Building Blocks

Peninsula Building Materials celebrates 100 years

CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE

Peninsula Building Materials Co. (PBM) continues to beat the odds of many family-owned businesses. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the Morey family has been devoted to providing materials for masonry contractors in Northern California for more than a century.

PBM began as a niche building materials supplier and today has extended to include four generations across five Bay Area locations, including in San Martin.

At the outset, Harry B. Morey and his sons Harry Jr. and John W. began contracting as “Harry B. Morey and Sons.” In the 1920s, the founders saw a need to supply base rock to construct roads and infrastructure. Quality roadways were necessary to meet the demands of new motorists and the rising industries.

With this in mind, they opened their first yard on El Camino Real in Menlo Park in 1923 and renamed the company what it is today: Peninsula Building Materials. From its inception, they supplied many of the materials that built Stanford University, St. Patrick’s Seminary and Sacred Heart Convent as well.

Later, with the end of World War II and a growing national highway system, PBM saw a surge in demand for building materials. The South Bay was transforming from orchards to blossoming neighborhoods and technology parks, later coined “Silicon Valley.”

Family Business Generations of the Morey family are shown.

Courtesy of Peninsula Building Materials

To accommodate these needs, PBM opened four more locations from 1968-2008. The four yards call Redwood City, Santa Clara, San Martin and Livermore home today.

In 2006, Marty Morey wanted to build a showroom to showcase the art of masonry, a craft that has been around for thousands of years. In addition, PBM wanted to showcase the vast product lines it offered in a finished state to make it easier for buyers to visualize products installed. Marty visited showrooms, mostly on the East Coast, to collect inspiration to build “the crown jewel of showrooms.”

This spring PBM will celebrate its 100th anniversary in their Masonry Showroom. Joining them will be long-time customers, vendors and business associates.

For generations, the Morey family has owned and operated a business that values dependable service, quality materials and strong relationships with vendors and customers. They credit their indispensable staff and customers whose loyalty, friendship and commitment have been major keys of success to a company that has continued to defy odds.

EARLY DAYS John, Joe and Kip Morey are shown in an undated photo.

Courtesy of Peninsula Building Materials

HISTORICAL Peninsula Building Materials opened its first yard in Menlo Park in 1923.

Courtesy of Peninsula Building Materials