Braen Stone Launches Waterborne Aggregate Transport to Transform NY/NJ Supply Chain

HALEDON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 5, 2026--

Braen Stone, a fifth-generation, family-owned business with more than 122 years of experience in the quarry and construction materials industry, today announced the launch of its waterborne aggregate transportation operations, marking the first time in company history that it will deliver stone products via barge.

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This strategic expansion enables Braen Stone to transport its own aggregates across the waterways of the New York and New Jersey region—offering a more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible alternative to traditional trucking. The move comes in response to increasing infrastructure constraints, including bridge traffic restrictions, congestion pricing, and growing demand for reduced roadway congestion in and around New York City.

“With the addition of our barge capabilities, we can better serve our customers while addressing some of the region’s most pressing transportation challenges,” said Scott Braen, President & Chief Operating Officer of Braen Stone Companies. “This investment allows us to move significantly larger volumes of material more efficiently—up to 2,000 tons per barge compared to just 25 tons per truck—while reducing the number of trucks on already congested roads.”

Braen has acquired six barges to date, each approximately one year old at the time of purchase, and is actively exploring opportunities to expand the fleet in the future. The company’s entry into waterborne logistics represents a major milestone in its evolution, positioning it to meet growing regional demand with greater flexibility and scale.

“This is about building for the future,” said Will Hannema, Braen Stone Production Supervisor, Northern Quarries. “By integrating waterway transport into our operations, we can control more of our supply chain, improve delivery timelines, and provide a higher level of service to our customers across the NY/NJ metro area.”

The company’s recent infrastructure investments further support this expansion. Braen’s acquisition of the Whitehall quarry in November 2022 enables efficient movement of stone products downriver to distribution points, while its Newark dock—acquired in November 2024—serves as a critical hub for transferring materials between land and water. Through advanced conveyor systems and stevedoring operations, materials can be loaded and unloaded seamlessly, strengthening the connection between maritime and land-based logistics.

Braen has already demonstrated the effectiveness of its waterborne operations through several recent projects, including transporting aggregates to Queens for use in asphalt production and supporting major infrastructure work at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Additionally, the company has utilized its barge fleet to support regional logistics needs, including leasing vessels for the transport of rock salt throughout New York Harbor.

As demand for smarter, more sustainable infrastructure solutions grows, Braen’s investment in barge transport underscores its leadership in adapting to the evolving needs of the construction and materials industry. The company’s expansion into waterborne aggregates reflects its continued commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and customer service.

About Braen Stone Companies

Braen Stone Companies, headquartered in Haledon, New Jersey, is a fifth-generation, family-owned business founded in 1904. With more than 122 years of experience in the construction materials industry, Braen is one of the largest family-owned suppliers in New Jersey, specializing in quarrying, construction materials, and hot mix asphalt. The company operates quarries in Haledon, Sparta, Franklin, and Ringwood, New Jersey, as well as Whitehall, New York. It also operates three asphalt plants in Haledon (2) and Sparta (1), New Jersey.

Through its subsidiary, Braen Supply Incorporated, the company also provides landscape, masonry, and hardware building materials at retail and wholesale locations in Wanaque, Haledon, and Randolph, New Jersey. Serving clients across northern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New York City, Braen Stone Companies is committed to delivering high-quality materials and innovative solutions to support regional infrastructure needs.

For more information, visit www.braenstone.com or contact Jessica Panicucci at 973-720-6434 or jessicap@braenstone.com.

Photo Credit: Braen Stone

The man charged with killing Charlie Kirk shouldn’t get the death penalty because the shooter “hit the intended target” and no one else was endangered when the conservative activist was shot from a rooftop at an event in Utah last year, his lawyers said.

Defendant Tyler Robinson's attorneys say the bullet traveled above the crowd of several thousand people at Utah State University on Sept. 10 and “there were no threats to others.” Whether the shooting endangered the crowd is a key issue: Prosecutors cited the risk that other people could have been harmed as an aggravating factor under state law that makes Kirk's killing a capital crime.

“The only evidence presented supports that the bullet traveled above, not through, the crowd,” defense attorneys wrote in documents filed late Tuesday as the defense tries to block the case from proceeding to trial.

The defense lawyers also disputed claims that Robinson targeted Kirk over his political views. Prosecutors allege Robinson told his roommate that he killed the activist because he “had enough of his hatred.” But the defense said that was not enough to prove what motivated Robinson, after searches of his apartment, computers and telephone failed to produce anything beyond that one statement.

Prosecutors last month during a weeklong hearing presented what they call “overwhelming” evidence against Robinson, including DNA tests that tie him to the suspected murder weapon and apparent confessions by the defendant.

His attorneys questioned the reliability of the DNA tests and other evidence. They didn't offer any alternative theories for Kirk's assassination, and made no mention of DNA in Tuesday's filing.

Robinson is charged with aggravated murder and has not yet entered a plea. He turned himself in a day after Kirk was killed.

His defense attorneys previously tried to get the death penalty taken off the table after prosecutors were found to be in contempt of court for talking about the case to the media. State District Judge Tony Graf rejected that request.

In documents filed last month, prosecutors said the fact that Robinson loaded his rifle with four bullets showed that he knew he could miss Kirk, “thereby putting others in danger.”

But defense attorneys said “it is just as likely that the shooter did not believe he would miss.”

Robinson faces possible sentence enhancements if prosecutors can prove he targeted Kirk because of his politics. They contend that Kirk’s strong opposition to same-sex marriage and gender transitioning stood in contrast to Robinson, who was in a romantic relationship with a roommate, Lance Twiggs. Twiggs told investigators that he had been considering transitioning around the time that Kirk was killed, according to prosecutors.

Twiggs also told investigators that Robinson sometimes talked about politics, including President Donald Trump. Yet Twiggs said he never heard Robinson talk about Kirk before the shooting. The defendant also did not talk much about gender issues or LGBTQ+ rights, Twiggs said. The AP emailed Twiggs’ attorney seeking comment.

Closing arguments in the preliminary hearing are scheduled for Sept. 1. Graf will then decide if the case can go to trial and on what charges. Lawyers for Kirk’s family have asked Graf to make his decision by or on Sept. 1 so the case can proceed.

Prosecutors have until Aug. 18 to respond to the latest defense arguments. The Associated Press left telephone and email messages with the Utah County Attorney’s Office seeking comment.

Preliminary hearings typically don’t last so long. Legal experts said the slow pace reflects a cautious approach by Graf, the large volume of evidence and a desire by prosecutors to disprove conspiracy theories around the case.

FILE - Tyler Robinson, who is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, on Dec. 11, 2025. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf speaks during a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, who is accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, at the Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, July 8, 2026. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP, Pool, File)

FILE - Tyler Robinson, accused of fatally shooting of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Utah, on June 12, 2026. (Francisco Kjolseth /The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, Pool, File)