Busik
Joseph Busik piloted a B-17 during World War II, flying missions over Germany from a base in Italy. He appreciated the beautiful stonework he saw in Italy, and he brought that love for stone architecture home to Pennsylvania after the war. Having a long line of masons on his mother’s side of the family, Joseph knew a lot about stone and wanted to get into the business of mining and supplying fine stone. In 1955 he bought the oldest operating stone quarry in America, operating since 1758 in the New Hope area. The baton passed on to his son, J. Kevan Busik, who at the age of 11 drove front loaders for the quarry. He came on board full time in 1972. The president now, Kevan is in charge of maintenance, day to day operations, production and complying with the myriad of government regulations that govern quarries in the U.S. Kevan is proud of his business’s growth explaining, “We move 300 to 500 tractor trailers full per day.” And he should be proud, having cut stone for the outside and sometimes inside of buildings at many of the most beautiful and respected universities in America. They are the sole supplier of stone for Disney World in Florida and their stone can be found anywhere fine stone masonry is done. Kevan credits much of his success in business to the discipline he learned at Valley Forge Military Academy. He has been the president of Building Stone Institute and the recipient of its Man of the Year Award. Kevan’s daughter Kristen is also in the business as a sales and marketing director. Joseph, now in his nineties still works several times a week at the office. Since the time it was bought, Delaware Quarries, Inc., has become the largest supplier of decorative landscape stone in North America. Delaware Quarries has 10 locations in Pennsylvania and a facility in North Carolina that cuts stone. Delaware Quarries is located at 6603 Route 202, New Hope, PA 18938. You can reach Delaware Quarries at 215-862-1670 or their toll free number 800-533-4954. For more information, visit www.delawarequarries.com.