Kasten Masonry

Kasten Masonry started out in 1895 as Kasten & Schmuke pressed brick company. Its owners were R.C. Kasten and Joe Schmuke.

"Back then, it was just a brick plant," says Quent Kasten, general manager of Kasten Masonry and a great grandson of R.C. Kasten, co-founder of the business.

The business name and product lines changed and evolved over the years and it became Kasten Masonry in 1960.

In the 1980s, Kasten Masonry became a distributor for wood and gas stoves and fireplaces as well as barbecue grills, pools, spas, hot tubs and fire pits.

"We have dealers all over Missouri as well the surrounding states," says Kasten.

In 1988, Kasten Masonry purchased Carbondale Brick & Block in Carbondale, Illinois, and in 2011, they purchased a brick business in Bonne Terre, Missouri.

Kasten has worked at Kasten Masonry all of his adult life.

"My first day was probably back in 1987 or 1988 when I was still in high school," he says. "I worked here during the summers and winter breaks when I was in college and I've been here ever since."

Kasten says he enjoys the work he does because it's always changing.

"It's different every day and definitely keeps me busy," he says.

Kasten believes service has been a key factor to the success of Kasten Masonry over the years.

"Almost everything we sell, we service with a factory-trained technician," he says. "We try to treat people the right way."