Rockwell Lime Company was founded in 1906 by ten contractors from Chicago, IL.  Among them were Michael Brisch and his three brothers.  In 1908 the Brisch brothers purchased the company from the other contractors.  The company's main office was located on Rockwell Street in Chicago, while the lime manufacturing plant was located approximately 7 miles north of Manitowoc, WI in the village of Rockwood.

 In 1924, the Brisch brothers started the Brisch Brick Company.  They were one of the ten brick companies, at that time, that manufactured the Chicago Common Brick.  Although these bricks are no longer produced today, there is quite a demand for them on the used brick market.  The Brisch Brick Company was the first to manufacture a treated brick, a process developed by the University of Wisconsin.  The brickyard was closed in 1972 due to limited clay reserves and environmental regulations.

In 1949 Rockwell purchased the Allwood Lime Co. which was located adjacent to its lime plant in Rockwood.  This was followed in 1952 by the installation of a 100 tpd rotary kiln and atmospheric hydrator.  The plant was further expanded in 1979 to include a 300 tpd rotary kiln and a Corson Pressure Hydrator.  This equipment not only increased Rockwell's production capabilities but also dramatically improved the quality of both the quick-lime and the hydrate produced.

The company owns 300 acres of land of which 100 acres are currently being used for quarry and plant operations.  Due to the purity of the limestone reserve, Rockwell manufactures some of the highest quality dolomitic lime available in the United States today.

In 1983, a fully equipped laboratory was established and staffed with a full time chemist.  Quality assurance testing has become a daily routine ever since.

In July 2006, Rockwell joined the Carmeuse North America family and is now one of 14 manufacturing facilites owned by Carmeuse North America, the largest producer of lime and limestone products in North America.  Click on the Carmeuse icon to the left to be taken to the Carmeuse North America website for further information about Carmeuse NA.