General Shale is one of North America's largest brick, stone and concrete block manufacturers, supplying a wide variety of masonry materials for residential, commercial and specialty architectural projects. These materials include brick, thin masonry, outdoor living kits, concrete block and various building materials. The company offers an endless array of sizes, colors and textures to complete any building project. Throughout the U.S. and Canada, General Shale operates eight brick plants and two calcium silicate stone plants in nine states and provinces, in addition to a network of 28 General Shale-branded retail showrooms and over 300 affiliated distributors across North America. In 1999, General Shale grew even stronger when it joined Wienerberger AG of Vienna, Austria, the world's largest brick manufacturer.