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About Us
Kafka Granite is a family owned and operated company that was started in 1979 by Glenn Kafka. From our origin as a supplier of decomposed granite road material, we have grown into one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of Specialty aggregates and crushed stone in the United States. Our architectural aggregates, decomposed granite, boulders, and other quarried products are used for many applications including landscaping stone, terrazzo tile, architectural precast concrete, decorative landscape boulders, stabilized decomposed granite, baseball infield mixes, pathway mixes, epoxy resin tile, and other types of floor tile.
Our goal is to provide our customers with a consistent, high quality stone product and to ensure the delivery of our products in a timely manner.
History
In 1979, at the age of 21, Glenn Kafka of Stratford, WI, owner of Kafka Granite, LLC, purchased a backhoe at a local auction for $8,500. He provided a service laying drain tile for local farms with the intention of making their land more productive for growing crops. He also provided small backhoe jobs for the local area as needed. With his first office located out of his mother’s very small laundry room, Glenn was able to find work and process his invoices. |
Digging Drain tile |
First Office |
First Granite Pit for Road Material
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First Crusher |
While visiting with a neighbor around a campfire in 1981, Glenn was offered an opportunity to purchase a forty-acre granite pit. As a relatively new businessman, a hard worker, and successful thus far, Glenn thought, “Why not?” Purchasing the pit would be a great resource and could potentially lead to future work. He had no idea where to begin, but immediately began to research utilizing his common sense and communication skills.
Glenn soon found support amongst various local contractors who held interest in purchasing road materials. These truckers, who were aware of Glenn’s fortitude and hard work, were instrumental in his instant success. Soon after, Glenn acquired a second granite pit that was located across the road. |
At the peak of providing decomposed granite road material, Glenn would load over two hundred trucks per day, servicing the counties of Marathon, Wood, Clark and Taylor. As much as half of the material sold was bid work, while the other sales were for private parties. Early on, Beverly Kafka (Glenn’s wife of 27 years) became an integral part of the quarry business. After completing a business degree at UW-Stevens Point, she spent her early-married years in the granite pit tracking and loading trucks as Glenn continued to bid road jobs, search for raw materials, and research product innovation. She would often leave for work with blonde hair, and return home with “dirty brown” hair. |
Beverly Kafka |
Glenn faced many great challenges to obtain the road material, one of which was to relocate or blast large boulders called corestones out of the way to secure the prime decomposed granite. One day, Glenn encountered a monster rock the size of a school bus. He worked on the “school bus” sized rock for countless hours attempting to maneuver around it. As a last resort, he decided to hand-drill and blast the stone with dynamite repeatedly to reach the “mother lode” on the other side. Once Glenn successfully blasted the rock, he discovered that it was in fact incredibly brilliant granite that sparkled in the sunlight. He was shocked by the glistening rock, and after facing one of his most frustrating challenges yet, it literally became a groundbreaking opportunity. Inspired by this incredible discovery, he decided to crush the rock, which began a new era that forever changed his business. Glenn named the new rock “Dynamite Orange”, which continues to be sold today.
First All-decorative Aggregate Pit |
In the mid-1980s, with the Kafka’s road material market well established, a small local bank approached Glenn with the opportunity to purchase a small crushing plant. The plant was located on the leased property of the Anderson Johnson quarry in the Township of Maine. With a strong source of red granite and his newfound Dynamite Orange granite, he thought long and hard before deciding this opportunity would be a sure fit for the expansion of his business. Kafka Granite’s crushing operations were established and continued in this quarry for many years.
Wausau Tile was one of Kafka Granite’s first architectural aggregate customers. During an initial meeting while establishing a relationship, Glenn brought in a sample of red granite. However, Wausau Tile desired and asked for more colors. A couple weeks later, Glenn returned and offered them six additional colors. This quick response impressed Wausau Tile who now realized Glenn’s serious commitment to satisfy their requests. To this day the relationship between Wausau Tile and Kafka Granite remains as strong as ever. Kafka Granite currently provides over forty different colors and a multitude of sizes, many of which are utilized in the products manufactured by Wausau Tile today. |
In January 1987, Glenn took an inexperienced sales employee on the road with him cross-country to investigate the marketplace. Upon his return, Glenn concluded that the market warranted the demand for the colored aggregates he provided. It became apparent the company needed to make a major investment in equipment in order to supply its products at nationwide level. The intent was to produce and sell colored aggregate on a nationwide scope primarily for the landscape and architectural pre-cast markets.
Meanwhile, Glenn recognized the demand for a wide-variety of colors and realized providing additional colors was another avenue to expand his business. Glenn sought and established relationships with various geologists to locate mines and quarries in order to discover new color palettes. Glenn’s travels for new products took him as far as Canada. He has also located other raw materials in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, and along the East Coast. Finding these colors proved to enhance a product line in response to customers.
As Glenn devoted more time to colored aggregate, business exploded. Therefore, he decided to sell the decomposed road material business. He now concentrated even more on decorative aggregate, continually seeking new colors, customers, and markets. |
First sample kit |
Materials provided by Kafka Granite include huge boulders, which are used for decorative landscaping and the erosion control. Also, to maintain cash flow, Kafka Granite established distributors throughout the Midwest to sell its cobblestones, boulders, and landscape stone.
With many varieties of color available and with plant operations established, Glenn had time to focus on the precast market. Kafka Granite began to provide higher priced specialty aggregates for the exposed precast panels used in the building industry. These panels are used in commercial buildings, stadiums, parking ramps, skyscrapers, etc. Two exclusive distributors were established to handle the architectural precast market.
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Early Precast Projects |
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Up to this time, leased quarry operations continued at the Anderson Johnson location and the groundwork had been laid with a variety of products available on a nationwide basis. However, the crushing equipment and product located on leased property provided no option for future growth. Another significant decision was required due to the inability to expand quarry operations. Glenn felt as if his hands were tied, and thus made the decision to relocate. Moving plant operations included 30,000 tons of product and all equipment, thus it would be no small task.
Kafka Granite purchased an eighty-acre parcel that was secluded and would warrant future expansion. Glenn stripped the land before moving the entire operation from Wausau to Mosinee. The update and expansion of the operation was necessary for efficient operational ability.
Ridgeview Manufacturing Facility |
The operations to provide these landscape materials require substantial crushing ability. It became imperative for Glenn to utilize equipment to move and organize tons of stone through the plant. A crushing and screening plant specific to Kafka Granite’s daily needs were designed and built by Glenn and his brother, Jim Kafka (who now owns and operates Kafka Conveyors and Equipment, Inc.). Today, the plant enables the operation to crush, sort, separate, and clean over forty different colors of architectural and landscape stone. Glenn also implemented quality controls to ensure that the products meet or exceed strict sizing and standards in order to be shipped all over North America for architectural projects. With the new location operating efficiently, Kafka Granite had the ability to add even more new product lines thus attracting new markets.
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Eventually, a bagging plant was added to the operations, which is utilized to exclusively bag fifty-pound sacks of small marble chips for the terrazzo flooring industry. The final product is applied in hospitals, schools, airports, and shopping malls throughout the U.S. and Canada. Kafka also began drying, screening, and bagging aggregate in three thousand pound super-sacks for the quartz countertop, tile, and epoxy resin markets.
Glenn’s talent includes the curiosity to research and develop new products while having an ability to be multifaceted. His curiosity evolves when he sees a problem and seeks a solution. He contemplates how to resolve the problem, considers potential solutions, and attempts a trial-and-error process until he succeeds. Many of these solutions include the introduction of innovative products. Continuing with diversification of markets, Kafka now produces and sells an even wider variety of specialty products nationally, such as:
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Pathway Materials: Kafka Granite provides a variety of pathway materials that are popular products with park and recreation departments, golf courses and botanical gardens throughout the U.S. Kafka Granite is conscious about the green movement, thus providing natural products that replace traditional hardscape paving such as concrete or asphalt. Some of the Track and Trail products are stabilized with an environmentally friendly natural polymer from India that is blended with manufactured sands. This creates a pathway surface that withstands traffic and weather extremes while still providing a natural look and feel. These materials are offered with several decomposed granites, limestone, and a variety of colored marbles. The excitement surrounding this new product includes being aesthetically pleasing and natural while attracting the attention of forward-thinking architects, city planners, and design professionals.
Some of Kafka Granite’s major Track and Trail projects include Lake Shore Drive walkways, bike paths to Cantigny Park (McCormick Museum in Wheaton, IL), Millennium Park, popular botanical gardens, and Walt Disney World pathways.
Ballyard Materials—State of the Art Infield and Warning Track Mixes: This original product is a specialty blend of waxes and polymers to achieve waterless, dustless, low maintenance ballyard materials. The material requires less maintenance, thus allowing the ballparks to engage in more competition, practice, recreation and fun while minimizing preparation and cancellations.
This product is used from local little leagues and high schools to college and major league fields. The prestigious New York Yankee Stadium, the new Minnesota Twins’ Target Field, Northwestern University, Notre Dame, Iowa State, Iowa University, Dartmouth College, Michigan State, Michigan University, and Miami University are all examples of locations that have installed this product.
Epoxy Overlay: A new product line consisting of epoxy resins and tightly gapped graded aggregate creates a non-slip, non-skid surface for decorative streetscapes and bike paths as well as a non-skid overlay for safer overpasses, bridges, and curves on state and federal highways.
A decorative streetscape is featured throughout Times Square and downtown Manhattan in New York City. Roadway projects have been completed in several states including Washington, Kentucky, New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia, and Wisconsin.
Permeable Pavers: Another venture for expansion includes the environmentally friendly permeable paver aggregate. This product is applied to help collect storm run-off in major metropolitan areas.
Projects completed include Chicago’s Buckingham Fountains, the Morton Arboretum, Loyola University, and countless other projects throughout the U.S.
Norstone: To complement the crushed aggregate line, Kafka Granite now imports natural thin stone veneer panels from an Australian owned international company called Norstone. The lightweight veneer panels significantly reduce on site preparation and labor costs. Kafka is the exclusive distributor of this innovative building stone throughout the Midwest. Kafka frequently works with architects on commercial and residential projects.
Kohler Company / Wausau Tile / Kafka Granite Endeavor: These three companies have joined forces in a commitment to “go green”. Kafka Granite is recycling porcelain toilets and sinks from Kohler’s landfills. Only Glenn would have thought and embraced the opportunity to crush the porcelain for use in terrazzo tile, countertops, and decorative pre-cast amenities as well as high-friction surfacing for roadways and overpasses across the nation. Kafka has also implemented a process to recycle slags, gypsum, firebrick, and glass from televisions and computer screens that is now manufactured into other green products.
Ahead of its time, Kafka Granite produces such green products that appeal to architects for the LEED points that they earn by using sustainable materials. Kafka is assertively working closely with architects to continue to provide creative and environmentally friendly options for architectural designs.
Most recently: Kafka Granite recently broke ground on its new office-building project. This facility will showcase Kafka Granite’s various products and applications, allowing potential clients to visually experience the wide spectrum of possibilities when purchasing from Kafka Granite. Further, the new facility will feature green technology to support the movement. This will be an interesting facility to visit as the ultimate showcase of products, applications, and designs, while housing the office staff.
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Glenn’s hard work, innovative mind, and entrepreneurial skills have lead to a variety of other ventures outside of Kafka Granite. Some include: |
Edgewater Estates and Baywood Shores—Residential Developments: With Glenn completing the majority of the earth moving and road building, two residential neighborhoods were developed in Stratford, WI as Edgewater Estates and Baywood Shores. The riverfront parcels include over three-hundred-acres that have been divided into over one hundred lots total. These locations provide a beautiful, appealing environment and increases potential for quality living locales for the Stratford residents.
Kafka DustBuster Plus, LLC—Dust Control: After originally creating a dust control product merely for Kafka Granite’s use, the company has now grown to market the product statewide through a sister company, Kafka DustBuster Plus, LLC. This product provides the typical calcium chloride solution and also an innovative alternative using magnesium rather than calcium. This combination is the mildest form of dust control available and the only product approved by the park and recreational department. Both products are natural, non-hazardous, and a positive option to minimize dust. Additional development includes blending the products with de-sugared sugar beet molasses (which Kafka refers to as “beet juice”). Beet juice serves as a rust inhibitor, making dust control even more consumer friendly.
Wisconsin Salt Solutions, LLC—De-Icing: This de-icing product, which consists of magnesium-chloride and beet juice, makes winter driving conditions much safer for citizens. This product is provided to municipalities, counties, and the State of Wisconsin.
Kafka Trucking, LLC: Glenn created this business entity for Kafka Granite’s necessity to transport its products from the rail facilities established in Chicago, Adams-Friendship, and Mosinee. Kafka Trucking is also utilized to insure prompt delivery to customers when outside trucking services are unavailable.
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Responding to Kafka Granite’s growth and development requires strength in the administrative functions. Family owned and operated businesses have the additional commitment to raising a family while working side by side. The Kafka’s have managed family and business issues, weathering the storms, and setting aside time for “fun”. They had the fortitude to raise two children successfully.
Beverly has the sizeable responsibility for all accounting, banking, employee benefit programs, and regulatory responses. Her work volume has grown in conjunction with the business development. As an active participant she has been influential in building the company to where it is today. She has a strong character and has been instrumental in working behind the scenes supporting the business and is actively involved in critical decisions. Beverly has had the faith and devotion of believing in the company’s directions for future growth.
The Kafka Granite story will continue into the future. This incredible company provides unparalleled service and stability. The spirit of Kafka Granite has evolved over time through hard work, solving problems, creative innovation, and seizing opportunities. Kafka Granite is positioning itself to continue its family operations into the next generation.
As this family owned company continues current operations and seeks even further growth, they are actively involving their children. Chris Kafka, 24, has been actively involved in the snowmobile racing teams with Glenn for over ten years, while also contributing his incredible work ethic at Kafka Granite for several years. He has now been working full-time for the business and will be training for a new role with increased responsibility. He will eventually oversee all the outside quarries and daily production at the main plant.
Tiffany, 19, is currently a sophomore at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and is majoring in Marketing Management. Tiffany spends her summers working in the office assisting the staff while contributing her creative edge and new ideas. She, like Chris, is progressively gaining more responsibilities. Eventually, she faces the challenging goal to manage both the office and all sales/marketing at Kafka Granite, LLC. Chris and Tiffany hold different skills and talents, which will complement each other in the future of Kafka Granite.
Aside from the family, Kafka Granite also has about twenty employees that are instrumental in the operations. The Kafka’s treat their employees fairly, just as they desire to be treated. There is very little employee turnover at Kafka Granite in spite of its growth. They offer one of the most generous employee health care plans including paying a significant premium portion with low deductibles. There has been steady employment for several years without the need for layoffs or reductions in force. Additionally, the Kafka’s have taken the time to get to know all staff and their families, creating everlasting friendships. The Kafka’s friendly and outgoing qualities are exhibited during and beyond the workday. The Kafka’s are respectful of others and are truly positive contributors in their workplace and in the community.
It has been an exciting journey thus far, and Kafka Granite is energized and positioned to continue its success. What will be next? |
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