R.E.D. Graniti, a world leader in stone production, realized the potential of the Colorado Yule marble quarry in Marble, CO, and committed to investing to make it a successful operation
Perched high in the Rocky Mountains is the Colorado Yule marble quarry, which is operated by Colorado Stone Quarries (CSQ) and owned by its parent company, R.E.D. Graniti S.p.A, a leading stone producer based in the province of Massa-Carrara, Italy. Founded more than 140 years ago in Marble, CO, the quarry has a storied past. Since the beginning, it has gone through several ownerships. In the last few decades none of the owners have experienced the level of success necessary to maintain the kind of operations that a marble, with such historical connotations, requires. With nearly 50 years of experience in the stone industry, R.E.D. Graniti was confident in its expertise and purchased 60% of the Colorado Yule marble quarry in November 2011 and then the remaining 40% in April 2013. In a little over a year, the company has made significant investments in technology as well as the quarry site, which has led to the production of very high-quality material, proving that the purchase was a prosperous endeavor.
Geologist Sylvester Richardson discovered Yule marble in the Crystal River Valley in the spring of 1873. George Yule, for whom the marble was later named, was the prospector who “rediscovered” the marble in 1874. Little interest was shown in the marble until 10 years later. At this time, prospectors were digging into Whitehouse Mountain for silver and gold when they encountered the Treasure Mountain Dome and a thick marble vein. This time a transition began that shifted the economy of the town away from silver and gold mining to one of quarrying marble. Because of this transition, the town of Marble was able to survive, while nearby towns such as Crystal and Schofield were vacated. The town was still a one-industry economy and its future followed that of the marble quarry operation.