ProBlock
ProBlock Masonry Wall System, marketed by Johnson Concrete Products, licenses a patented open-ended concrete masonry unit to block manufacturers across 18+ US states and Canada, serving masons, architects, and producers with lighter, energy-efficient CMUs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSalisbury, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What ProBlock does
ProBlock Masonry Wall System is a patented concrete masonry unit (CMU) developed and marketed by Johnson Concrete Products from its headquarters in Salisbury, North Carolina. The product emerged from a 6-year collaboration between Johnson Concrete engineers, production staff, block masons, and architects, and centers on an open-ended block design with a tapered face shell and a balanced center of gravity in the center web. These features allow masons to lay block around vertical rebar instead of over it, reduce rebar splicing and overhead lifting, and achieve a weight reduction of approximately 26-30% versus standard CMUs of the same material mix. The product line includes 8" and 12" variants across standard, 'H' knock-out, and split face configurations, and integrates with aminoplast foam insulation to deliver whole-wall R-values up to 264% greater than normal weight concrete masonry walls, reaching R-values up to 19. The product complies with ASTM C90 and can achieve a 2-hour fire rating.
The company serves three primary stakeholder groups: mason contractors (productivity, ergonomics, and injury reduction), architects (energy code compliance and design flexibility), and concrete block manufacturers (product differentiation versus commodity blocks). ProBlock monetizes through a licensing model in which independent concrete masonry producers pay to manufacture and distribute the patented blocks under the ProBlock brand, with ProBlock providing onsite technical, production, and sales support. The licensed producer network spans 18+ US states and Canada, with named licensees including Johnson Concrete Products (flagship, NC), Sequatchie Concrete Service (AL/TN), Midwest Block & Brick (AR/OK), Reading Rock (OH), and General Shale (TN), supported by a strategic co-development partnership with Stalite Structural Lightweight Aggregate.
The company operates with a small core team (1-10 employees, leadership including Jody Wall as EVP & GM, Starling Johnson Kaklamanos as VP of Sales, and Jerry Liner as Technical & Marketing Representative) and is privately held under Johnson Concrete Products. It has no external funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no software/AI components. A separate product also named "ProBlock" was launched by Sherwin-Williams in November 2025 as a paint primer brand — this is a distinct product unrelated to the masonry wall system.
ProBlock firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ProBlock
- Legal name
- ProBlock Masonry Wall System
- Website
- https://theproblock.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ProBlock Masonry Wall System, marketed by Johnson Concrete Products, licenses a patented open-ended concrete masonry unit to block manufacturers across 18+ US states and Canada, serving masons, architects, and producers with lighter, energy-efficient CMUs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ProBlock industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Concrete Masonry Products
- NAICS
- Concrete Block and Brick Manufacturing (327331)
- SIC
- Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products (3270)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) & Concrete Blocks (IMADABAB)
Keywords
Where ProBlock is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salisbury
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ProBlock business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Licensed Block Production: ProBlock generates revenue through licensing its patented concrete masonry technology to manufacturers. Concrete block producers pay to license the ProBlock system and receive production support, allowing them to differentiate their commodity product offering.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Licensed production and distribution model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
ProBlock product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ProBlock Masonry Wall System is a patented family of open-ended concrete masonry units (CMUs) developed by Johnson Concrete Products. Available in 8" and 12" sizes with standard, knock-out "H", and split face variants, the units weigh approximately 30% less than conventional CMUs and integrate with aminoplast foam insulation to deliver R-values up to 19 and up to 264% greater whole-wall thermal performance than standard concrete masonry walls.
Product overview
ProBlock is a platform of patented concrete masonry products developed and marketed by Johnson Concrete Products, featuring open-ended CMU designs that come in multiple sizes (8" and 12") and configurations including standard, 'H' knock-out, and split face variants. The product line includes the core ProBlock Masonry Wall System with its various size and style options, all engineered for 26%+ weight reduction, balanced center of gravity, and superior thermal performance with R-values up to 19. The system integrates with aminoplast foam insulation for energy efficiency up to 264% greater than conventional concrete masonry walls.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 8" ProBlock: Standard 8-inch ProBlock concrete masonry unit with product overview, fire rating, and R & U values documentation.
- 8" ProBlock 'H'
- 8" Split Face ProBlock
- 12" ProBlock
- 12" ProBlock 'H'
- 12" Split Face ProBlock
Products and services
- ProBlock Masonry Wall System Patented family of open-ended concrete masonry units (CMUs) developed and marketed by Johnson Concrete Products. Available in 8" and 12" sizes with standard, knock-out 'H', and split face variants, sold through licensed block producers to commercial and residential masonry contractors and specified by architects. Achieves R-values up to 19 with aminoplast foam insulation, complies with ASTM C90, and supports 2-hour fire-rated single-wythe construction.
- 8" ProBlock 8-inch concrete masonry unit with open-ended design, achieving R-values up to 19 when insulated with aminoplast foam. Complies with ASTM C90 standards and can achieve 2-hour fire rating.
- 8" ProBlock "H" 8-inch knock-out 'H' shaped open-ended concrete masonry unit with tapered face shell design enabling high lift grouting and reducing risk of grouting blowouts.
- 8" Split Face ProBlock 8-inch split face textured finish concrete masonry unit offering architectural design flexibility with the energy efficiency benefits of the ProBlock system.
- 12" ProBlock 12-inch concrete masonry unit with open-ended design providing higher R-values than conventional 3-web concrete block walls, with up to 264% greater whole-wall R-value than normal weight concrete masonry walls when injected with aminoplast foam insulation.
- 12" ProBlock "H" 12-inch knock-out 'H' shaped open-ended concrete masonry unit with balanced center of gravity in the center web for ease of handling and improved productivity.
- 12" Split Face ProBlock 12-inch split face textured finish concrete masonry unit providing design flexibility while delivering high thermal performance and energy code compliance.
Quantifiable outcome
- Blocks are approximately 30% lighter than other CMUs of same material mix
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use ProBlock
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ProBlock technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
ProBlock partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/core and core.
- Johnson Concrete Productsflagship/coreJohnson Concrete Products is the developer, flagship producer, and parent company of ProBlock Masonry Wall System. The company led the 6-year research and design collaboration that resulted in the patented ProBlock product. It provides engineering, production, and promotional support for the ProBlock brand.
- Stalite Structural Lightweight AggregatecoreStalite provides engineering and promotional support for ProBlock. Their lightweight aggregate products complement ProBlock's design for maximum thermal performance in concrete masonry wall assemblies.
- Sequatchie Concrete Service Inc.coreLicensed ProBlock producer serving Alabama and Tennessee markets. Manufacturer of concrete masonry products offering the ProBlock system to contractors and architects in their regional markets.
- Midwest Block & Brick Inc.coreLicensed ProBlock producer serving Arkansas and Oklahoma markets. Regional concrete masonry manufacturer offering the ProBlock product line to differentiate from commodity block products.
- Johnson Concrete Products (Licensee)flagship/coreAs the originating company and flagship production facility, Johnson Concrete Products serves as the North Carolina licensee for ProBlock, operating from Salisbury, NC headquarters.
- Reading Rock, Inc.coreLicensed ProBlock producer serving the Ohio market. Masonry product distributor offering ProBlock as part of their comprehensive product portfolio.
- General ShalecoreLicensed ProBlock producer serving the Tennessee market. Major masonry products manufacturer offering ProBlock through their established distribution network.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ProBlock competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Cemex is a global building materials company with significant US concrete and masonry operations, including concrete block production through regional subsidiaries. It competes with ProBlock on commercial construction projects across overlapping geographies.
- Boral Limited: Boral is an Australian-headquartered building materials and construction products company with US masonry, concrete, and lightweight aggregate operations. It overlaps with ProBlock on commercial masonry walls and competes in the lightweight CMU specification category.
- Forterra Building Products: Forterra is a US manufacturer of concrete and clay building products including concrete pipe, precast structures, and masonry units. It competes with ProBlock on commercial wall assemblies and infrastructure projects that include masonry components.
- Quikrete Holdings: Quikrete is a major US manufacturer of packaged concrete products including concrete masonry units, mortar, and grout. It serves similar mason-contractor and producer channels as ProBlock and competes in the same end markets with both commodity and proprietary block lines.
- Summit Materials: Summit Materials is a US-heavy building materials company producing aggregates, cement, ready-mix concrete, and concrete products including masonry units. Its vertical integration into aggregates parallels ProBlock's relationship with Stalite lightweight aggregate.
- Oldcastle APG (CRH plc): Oldcastle APG, the architectural products division of CRH plc, is the largest masonry and hardscape manufacturer in North America, producing a full line of standard CMUs and architectural block. It competes with ProBlock's licensees for share-of-wall on commercial and institutional projects.
Direct peers
- General Shale: General Shale is a major US brick and concrete masonry manufacturer serving the residential and light commercial markets. Notably, General Shale is also a licensed ProBlock producer for Tennessee — making it both a partner and a peer that markets competing CMU lines in adjacent product categories.
- Basalite Concrete Products: Basalite is a US West Coast-based manufacturer of concrete masonry units, retaining wall products, and hardscapes, with a strong lightweight and architectural block portfolio. It is a direct peer in the CMU space and competes with ProBlock for specification on commercial masonry projects.
- Angelus Block Co. Angelus Block is a regional CMU and architectural masonry manufacturer serving Southern California and the Southwest. It competes head-to-head with ProBlock licensees on commercial masonry walls in those geographies and offers comparable architectural block variants.
Emerging players
- Xella Group (Ytong / Hebel): Xella manufactures autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks under the Ytong and Hebel brands — a competing lightweight masonry technology aimed at the same high-R-value single-wythe wall use case as ProBlock. AAC is a primary technological substitute that architects may specify instead of ProBlock for energy-efficient masonry.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ProBlock social profiles
Digital presenceProBlock compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
ProBlock financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ProBlock leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
ProBlock funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ProBlock M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ProBlock
What does ProBlock do?
ProBlock Masonry Wall System is a patented family of open-ended concrete masonry units (CMUs) developed by Johnson Concrete Products. Available in 8" and 12" sizes with standard, knock-out "H", and split face variants, the units weigh approximately 30% less than conventional CMUs and integrate with aminoplast foam insulation to deliver R-values up to 19 and up to 264% greater whole-wall thermal performance than standard concrete masonry walls.
Is ProBlock a public or private company?
ProBlock is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ProBlock founded?
ProBlock was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ProBlock based?
ProBlock is headquartered in Salisbury, United States, in the North America region.
How does ProBlock make money?
One revenue line is on record: licensed Block Production.
Who are ProBlock's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cemex S.A.B. de C.V., Boral Limited, Forterra Building Products, Quikrete Holdings, Summit Materials and Oldcastle APG (CRH plc). Direct peers are General Shale, Basalite Concrete Products and Angelus Block Co.. Xella Group (Ytong / Hebel) is listed as an emerging player.
Does ProBlock have an API?
No public API is recorded for ProBlock.
What industry is ProBlock in?
ProBlock's product category is Concrete Masonry Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADABAB, Concrete Masonry Units (CMU) & Concrete Blocks. Its NAICS code is 327331 and its SIC code is 3270.