SUMMITVILLE — Summitville Tiles Inc. Wednesday announced the sale of all of its assets to General Shale of Johnson City, Tennessee, the largest brick manufacturer in the United States.

It will be the intent of General Shale to keep the Summitville trade name. Both Dave and Bruce Johnson will remain in their current corporate capacities as chief executive officers during a transitionary time period, according to a writted statement released by the Johnsons.

The transaction comes after more than a year of discussions.

“This transaction is the culmination of more than one year of private discussions and collaboration between our two companies,” the Johnsons said. “It will provide an exit strategy for the over 100 years of Johnson family ownership and engagement at Summitville Tiles while offering the Company’s valued employees, customers and vendors the opportunity to realize new and expanded growth prospects for decades to come.”

All other details of this transaction, including any financial details, are nondisclosed and to remain private between the parties. There will be no other additional comment at this time.

About Summitville Tiles

Summitville Tiles was founded as the Summit Brick Company in 1912, producers of highway paving block. It was acquired by F H Johnson in 1921 and renamed The Summitville Face Brick Company, becoming a producer of high grade commercial and residential face brick.

A second generation of the Johnson family, Fred and Pete Johnson, assumed the reigns of the Company in 1947, renaming the company Summitville Tiles Inc. and launching what would grow into one of the leading tile producers in America.

By the 1990s, a third generation of the family assumed a leadership role as Peter, Bruce and Dave Jonson assumed senior management positions in the Company. Today, a fourth generation of the family, Jeff Johnson, serves as National Sales Manager.

Recognized today for being leading producers of premium grade quarry tiles, high durability industrial floor brick, and precision sized thin brick, Summitville also has a division that produces installation and tile care products. Additionally, the company operates a shale mining operation in the Summitville vicinity.

About General Shale

Founded in 1928, General Shale is the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, and the world’s largest producer of clay brick.

General Shale operates 28 manufacturing facilities, 26 retail stores and a network of over 200 partnering distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Product solutions include an array of sizes, colors and textures in a wide variety of masonry materials to complete any residential, commercial or specialty architectural project. These materials include brick, thin masonry, stone, outdoor living products, concrete block and various building materials, which include Ariscraft Stone and Jet Stream pipes division products.

“Summitville offers products unique to our portfolio, while further strengthening us as the market leader for thin brick solutions” said Charles Smith, CEO of General Shale. “This acquisition is an important step in furthering our position as a complete and sustainable solutions provider for the building envelope in North America.”