Products - Robinson Brick Company

Aerial view of finished Citi Field

In the spring of 2006, Robinson Brick National Sales Manager, Jim Hambleton, was given an opportunity by a distributor’s architectural sales rep to bid on a large project, the identity of which was not revealed.

During the next few months, Robinson Brick engineering, sales, and production crews went through the process of providing data pertaining to the brick manufacturer’s FBX quality standards, their ability to provide special coloration to suit the owner’s vision, costing for budgeting purposes, and a multitude of other tasks geared toward proving that Robinson Brick was prepared to provide nearly a million custom brick and Thinbrick for the project.

Finally, the project’s prestigious identity was revealed – the new home baseball park for Major League Baseball’s New York Mets – and Robinson Brick was awarded the contract.

Robinson Brick won the bid based on many factors:

Test laid out for review

Product quality
Ability to customize a color that closely matched the brick of the iconic “lost park”, Ebbets Field
Ability to produce a unique coring system, so that sawn Thinbrick would satisfy the specifications of the pre-cast concrete company and the design engineer
Ability to deliver brick & Thinbrick to two distributors in separate parts of the country simultaneously
Ability to meet project budget requirements

The qualification process took just over six months from first contact to purchase order issuance. Robinson Brick went into production the following month and started delivering product soon thereafter. Now, three years later, the new venue – Citi Stadium (named after Citigroup, a financial services company based in New York City) – is ready to welcome back the boys of summer and their fans with the 2009 season-opener, scheduled for April 13th against the San Diego Padres.

Close-up side view of Robinson Brick Thinbrick corner. Note unique coring design

Modular pre-cast concrete wall sections clad with Robinson Brick Thinbrick

Construction underway – wall sections in place

In 1994, Robinson Brick provided another beautiful custom color brick, this time for Coors Field, home to the Colorado Rockies. The custom-blended color, fittingly named “Ballpark” is a rich red/brown, evoking the nostalgic feel of a 1920s urban ballpark, and blending beautifully into the Downtown Denver landscape. The bandbox ballpark favors hitters and caters to fans, with concession stands in the concourse that are laid out so that a fan can walk 360 degrees around the stadium and never lose sight of the field. Some of the brick produced were stamped with the words “Robinson – Coors Field” on their backs and legend has it that if you look hard enough, you can see one or two brick in the wall with their back facing out. Whether masons did it by accident or on purpose…well, only they know. (Side note for fans: Coors Field’s first official game was in April 1995, the Colorado Rockies against – you guessed it – the NY Mets. Score: Rockies 11, Mets 9.)

Citi Field joins Coors Field as a modern ballpark that utilizes the warmth, charm, and enduring quality of Robinson Brick to achieve an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of old-time ballparks, with today’s modern technology and conveniences.

Both fields feature rotundas inspired by the classic design of Ebbets Field, which was demolished in the 1960’s but remains an icon for what many consider to be the golden age of baseball. The Citi Field rotunda was designed to honor Jackie Robinson, the legendary American pioneer who broke baseball's color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. According to Robinson's daughter, there were nine values the man embodied: courage, integrity, determination, persistence, citizenship, teamwork, justice, commitment, and excellence. The same values were reflected in Robinson Brick’s execution and fulfillment of their contracts for both Citi Field and Coors Field.

Robinson Brick manufactures FBX brick, as well as Old Brick Originals™ Thinbrick, and Robinson Rock™ natural thin veneer stone. No matter the size or complexity of your project, Robinson Brick has a product solution to fit your needs. Contact your local distributor or Jim Hambleton personally (jim.hambleton@robinsonbrick.com or 720-314-3013), to find out how products manufactured by Robinson Brick can help you turn your dream into reality.

Let’s play ball!

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