Latest posts
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Spencer Svonavec on the Somerset Playground Splash Pad: Why Community Projects Matter to Rockwood Stone
Somerset County is where Rockwood Stone operates, and it is where the people who work for us live. That connection shapes how I think about what this company should do when it has the ability to contribute to something the community needs. The Somerset Playground Splash Pad project is a good example of that. Rockwood…
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Spencer Svonavec on Why Somerset County Is One of Pennsylvania’s Strongest Regions for Stone and Aggregate
Somerset County does not always get the attention it deserves when people talk about Pennsylvania’s construction and materials industry. Most of that conversation centers on the Pittsburgh metro or the I-78 corridor in the eastern part of the state. But for aggregate production specifically, Somerset County has real advantages that I think are worth laying…
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Spencer Svonavec’s Guide to Sourcing Certified Aggregate in Pennsylvania
Not all aggregate is created equal, and in Pennsylvania, that distinction is written into the law governing state-funded construction. If you are a contractor sourcing stone for a PennDOT project or any government-contracted work in the commonwealth, you need to understand how the certification system works before you commit to a supplier. Pennsylvania Department of…
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Spencer Svonavec: How He Built Rockwood Stone From the Ground Up in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Starting a quarry operation is not a simple undertaking. You are dealing with land, equipment, permitting, material testing, labor, and the challenge of building a customer base before most people have heard of you. Rockwood Stone started that way, and the path from early operation to Pennsylvania-certified aggregate producer is one I am proud of.…
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Spencer Svonavec on How Rockwood Stone Completed the American Legion Post 279 Parking Lot Project
American Legion Post 279 has been part of the fabric of Rockwood, Pennsylvania for a long time. The Post at 136 Rockdale Road is where members gather, where the community honors those who served in the military, and where local traditions are kept alive. When the Post needed a larger, better parking lot, Rockwood Stone…
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Spencer Svonavec and Rockwood Stone on Why They Built and Donated the Great Allegheny Passage Trailhead Entrance in Rockwood, PA
The Great Allegheny Passage runs 150 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland. It passes through Rockwood. That detail matters more to me than it might to someone who doesn’t live here. Rockwood is a small borough in Somerset County. The GAP trail is one of the most-used rail trails on the East Coast, and…
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Spencer Svonavec Explains What Pennsylvania’s Type A, Class E Aggregate Certification Means for Construction Projects
If you have ever bid on a state-funded construction project in Pennsylvania, you know the materials list comes with strings attached. Aggregate suppliers have to be certified. Not just any certification, either. Pennsylvania maintains a strict tiered system, and not every quarry makes the cut. Rockwood Stone, my company based in Rockwood, Pennsylvania, recently earned…