A new thin stone veneer product, “Slimrock” is being produced using material quarried out of the Hartshorne Formation in the Arkansas River Valley.


AZ School of Rock / Natural Stone 101

I was recently made aware of a new product line that is hitting the market this season, a new natural stone product called “Slimrock.” As a fabricator, I am usually focused on what goes on a countertop in a kitchen, but because I love any natural stone product, this new Slimrock caught my interest. Because I started out in the trades 32 years ago doing tile and stonework, anything that is a natural product is fair game for me, and I am drawn to it. I remember doing vertical facing in stone masonry back in 1980, and always felt a sense of accomplishment when I would stand back and look at the “real stone” I had laid up on the outside of a building.

Fast forward to the 2000s, and we see many applications of both manmade or “cultured” stone look-a-likes on the exteriors and interiors of buildings, but I always love to see the real thing.

Such is the case with Slimrock. It is all natural - quarried out of the Hartshorne Formation in the Arkansas River Valley in a 360-acre tract of land that has over 200 year’s worth of deposits known thus far.

Material from the formation has been used for a range of prominent architectural applications over the years, such as the Oklahoma City Airport.

The product is unique in that it is cut into sizes up to 22 inches in face height. The blends are all from the same quarry or a proven source, which means that no one color will be in shorter supply than another. Slimrock can be obtained in nominal flagstone, building stone and thin veneer. The physical properties of the stone that is being quarried is outstanding, with an average PSI rating of around 27,000 pounds and a water absorption rating of 1.1%.

Slimrock’s owners and staff have generations of experience in the stone and thin veneer industry, and they have immediate plans to triple their market share in 2010. It is also developing a Web site at www.slimrock.com.

As a stone industry professional, this product seems to be a “natural fit” for stoneworking firms that want to expand their level of offerings to the consumer. If you have an opportunity to provide a product and or service to your clients that fits into what you do well, it is worth a consideration.