After witnessing the destruction wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a group of San Antonio-area business people convened to form Omni Block Group,
After witnessing the destruction wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a group of San Antonio-area business people convened to form Omni Block Group, LLC to provide an affordable means to build quality homes able to withstand heavy storms and winds. They observed that Omni Block-bearing structures, from an economic standpoint, outperform other building options when energy, insurance, and maintenance costs are considered. Though the initial outlay for Omni Block buildings is comparable to conventional construction techniques, ongoing savings account for the insulated-concrete-block advantage.
Since its development in 1994, Omni Block has been used to construct 800-plus residential and commercial buildings in Arizona. Now, the system is available for distribution in several other states, including Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Omni Block producers include Featherlite, owned by Acme Brick Co. (the largest U.S.-owned brick manufacturer); and, Block U.S.A., a major producer of gray masonry with 21 plants and sales locations in the Southeast.
Omni Block officials note that the system’s national debut was fortuitously timed with President Bush’s message concerning the need to pursue promising technologies that will transform how we power our homes, so we can reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of energy.