U.S. Brick: products and EPD coverage snapshot

Who U.S. Brick is, at a glance

U.S. Brick manufactures clay brick out of plants in South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama and Indiana. The company highlights a ramp from roughly 60 million to 350 million bricks in annual production capacity since 2020, tied to acquisitions and plant expansions (U.S. Brick About, 2025). That footprint puts them on more project shortlists across the Southeast and Midwest.

What they sell

The core is clay masonry. Think face brick for residential and commercial work, plus thin brick variants for precast and adhered systems. Across sizes like Modular, Queen and King and across multiple surface textures, the catalog runs wide. Counting colorways and formats, the SKU range lands comfortably in the hundreds. They also distribute complementary stone, hardscapes and masonry supplies in select markets, but the manufacturing is focused on fired clay units.

Product breadth vs. focus

This is mostly a single‑category manufacturer. Nearly everything ties back to clay brick, with thin brick as a closely related line. That focus usually simplifies EPD work because one PCR can cover the family, and plant data looks similar across SKUs.

EPD coverage today

We did not find product‑specific EPDs for U.S. Brick published on their site or listed by major U.S. program operators as of December 19, 2025. Teams still have a safety net. The Brick Industry Association has a current industry‑wide clay masonry EPD registered with NSF, valid from November 7, 2025 through November 7, 2030 (NSF listing, 2025) (NSF, 2025). Industry‑wide helps disclosure goals, yet owners and AECs increasingly ask for product‑specific EPDs to simplify embodied‑carbon accounting under LEED v5 and corporate policies. LEED v5 entered market launch in 2025 and sharpens the focus on decarbonization and product‑level transparency (USGBC, 2025).

Where the gaps matter commercially

Pick a likely headliner such as Old Waverly or Charleston Alley. Attractive colors, offered in King, Queen or Modular plus thin brick. Without a product‑specific EPD, those SKUs are easier to swap when a project must tally brand‑specific declarations. Competitors already publish brick EPDs that specifiers can point to, for example Mutual Materials with a plant‑specific clay brick and paver EPD valid through August 28, 2028, and Shaw Brick with a plant EPD valid through September 20, 2027 (ASTM EPD PDFs, 2023 and 2022).

Competitive set you’ll meet in bids

The usual names on clay masonry packages are Acme Brick, Glen‑Gery, General Shale, Triangle Brick, Cherokee Brick, Endicott, Interstate Brick and regional players like Mutual Materials in the Pacific Northwest. On some projects, clay brick faces indirect competition from CMU veneers, manufactured stone veneer, fiber‑cement or metal rainscreens where the look can flex to a different system. When buyers prioritize verified disclosures, the brands with live product‑specific EPDs start the conversation ahead.

The fast path to close the EPD gap

The rulebook exists. ASTM maintains a published PCR for Clay Brick, Clay Brick Pavers and Structural Clay Tile that many brick EPDs follow (ASTM PCR list, 2025). With plants concentrated in four states and a common process flow, a single data model can usually support multiple product‑specific EPDs per plant.

Here is a pragmatic playbook that keeps sales momentum while the paperwork moves.

1. Lock a recent reference year per plant and confirm fuel mix, kiln schedules, scrap rework, and clay sourcing distances. If a plant was commissioned this year, start with a prospective baseline and plan the full‑year refresh later.
2. Pick a program operator early so templates and verifier expectations are clear. ASTM in the U.S. and IBU in Europe are both common choices.
3. Prioritize best‑sellers first. Thin brick and the top five face‑brick colors per plant usually deliver the highest bid impact.
4. Build a refresh cadence so nothing ages out near a key pursuit. Simple calendars save specs.

Example substitutions you could be losing to

If a design team has to choose between a U.S. Brick thin brick without an EPD and an otherwise comparable thin brick with a current, product‑specific EPD, the latter often gets the nod. Mutual Materials’ plant EPD covers face, thin and pavers, which fits many façade and site packages through 2028. Shaw Brick’s plant EPD is live through 2027. Those timelines keep their SKUs easy to document during pre‑con, while a missing EPD can force a redesign or a line‑item change late in the game. That is when margins compress and time evaporates.

What we would prioritize first

Start with one plant and one format. Publish plant‑specific EPDs for thin brick and flagship face bricks, then extend across remaining plants. With one clean data pull and a clear reviewer path, most brick portfolios can move from zero to a defensible EPD set quickly. Do this now, and U.S. Brick products are less likely to be spec‑swapped later. It matters more then ever.

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Notes on sources used for numeric details in this article: U.S. Brick public About page for production capacity and locations as of 2025 (U.S. Brick About, 2025). NSF listing for the current BIA industry‑wide clay masonry EPD and its validity window (NSF, 2025). LEED v5 market launch context from USGBC communications in 2025 (USGBC, 2025).