intended application of GraniteCrete:

Now, it’s easier than ever to find and use the guide to best serve your project!

Send Us Your Favorite GraniteCrete Installation, and You Could Win!

GraniteCrete is looking for fresh, exciting content and are inviting YOU to submit an image – or a short video – of your favorite GraniteCrete installation!

We’re preparing a video display for our retailer locations.  We’ll select images/videos from this contest for that video, with full credit given to the architect/installer.  We will also declare an overall winner, who will receive a $50 Starbucks gift card!

Requirements

  • High-definition images – minimum 1,000×1,000 pixels preferred
  • Include the GraniteCrete admixture color that was used
  • Include the architect and/or installer for the project


Optional: Include two to three sentences explaining why it’s your favorite GraniteCrete installation.

Simply send an email to info@granitecrete.com with your submission(s) by Saturday, April 15 2023.

A winner will be chosen and announced by Monday, May 1.

We look forward to seeing your favorite GraniteCrete installations!

Happy Holidays from GraniteCrete!

As the year winds down and we turn our sights toward the one to come, we’d like to express our gratitude to the architects, installers, retailers, and customers who chose to include us in their projects this past year. We appreciate your support, and look forward to continuing to work with you in the future.  Before we gear up for the new year, we’d like to take a moment to share a few highlights from 2022:

  • We experienced record sales, up nearly 80% from 2022.  We could not have accomplished this without the hard work and support of our retail partners.
  • We added five pre-mix facilities to our retail network.  Customers and retailers have mutually benefitted from this decision.
  • In the fall, we held several GraniteCrete Demo Days at our retail locations across California.  These involved an on-site, live GraniteCrete installation. We thank our retailers for partnering with us on these, providing the space, and promoting the event.
  • We brought on Brian Milligan as our dedicated Quality Assurance person – a position that has been a long time coming!
  • We attended the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Conference on Landscape Architecture for the first time! We enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by our booth, and learning about the current landscape architecture environment.
  • Work began on the largest GraniteCrete installation to date!  This installation is part of the Foster City Levee Improvements Project.  We are thrilled to have been included in this project by BFS Landscape Architects, and we commend Chago Rarmirez of Graniterock Construction’s  Watsonville location for brokering this deal.

We cannot wait to see what exciting new developments GraniteCrete will experience – or be part of – in 2023!

GraniteCrete Demo Days are Coming This Fall

GraniteCrete has been working closely with our retail partners to set-up product demo days up-and-down California!

A past GraniteCrete Demo Day.

What is a Demo Day?

A Demo Day involves the physical installation of a permanent section of GraniteCrete at our retail partner’s location.  If there isn’t sufficient space for a permanent installation, an alternative of a moveable installation completed on a wooden pallet might be done instead.

What can be expected from a Demo Day?

A GraniteCrete representative will be on-site for approximately three to four hours – for the installation itself, and for a Q&A afterward.

The representative will give a 15-minute overview of the product prior to the demonstration.  They will go step-by-step through the installation process while the retailer gives the live demonstration of a typical GraniteCrete installation. 

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the GraniteCrete installation process and to ask any questions you might have!

When and Where are the upcoming GraniteCrete Demo Days?

  • September 14: KRC Rock, San Marcos 
  • September 16: Tri-State Materials, Winchester
  • September 23: Graniterock, Salinas
  • September 28: Custom Architectural Stone, Solvang
  • October 4: Sonoma Materials, Sonoma
  • October 6: Peninsula Building Materials, Santa Clara

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for the latest information on Demo Days – including newly-scheduled locations, dates, and times.

How the GraniteCrete Team is Investing in Our Planet

Each year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day.  We have the opportunity to evaluate the impact our everyday choices have on the planet, and to look at where we can improve to better protect it for generations to follow.

At GraniteCrete, we are proud to supply a product that benefits the environment in several ways.  However, our commitment to sustainability and environmentally-friendly choices doesn’t end there.

The entire GraniteCrete team participates in composting of all qualifying food waste, as well as recycling of all approved items.

Other steps some of our team members take involve:

  • Using all LED lightbulbs
  • Making an effort to not buy any single-use items
  • Purchasing as many items as possible in glass containers – which are then reused for pickling, food storage, et cetera – or, buying items in compostable packaging
  • Using plant-based cleaners and/or biodegradable soaps
  • Driving hybrid vehicles
  • Deriving 100% of their home’s electricity from roof solar panels
  • Opting to replace their lawn with native plants, permeable hardscape, and drip irrigation systems

Choosing the Right Finish

When completing the GraniteCrete installation process, there are a number of ways to finish the surface to achieve different looks.  This month, we look at some of those tried-and-true methods.

Method One

Simply compact the GraniteCrete with a lawn roller filled with water.  Once it’s fully compacted, walk away – that’s it!  The look is similar to that of the surface finish seen with asphalt, but much more environmentally-friendly.


Method Two

Some people prefer to take the above method a step further, by laying a piece of plywood down on top of the GraniteCrete and using a vibratory-plate for the final compaction.  It’s important that a vibratory-plate is NOT used directly on the surface of GraniteCrete, as this can create undesirable lines.


Method Three

Similar to the above methods: After compacting GraniteCrete with a lawn roller, lay a medium-bristle broom on top of the GraniteCrete and drag it across the top of the material.  This will loosen approximately the top 1/16″ of GraniteCrete, which creates a more natural-looking finish.  If desired, a second rolling with the lawn roller can be done to smooth some of the loose aggregates back into the finish.


Method Four

To take the above a step further, drag the broom more aggressively across the surface to remove the top ¼” of GraniteCrete.  This will end up exposing the larger aggregates, and allow the material to blend in more with surrounding softscape.

Christie Park: A Stunning Transformation

“Renovation” does not even begin to do justice to the incredible transformation that Christie Park in Emeryville, CA has undergone since plans to expand the park—and overhaul its design—were first introduced in 2014.

A Lackluster Beginning
Previously, the park featured an under-utilized “amphitheater” design that lacked imagination and warmth.  As a result, the number of visitors to the park was dismal and it failed to fulfill a city policy geared toward cultivating family-friendly spaces throughout Emeryville.  So, the Emeryville Planning Commission decided something needed to be done.

The Planning Commission introduced plans to increase the park size by a half acre, develop an innovative playground with innovative structures that step away from traditional “cookie cutter” structures, and foster a sense of community throughout the “Christie Core” area of the city.

A Dream Realized
Christie Park has truly evolved from a “park” in name only into a unique and beautiful gathering place for families, dog owners, athletes – and more!

Christie Park’s new dog park, paved with GraniteCrete.

Located behind Emeryville’s Public Market, the park now has a hip, progressive vibe.  It features an ocean-themed playground, lush green lawns perfect for picnicking, and a fenced-in dog park paved with a custom blend of two of GraniteCrete’s standard colors, supplied by Napa Valley Materials: 60% Natural and 40% Ash Grey.  As an environmentally-friendly paving material, GraniteCrete fits in perfectly with the overall look and feel of the renovated park.

A Doggone Good Dog Park
Designed by Hart Howerton, the minimalist-design dog park includes circle benches surrounding beautiful trees and a handful of decorative rocks sprinkled here-and-there, leaving plenty of room for playful pups to explore and meet new friends.  And, since GraniteCrete exceeds ADA compliance requirements, dog owners of all physical capabilities will be able to bring their faithful companions to enjoy the dog park.

GraniteCrete is proud to be a part of the Christie Park redesign and renovation that has enriched the city of Emeryville.