General Shale’s N.C. Locations Win Top State Safety Awards

Words: Dan Kamys17 November 2016 — General Shale, a longtime provider of brick for high-quality commercial and residential projects throughout the nation, has received the North Carolina Department of Labor’s top annual safety awards for a production facility and several retail locations across the state. For the fifth consecutive year, the North Carolina Department of Labor presented the Gold Award, which recognizes outstanding health and safety efforts in 2015, to each of General Shale’s retail locations in Charlotte, Kernersville and Raleigh. General Shale’s retail location in Wilmington received the Gold Award for the sixth consecutive year. The Gold Award is the top annual safety award issued by North Carolina’s Department of Labor. The company’s Brickhaven production facility, near Moncure, received a Silver Award. Headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, General Shale is the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG and a leading manufacturer of brick, one of the world’s oldest green building materials. The North Carolina Department of Labor’s Safety Awards Program recognizes private and public firms throughout the state that achieve and maintain good health and safety records. To qualify for a safety award, a company must have had no fatalities during the calendar year at the location for which the award was given, and must have maintained an incidence rate that is at least 50 percent below the average for its particular industry group. For more information about General Shale, visit www.generalshale.com.
Brick Jointers: Purpose, Patterns, & Practical Applications
January 2026

After leads have been built and bricks have been laid, it’s crucial to tool the joints before the mortar sets. The tool of choice for this task is a brick jointer, but it can be tricky to decide which one to use. This guide will walk through the purpose o

Laying It Straight: Line-Holding Accessories for Masons Who Demand Precision
January 2026

When it comes to laying brick, block, or stone, nothing replaces a good line. A tight, true mason’s line is the backbone of straight courses and clean elevations, and the hardware holding that line is every bit as critical. Bon Tool’s lineup of Line & Lin

The Importance of Eye Protection in Masonry
January 2026

There are few stereotypes more iconic than the image of a construction worker wearing a hard hat and safety glasses. Protective glasses are among the most common items worn by workers in the masonry field, second only to the hard hat. According to OSHA, w

2026 Skills Challenge and Fastest Trowel on the Block Winners
January 2026