Vegas Rock: Natural In The Desert
Developing the deposit to its fullest potential remains a work in progress. Rhoades explains that originally the company was focusing on selling boulders, ashlars, flagstones and crushed materials. The operation has its own crushing and bagging equipment.
“A lot of what most quarries view as waste product, we’re processing into products, and that’s where we generate a lot of our sales,” he explains.
Click photo to enlargeThose products include tumbled pavers, thin veneers and decorative gravel in sizes from ¼”-minus to 8”-minus in a variety of colors. Its Aquarius Soil is a crushed-for-planting medium that is approved for golf courses by the Professional Golfers Association (PGA).
Until two years ago, Las Vegas Rock was cutting 10-20 ton blocks with its Pellegrini DF2000TOP vertical saws and then shipping them elsewhere to be cut and polished for tile and countertop material.
One of the companies doing finishing for the operation was running Thibaut equipment, and in 2004 the firm added a Thibaut THS 1800 horizontal wire saw and a Thibaut T500 polisher to its plant in Jean.
Click photo to enlarge
Rhoades says the company chose the Thibaut equipment both because of its newer, robotic technology, and its ability to cut horizontally, which is better for the meta-quartzite than cutting vertically. Both machines are fully automated, as is the Thibault CNC Las Vegas Rock also purchased.
The meta-quartzite – because of its durability – has proven itself as a good countertop material, Rhoades adds, once it’s been sealed.
“We have some that have been in use for seven or eight years, and there’s no wear on them,” he says. “It doesn’t chip or scratch easily or have any adverse impacts from acids. It somebody spills wine or cuts a lemon on it, it has no effect.”
Among the commercial applications for Las Vegas Rock for is an establishment in Pinetop, Ariz., including a 40’ bar and all the tables.
“They love it, and they’ve had no problems,” says Rhoades.
Recently, Las Vegas Rock supplied stone locally for a project at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and the just-completed Red Rock Casino.
“For the casino, we provided all the exterior stone for the water fountains,” says Rhoades. “We also have slabs in the elevator lobbies and the VIP lounge.”
