One thing that might be stronger than a rock is the bond of family. Perhaps even stronger still would be that of a family business. Not just supportive of each other's personal journey through life, members of a family-run company are also there for mutual professional success, and the experience of the inevitable ups and downs brings them closer together. As a result, it's the customers who benefit the most.

Brandywine Quarry is one such business. Founded in 1998 by Lynn and Connie Hanaway, Brandywine Quarry is now managed by their daughter Jennifer Taggart, with the third generation represented by Kyle Hanaway, a sales representative. Kyle says being involved with the family business is personally fulfilling, and something that translates to the customer experience.

"Everything we do is family-oriented and we treat customers like they are part of our family," he says. "I think that's a really special aspect of working with us."

Since its inception, Brandywine Quarry has mined the raw materials of different stones used for building projects and landscaping design, and it has become well-known for its boulders, building stones and different types of flagging for use in walkways, patios and around pools. Those products and efforts continue to be at the core of its business, but the company has also developed new innovations to stay on the cutting edge.

At the forefront is the use of their own quarries and the investment in their own manufacturing facility to process the materials. "We mine everything here from our Chester County locations as well as acquire materials from multiple Northeast quarries. We process it here at our facility," says Kyle. "This allows us to keep lead times and prices competitive because we're not relying on outside sources to supply the materials."

Customers, who range from custom builders, architects, landscapers, masonry contractors and homeowners, appreciate this level of quality control that Brandywine Quarry can assure them, including the color and cut of the stone. Much of this is owed to the development of its processing facility approximately 20 years ago, says Kyle, which opened the door to the production of their own line of thin stone veneer.

"With our very own sawing facilities that are utilizing the latest technology, we are producing the thin veneer directly and are able to control all processes; from mining, to sawing, to delivery. We were one of the first quarries to start sawing/producing real stone as a thin veneer option.

Thin stone veneer has become the most requested product we offer, and we do it from start to finish. The unique stones are mined from our quarries and processed in our facility then precisely cut it into a 1 ½-inch thickness," says Kyle. It's then palletized for customers to view the color variations on display.

It's important to note that this product is 100% real stone. "The term thin veneer does not mean manufactured stone. There's no way to duplicate the natural beauty of the earth," Kyle explains.

Thin veneer is incredibly versatile inside and outside of a home, including home exteriors, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, chimneys, landscape walls, water features, archways and accents. Residents in this area may have noticed Brandywine Quarry's stone veneer featured in various commercial projects, including the local STEM School Academy, CHOP in Douglassville and several other retail and residential properties.

No appointment is necessary to come browse the selection at Brandywine Quarry, featuring indoor and outdoor displays with 40 different types of stones. "There's not really much we can't offer in terms of color and customization, especially with the veneer, so we welcome any idea they have. We're available to walk around with customers and give input on which way they might want to go," says Kyle.

That personal touch comes naturally to the Hanaway family. "Customers trust us and rely on us to get their needs completed and with our own processing facility, we're able to keep timeframes within reason to get their projects squared away as fast as we can," Kyle concludes.

Brandywine Quarry, Inc.
151 N. Church St. (Route 10)
Parkesburg, Pa.
(610) 857-4200
BrandywineQuarry.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 22, Issue 7 (April 2022). 
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