Illini Brick Company has enjoyed a long history of serving Central Illinois construction and landscaping needs. Beginning in 1899 as Illini Brick and Tile Co., Frederick R. Carter purchased the Spurck Paving Brick plant near East Peoria. Illini Brick and Tile Co. operated from this plant until 1909, when Carter erected a new plant on Cole Hollow Road in East Peoria.
In April 1925, Carter purchased Rapp Clay Products, also on Cole Hollow Road. Frederick Carter managed the business with his three sons, Charles, Raymond and Ben and his son-in-law Harry Mau. In 1965, Thomas J. Carney son-in-law of Charles Carter purchased Illini Brick and Tile. The firm is one of the oldest in central Illinois under the ownership of the same family for five generations, as Tom Carney, Jr., his daughter Kim, and her husband Kevin Reece continue to maintain operations.
Illini Brick and Tile discontinued manufacturing brick in 1982 and is now recognized as the largest brick, stone, and landscape material distributor in Central Illinois, representing over 50 manufacturers from various states and catering to contractors and local homeowners alike.
In 2013 a second location was added in Mossville, complete with an indoor and outdoor showroom. That same year, they mixed their traditional values with future goals and refreshed the business name to Illini Brick Company. The name and logo change were to encompass all that Illini Brick Company has become, because they are not just brick anymore!
Partial list of products available at Illini Brick Company:
- Face Brick
- Patio Brick
- Thin Brick
- Retaining Walls
- Outdoor Lighting
- Cultured Stone Veneer
- Natural Stone Full or Veneer
- Limestone Products
- Landscaping Materials
- Grills/Outdoor Kitchens