Commentary by Jon M. Casey

Routinely, you will find an article here that highlights the “nuts and bolts” of a business operation with information that includes production details, the history of the company and an interview of one of the key people involved with the operation. In the case of Grand Junction’s “The Rock Shop,” circumstances did not allow an interview to take place, however I was granted permission to tour the facility to take photos in attempt to help convey the impact that this display of rock products had on me.

In a conversation with Greg Monger, The Rock Shop general manager, I shared my past experiences of doing articles on stone quarries and large mulch operations for RockRoadRecycle.com, then told him (to my observations) this facility somewhat combines the two entities into one. It gives the homeowner and landscaper the option to landscape a property with decorative stone in a myriad of sizes and colors. Additionally, they do have conventional wood mulch available, but in this arid climate, many homeowners and businesses opt for stone landscaping instead of grass and mulched gardens.

What amazed me at the time was that rocks and boulders of a number of colors and sizes were all available — here and now — in one location, for immediate sale and delivery. As you will see in accompanying photos here and on The Rock Shop website under the “Lot” tab, the operation is a remarkable sight. [Note: I’ve included an aerial photo of the facility, a screenshot taken from Google Maps that hopefully gives some clarity to the size and layout of this remarkable and tidy facility.]

For example, as I began my tour of the grounds, a double-sided sample bin with more than 50 products, sits outside the office. These samples give the customer an easy look at the variety of materials that are available. Other specialty items like carved rocks, rocks turned into fountains flowing with bubbling water and pallets of flagstone were all located in prominent places. Further out in the yard, expanses of double-sided bunkers filled with crushed rock, stretched for a considerable distance in both directions from the scale house/business office. Roughly, 90 bunkers, filled with red, brown, black, gray and white materials made for an impressive sight.

Across Riverside Parkway there were stockpiles of several crushed stone products, presumably materials that are more commonly in demand. I discovered that additionally, The Rock Shop offers other landscaping necessities such as weed barrier materials, top soil and compost mixtures. They also offer edging, borders and wall-making materials, as well as wood chip mulch in several colors and kinds including wood bark chips. Playground mix is available as well.

Monger said that The Rock Shop is associated with Parkerson Construction, Inc., a successful sand and gravel operation located in Grand Junction. According to the company website, the business has been in the residential construction business since 1950, growing into heavy construction in 1961. The company continued to grow, branching out into sand and gravel operations in 1985. As a part of the ongoing growth of the company, The Rock Shop was created as an outlet for decorative rock — an innovative idea to say the least. With more than two dozen full-time employees, Parkerson Construction, Inc. is prepared to do site prep work of all kinds in western Colorado.