More than 600,000 pounds of two types of Valders limestone from Valders, WI, helped in the renovation and restoration of an historic building in Salt Lake City, UT
 

Able to naturally complement the stone color of an historic building in Salt Lake City, UT, Valders Buff limestone from Valders Stone & Marble, Inc. in Valders, WI, was also fabricated to match different finishes throughout the exterior of a restoration project that would become O.C. Tanner Flagship Jewelry Store. Additionally, the company's Valders Dove White dolomtic limestone was used for the interior redesign.
 

Originally built in 1906 as a city library, the building added a brick addition in 1961, when it was converted into a planetarium. In 2003, the planetarium relocated, and the building -- listed on the National Register of Historic Places -- was left vacant. O.C. Tanner Company, a multi-million dollar company known for making jewelry as well as awards for the Olympics, decided to purchase the building in 2003. It made a commitment to the city of Salt Lake City to restore the building to its original size, structure and splendor.
 

"The project for the exterior restoration included the removal of the non-historic [brick addition] and the creation of a new contemporary facade at a location which had been an interior wall," said Partner-in-Charge Rob Pett of MJSA Architects in Salt Lake City, which served as the architect for the project. "This was done with the use of glass and limestone cladding. The interior of the building was completely redesigned as a contemporary jewelry store."
 

Completed in September of 2009, the total renovation took close to two years. Initially having a $4 million budget, the end results came to $25 million on just the renovation alone. "The drive behind O.C. was to really build America's finest jewelry store," said Schumacher, who added that his company supplied over 600,000 pounds of Valders limestone for the interior and exterior. "It was very humbling to be a part of something so rich in history at Salt Lake City. It was an honor for us to work on and be able to match a [stone] color so many miles away. We have done other restoration [work], but nothing of this grandeur. It's such a showpiece -- an artistic gem in the middle of the city. It was great to be a part of. We're really all sharing on the successful completion of the project."