Cold Spring, Minn. – (June 6, 2017) – Coldspring® – the leading quarrier and fabricator of natural stone and bronze manufacturing in North America – announces the appointment of John Mattke to President of Stone Panels International LLC, a recently acquired, wholly-owned subsidiary of Coldspring. Stone Panels International is the Texas-based producer of the universally recognized StoneLite® solution for interior and exterior building cladding, effective June 5, 2017.
John Mattke. Credit: Michael’s Photography
Mattke joined Coldspring in 1994 and has held various management positions before being named President and Chief Operating Officer in 2004. Throughout his career, Mattke has been instrumental in developing and implementing strategic changes and improvements throughout Coldspring, including the relocation and development of the company’s state-of-the-art foundry in 1998. He directed the strategic relocation and consolidation of all Cold Spring, Minn., operations and corporate offices into one location at the company’s new LEED-gold certified headquarters in 2007.
Based on market input, Mattke led the strategic rebranding of the company in 2013, bringing all divisions and brands under the single masterbrand of Coldspring from the former Cold Spring Granite, to better reflect the company’s broad product offerings, which far exceed granite. Under the Coldspring masterbrand, the company has created efficiencies for better serving customers while providing broader market acceptance and understanding of the vast resources available to customers.
As a past board member of the Natural Stone Council, Mattke played an instrumental role in the stone industry’s recent adoption of a sustainability standard for stone, known as ANSI/NSC 373 Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone. ANSI/NSC 373 was a significant accomplishment for the stone industry, as the rigorous and voluntary standard establishes criteria to determine the degree to which natural dimension stone is extracted and manufactured sustainably. Bringing this focus on environmental stewardship close to home, Mattke led Coldspring to achieve ANSI/NSC 373 certification in 2016.
Mattke will move to Marble Falls, Texas, and will provide ongoing guidance and support to Greg Flint, incoming President and Chief Operations Officer of Coldspring, and the Coldspring executive team as he assumes a new role as a member of the Coldspring board of directors. Flint and Mattke will work closely in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.
“I look forward to ensuring a smooth transition and continuing my service to Coldspring in my new role as President of Stone Panels International,” says Mattke. “The building community has come to rely on the Coldspring brand for a superior natural stone product, delivered on time and with exact precision, service and support. Although SPI will operate with autonomy, these same Coldspring values will guide us as we serve StoneLite® customers with responsiveness and flexibility across the globe. As a private, family-owned company since 1898, Coldspring understands the value of relationships and long-term dedication to customers. We eagerly anticipate bringing this market focused perspective, coupled with organic growth over time, to enhance the success of Stone Panels International.”
The production of StoneLite® has moved from Dallas to Coldspring’s location in Marble Falls, Texas, where Coldspring has recently made a significant investment in technology and equipment to ensure StoneLite® continues as a superior solution for exterior cladding.
Tim Freidel will assume the role of Executive Vice President, responsible for sales, marketing and business development for Stone Panels International (SPI). Beyond his more than eight years of experience at Stone Panels Inc., prior to the acquisition, Friedel brings 30 years of leadership experience at various building- and manufacturing-related companies throughout North America.
“I’m excited about the new opportunity in the marketplace for Stone Panels International and am proud that we were able to bring existing employees along on this move to ensure key knowledge and expertise throughout the transition,” says Friedel.
StoneLite® is a proven system of natural stone panels comprised of a thin stone veneer and an aluminum honeycomb backing which is sandwiched between impervious, high-strength, fiber-reinforced epoxy skin. Backed by a 10-year warranty, StoneLite® features numerous types of natural stone, including granite, marble, limestone, slate and sandstone. The lightweight system offers easy and fast installation while providing exceptional benefits and natural beauty for building cladding.
About Coldspring
Since 1898, Coldspring has served the architectural, memorial, residential and industrial markets with all types of natural stone, bronze, and industrial and diamond-tooling products. With headquarters, a primary manufacturing facility and bronze foundry in Cold Spring, Minn., the company has over 800 employees at operations across the country, including 30 quarries and multiple fabrication facilities. In 2016, the company’s headquarters, primary manufacturing operations and three Minnesota-based quarries received ANSI/NSC 373 Sustainable Production of Natural Dimension Stone certification. Coldspring’s in-house services and support such as drafting, design, BIM, and project and construction management contribute to creating unique customer solutions. To learn more about Coldspring, visit www.coldspringusa.com.
About Stone Panels International LLC
Stone Panels originated and pioneered the unique manufacturing process that has established StoneLite® as the world leader in lightweight natural stone wall cladding. This innovative process has resulted in providing exceptional benefits such as light weight, strength and impermeability to water. These attributes, along with thorough testing for acid freeze-thaw, air and water filtration, structural and impact load, fire, attachment systems and more, place StoneLite® panels at the forefront of building materials of choice. For more information, visit www.stonepanels.com.
