Corporate Spotlight: Coronado Stone Products

For 60 years, Coronado Stone Products has been filling a need for beautiful stone veneer. What started out as an experiment in the floor of his garage became a huge success for a young Mel Bacon.

History of Coronado Stone Products

In 1959, Mel was working installing aluminum siding in California. The story goes that his boss didn’t have enough material to cover 100 square feet on one side of the house. So Mel goes home and makes a stone veneer to be installed in this space. It was a huge success. Mel used this revolutionary idea on more and more jobs.

Not long after this, Mel went on to form his own business. He originally used colored concrete to create the stone. He would pour the concrete onto a sheet of plastic in his garage, break it and then install the pieces to create a pattern. Because he could control the thickness of the concrete and concrete is lighter than stone, Mel had an easier time installing it.

The name of the company was suggested by a dealer who wanted to show case Mel’s products at a home show in San Diego, California. “Coronado Stone Products" stuck and has been the brand name ever since.

Mel continued to try new processes to make manufacturing the stone veneers more efficient. He began using stackable wood molds to make the pieces more uniform. He also experimented with different kinds of materials for his molds.

In 1963, Mel found the best material to consistently make high quality finished products. Soon after this he began to tinker with high-density concrete to make better and less expensive paving tiles.

While most inventors and business owners hold on to the means of their success, Mel decided to share his. In the mid 1960’s, Coronado Stone Products began to license the use of their stone and mold technology. The licenses were purchased by several start-up companies all over the United States. These companies helped to expand stone veneers throughout the siding industry. Many of these original start-ups are still in business today.

The 1970’s were a time of growth for Coronado Stone Products. Their products began to be distributed to installers and dealers throughout the United States. Coronado Stone Products became available in international markets including Canada and across the Pacific Rim.

Coronado Stone Products also began to work closely with architects and designers. They wanted to know what the trade professionals needed. New products were developed during this time to be used in a whole slew of projects including:

• Residential buildings
• Commercial buildings
• Custom homes
• Shopping centers
• Malls
• Landscaping
• City and County projects

Their collaboration with architects and designers to create new sought-after products has allowed Coronado Stone Products to create a stable relationship with these home design pros.

In the next decade, Mel’s dedication to innovation led to an incredible breakthrough. His experience in masonry and siding installation led him to creating a new panelized stone veneer profile. These panes were developed to save time and money. Mel also discovered a way to do something no one else was able to: hide the connecting seams of the panels.

The 1990’s brought a major change to Coronado Stone Products. In the early part of this decade, the headquarters were moved from LA to Fontana, California. Coronado Stone Products currently has 5 manufacturing facilities in the United States. These facilities include 3 plants in California and 1 each in Texas, South Carolina and New York. They currently have 2 distribution centers, one in Maryland and one in Western Canada.

Coronado Stone Products works closely with the local communities. Mel believes that everyone deserves a second chance and so he and his company have partnered closely with local parole and probation officers. They offer entry-level positions with opportunities to move up in the company to those who have fallen down on their luck. Coronado Stone Products remains true to Mel’s beliefs that hard work and dedication deserves to be rewarded.

Coronado Stone Products is an industry leader and innovator. Their product line is always growing and includes manufactured stone products, thin brick, floor tile and architectural accessories. They offer more variety of products than anyone else in the industry. Coronado Stone Products continues to create new profiles and colors so that architects and designers can build beautiful, distinctive projects.

They are dedicated to innovating products that are easy to install and save builders and consumers’ time and money. After 60 years in the industry, Coronado Stone Products remains “The Leader in Manufactured Stone, Brick and Tile".

History of Stone Veneer

Stone veneer was invented in Ancient Rome along with concrete and cement. The Romans used smaller pieces of marble to cover the outside of important buildings. The large holes in the outer walls of the Colosseum show where and how they attached the marble pieces.

Thin veneer was developed in the late 1800’s. This was the first of the modern stone veneer. These smaller, decorative pieces were made of granite, marble, limestone, travertine and slate. Most of these early examples of thin stone veneers are crumbling and falling apart. Perhaps this is due more to the cement or method of adhering the stone than the stone itself. These examples of thin veneer could only be attached to the inside of buildings, at street level and storefronts.

By the late 19th and early 20th century, it was becoming common to attach a stone veneer to load bearing walls. Without the benefit of a steel substructure, the lower levels would become increasingly wider as the building’s become taller. The problem was compounded by the veneers as they could not help support the weight of the building above it.

The solution was using steel to create a substructure for the building. As the floors went in, stone veneer was used on the inner walls and then supported by a second “skeleton" on the outside walls. The Empire State Building is a great example of this type of construction and epitomizes the style of the era. In the 1930’s, the common thickness for stone veneer was 1.5 inches thick. The use of stone veneer for complete facades in buildings became incredibly popular in the 1940’s.

The 1950’s brought stone veneers to the rest of the nation. Transportation improved with more reliable methods of getting large freight shipped. The cost of moving the stone decreased and it became more affordable. This was something people wanted. Mel Bacon’s innovation with manufactured stone gave the everyday household access to a beautiful stone veneer for their home.

Products

Coronado Stone Products manufactures over 50 products and continues to add new ones every year. That’s way too many for a blog post. So, we’ll focus on a few of the newest members of the family.

One of Coronado Stone Products’ newest products is their Amalfi Ledge. The inspiration for this lovely style comes from the verdant hills of Amalfi on the coast of Italy. Harkening back to the golden days of the Italian Renaissance, this beautiful stone veneer gives you all the elegance and grace of the Italian countryside. To complement your own villa Coronado Stone Products offers the Amalfi Ledge collection in six colors.

Our Carrera (NDG 1136) plan is a perfect plan to complement the Amalfi Ledge stone veneer offered by Coronado Stone Products. This Mediterranean style home gives you plenty of curb appeal. Featuring 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, this home will give your family plenty of room to grow. The built in computer desk in the kitchen gives you a family hub for homework, listening to music or just taking care of those pesky bills. This 1700 square foot home delights with a master suite with a large walk in closet, whirlpool tub and standing shower. A large laundry room, foyer and dining room finish out this beautiful home. Check out the photos from one of our home owners.

The Artisan Ledge collection from Coronado Stone Products juxtaposes beauty with a natural rustic vibe. This stone veneer inspires you to think of Old World elegance and style. This stone veneer comes in five color choices, giving you full control over how your castle will look.

Our Ridgewood Cove (SMN 1021) plan is a stunning example of the modern rustic design. With a 2 tone brick and stone façade, this home is a beautiful place to use the Artisan Ledge stone veneer. This nearly 4,000 square foot home offers you 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. Walking into the home you find yourself in the foyer, great room and kitchen with soaring 10’ ceilings. Check out photos from one of our home owners.

Conjuring images of sprawling ranches and beautiful sunsets, the Texas Rubble Collection from Coronado Stone Products is sure to win you over. Inspired by the adobe brick homes in the Southwest, this stone veneer gives you timeless style and endless curb appeal. Coronado Stone Products offers three classic color choices for this new collection. Which one will you ride off into the sunset with?

Our Cliffs (NDG 1380) plan is a perfect medium for the Texas Rubble style stone veneer. With a covered porch supported by wooden columns and stone work bass, this 3,500 square foot design is perfect for your home on the range, or the cul-de-sac. The large great room awes with a vaulted ceiling and exposed timber beams. It opens to the dining room and kitchen, as well. The large master suite has a whirlpool tub, shower, walk in closet and a private entrance to the back deck. Check out photos from one of our home owners.

From humble beginnings to becoming an international leader in manufactured stone, Coronado Stone Products is an inspiration to us all. Mel Bacon knows firsthand how hard work and dedication can bring success and prosperity. He continues to support that ideal in all of his business ventures today.

Here at Nelson Design Group, we are inspired by this story and how Mel’s dreams came true. Let us help make one of your dreams come true by designing or customizing your dream home. Give us a call today.