Graniterock purchases Tope's Garden Center, adds new location in Salinas

Graniterock is expanding its Building Materials business with the purchase of assets from Tope's Garden Center in south Salinas.

The acquisition adds a new building materials location on Highway 68 that will allow the team to better serve Monterey County customers.

Building Materials Business Manager Jeff Lindsay said he expects the new location to be ready for a soft opening by the end of the year with an official grand opening in early 2025.

“This acquisition allows us to serve Monterey County in its totality,” Jeff said. “This is a great location with tons of traffic coming from the Highway 68 corridor, including Corral de Tierra, Toro Park, San Benancio and River Road neighborhoods.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to expand our business and serve the market better.”

The new location will specialize in landscape products such as barks, mulches and soil blends. The site will include a selection of pavers, a small concrete batch plant and area for mixing Granitecrete, a paving material popular for constructing trails and pathways.

Chris Wilson, the Southern Building Materials manager, will manage the new branch, which will operate with four team members.

CEO Peter Lemon shared his enthusiasm for the expansion.

"We are very excited to be able to continue to invest in our community and in our teams with the addition of the location on Highway 68,” Peter said. “Also, I'm personally excited that we have a really amazing produce market on site with some tremendous fruit and vegetables. Swing by the Windmill Market and meet the Murillo family, who own and operate that market."

The Graniterock Building Materials branch on Work Street in Salinas will maintain its focus on ready-mix concrete and construction supplies, while the Seaside branch will continue specializing in the natural stone products that are in high demand throughout the Monterey Peninsula.