Loven Casting Company
When Bobby Loven, owner of Loven Ready Mix, created “Lock Rocks” over 20 years ago, the quality, aesthetics, and functionality became a staple in the High Country when a retaining wall system was needed for residential or commercial use. Aaron Autrey, a contractor and landscape designer, and his wife, Ella, jumped at the opportunity to acquire Lock Rocks and continue the Loven Casting Company in 2023. The Loven Family had a years-long reputation in the High Country for providing quality building products. The Autreys knew this business venture would be a good opportunity to grow their existing business by building on what the Lovens had created.
Lock Rocks are valuable both to landscapers integrating them into a high-end landscape design but also to contractors needing a structurally sound retaining wall. The design of the block is unique in size and styling, and blocks are poured with a fieldstone template based on native field stone found at Grandfather Mountain.
The casting process guarantees durability without sacrificing the natural aesthetic and blends in with the local mountain vegetation. The best selling point for Lock Rocks (besides shopping locally), is the time-saving nature of the block in the construction schedule. Lock Rocks can be set in less time than a traditional poured-in-place or stacked rock wall. The combination of the structural strength and the rock face make it a powerful product that is beautiful, user friendly, and long lasting.
Today, Loven Casting Company manufactures Lock Rock designs and custom transformer pads and cast concrete products with the same quality that is to be expected with the Loven name. Being a native of Avery County, Ella felt it would be important to continue to make the product locally, and this desire came full circle when they were able to move operations to a facility on Three Mile Highway just a few minutes from where she grew up. The Autreys are eager to continue the legacy Lock Rocks have created over twenty years and look forward to serving the High Country area for years to come.
