OUR HISTORY
Johnson Concrete Products (JCP) was founded by Allen Starling Johnson, Jr. and his father in 1947 as a single pipe plant in Salisbury, NC. Over the decades, the company has expanded to four locations across North Carolina that produce concrete pipe, structural masonry, architectural veneers, and segmental retaining walls with a regional shipping footprint. Additionally, we operate three masonry and hardscape showrooms that distribute brick, stone, pavers, and other building materials. As a fourth generation local, family owned industry leader, JCP continues its history of exceeding expectations for quality, consistency, and customer service.
A native of Lexington, NC, Allen Starling Johnson, Jr. was an All-American starting guard on Wallace Wade’s legendary “Iron Duke” 1938 football team. In 1939 he returned as a senior captain and graduated in the spring with a degree in Economics. While at Duke, he became smitten with Frances “Billy” Johnson, the only female in his Economics classes. The two were married in 1941 and settled in Salisbury.
After college, Allen began driving lumber trucks to Washington, DC for his father’s lumber business as part of the war effort. In the post-war construction boom, Allen noticed that people around Salisbury were using cinders to make their own blocks. He began thinking that he could mass-produce a lighter and cleaner block in a more efficient manner. After convincing his father, “Pop”, to become a business partner and purchasing land on Klumac Rd., he hired a salesman, an office manager, and a production crew and began making pipe and block in Salisbury.
Johnson Concrete’s initial blocks contained slag, a byproduct of smelting ore, from Alabama. Supply became unreliable, so Allen began researching how he could produce his own aggregates to use in block. He ultimately opened an expanded clay plant in Salisbury and named it Tufflite. A short time later, Allen was visiting Young Stone in Gold Hill and realized that the slate being mined there could be expanded, producing a lighter and higher strength aggregate for his blocks. Allen bought the adjacent property and in 1950 Carolina Stalite was born.
In 1968, Allen hired Charles Newsome as General Manager of Stalite. When Charles started, Stalite was made using sintering machines and its furthest customer was 125 miles away in Columbia, SC. Today, Stalite operates 8 rotary kilns with patented technology, ships material all over the world, and is the industry leader in structural lightweight aggregate.
Allen died suddenly and unexpectedly in 1982. Charles advised Mrs. Johnson to sell Stalite and Johnson Concrete. The market was strong, she had been out of the workforce for nearly forty years and had a special needs son. Mrs. Johnson told Charles that selling wasn’t an option because she didn’t want to risk our employees losing their jobs and immediately assumed the role of President. She and Charles made a great team and worked hand-in-hand until Mrs. Johnson retired in her early eighties. Mrs. Johnson passed in 2016; today Johnson Concrete is 100% women owned by her three daughters and two granddaughters.
Charles retired in 2018 after fifty years with the companies and Jody Wall assumed the role of Executive Vice President of Johnson Concrete Products and General Manager of Stalite. With a background in engineering, concrete, and aggregates, Jody is well respected in the industry for his technical knowledge and leadership.
Having been in the concrete products business for nearly 75 years, JCP has been integrally linked to the industry’s growth and transformation. Our core principles, however, have remained unchanged. We strive to be an industry pioneer and a respected employer in our communities through professional and personal integrity, innovative product development, and the promotion of safe and sustainable construction practices. From our team of engineers and product consultants to our custom color lab, we are uniquely equipped to provide both the technical support you need and the aesthetic options you desire while still being “easy to do business with.”
OUR LOCATIONS
Johnson Concrete Products’ production facilities are strategically located across North Carolina. From the mountains to the coast, we service almost all of North Carolina and parts of South Carolina with our stormwater, masonry and hardscape products, and we ship specialty architectural masonry across the country.
OUR LEADERSHIP
BSET, Civil Engineering Technology
Jody joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2000. His areas of interest in masonry include energy efficiency, structural design, and production optimization. He’s extremely active in several industry associations, including being the Chairman of the Expanded Shale Clay and Slate Association, Chairman of ASTM Subcommittee C9.21, Chairman of the National Concrete Masonry Association – Acceptable Workmanship Committee, and is on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association.
Fun fact: Jody enjoys playing volleyball in a local league in Charlotte, NC. He prides himself on his serve and claims to have the highest jump in the league (when his knees don’t give out on him).
Starling officially joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2010, but as a fourth generation family member she effectively grew up in the business. Her mission is to build a team that consistently exceeds customer expectations and to implement processes that maximize our efficiency. She’s Chairwoman of the National Concrete Masonry Association’s Young Professionals Group and active in the Southeastern Concrete Masonry Association’s marketing committee. She’s also passionate about Salisbury, where Johnson Concrete Products was founded in 1947, and serves as Membership Chair for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce and on the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors.
Fun fact: Starling set a goal in college to visit and spend the night in all 50 states by the age of 35. Six months pregnant and having just turned 35, she convinced her husband to go to Iowa on their “babymoon” to check off the last state.
Serving in the United States Marine Corps for 10 years and achieving the rank of Sergeant, Chuck credits the service for instilling in him a hard work ethic and a determination for proven results. He joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2000 as a mixer cleaner and through the years of climbing the ranks he has had almost every job description at the company including Production Manager and now Sales Manager. Chuck serves as Chair of the Education Committee for the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association and strongly encourages younger generations to join our industry.
Fun fact: Chuck enjoys spending time with his wife, five sons, and grandson. He also enjoys weightlifting and cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins, and Wake Forest Deacons.
BA, Government/Political Philosophy
Gregg joined the Johnson Concrete Products team in 2006. His areas of interest in stormwater include innovative/cutting edge products, customer relations, and procurement. He’s currently President of the Carolinas Concrete Pipe and Products Association (CCPPA), and is a member of its Board of Directors and Technical Marketing Committee.
Fun fact: Previous to entering the building materials industry in 2000, Gregg was a member of the PGA of America, played in two PGA Tour events, and multiple mini-tours for five years.
Fun fact: Brian is active in various mission outreach organizations, local and abroad. He is an avid fisherman and loves to spend time amidst the sea grass, oyster beds, and solitude of the NC coastal backwaters.
Winston has been in the block business since 1996 and specializes in driving production efficiency, mold and unit design, and facility layout. Winston is known for his preventative maintenance programs and strives to train his employees to have the same level of knowledge as he does regarding the production equipment. He has also been a Master Blockmaker since 2000.
Fun fact: When not at work, Winston enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and dogs. He loves to fish and spend time tinkering with anything mechanical.
Fun fact: Billy is one of the few people who can sell you a block, make it, cube it, and deliver it to you. All by himself!
Fun fact: Chris is certainly busy: he’s married to an amazing wife and together they have four children, a dog, and a cat. For fun, he’s an avid bicycle rider, both on and off road.