Greg Flint New President & COO at Coldspring®
COLD SPRING, Minn. – Greg Flint, a longtime employee of U.S. natural-stone quarrier/fabricator Coldspring®, is the company’s new president and chief operations officer (COO).
Greg FlintFlint, previously Coldspring’s vice president of operations and strategy, took over Monday from John Mattke, who remains with the company as president of its new Stone Panels International (SPI) subsidiary.
Mattke, who served as Coldspring’s president/COO since 2004, also becomes a member of the company’s board of directors.
Flint, with more than 34 years of service at Coldspring, joined the executive ranks 16 years ago. The announcement of his new position stressed that “listening to customers’ needs and then utilizing change management to improve Coldspring’s LEAN management system” are areas of expertise.
“As a second-generation employee, it is an honor to be given the opportunity to lead Coldspring, an organization I’m proud to be a part of,” says Flint. “As President and Chief Operations Officer, my primary goal is the continuous improvement of delivering value for our customers by capitalizing on our vast capabilities and resources, including the great people who are part of the Coldspring family.
“With a strong team in place, we’re well positioned to write the next chapter in the Coldspring story,” he adds. “I look forward to building on our current successes in the marketplace, driving continuous improvement and ensuring Coldspring thrives for another 100 years by serving the unique needs of our customers.”
Flint and Mattke will work closely in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.
Mattke will move to Marble Falls, Texas, where he will provide guidance at SPI during the next phase of its transition. Coldspring acquired the assets of Stone Panels Inc. last November for $5.55 million in a Chapter 11 sale.
Stone Panels originated and pioneered the unique manufacturing process that established the StoneLite® product as a world leader in lightweight natural-stone wall cladding, providing exceptional benefits such as light weight, strength and impermeability to water. The product also offers years of thorough testing for acid freeze-thaw, air and water filtration, structural and impact load, fire and attachment systems.
“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,” Mattkey says. “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 the Dallas area to Coldspring’s location in Marble Falls.
John MattkeMattke joined Coldspring in 1994. 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.
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.
“It has been a privilege for me to serve as president of Coldspring for the past 13 years,” says Mattke. “I’m grateful for the guidance and support of the Alexander family and the board of directors all these years and to all my fellow employees for what we have accomplished together. I look forward to ensuring a smooth transition and continuing my service to the company in my new role.”
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