Celebrating 80 Years of Masonry

Since 1946, ORCO Block & Hardscape has helped shape California’s neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and outdoor spaces through quality concrete masonry and hardscape products.

As a family-owned company, we’ve built our reputation on quality, innovation, and relationships that stand the test of time.

A Foundation Of Strong Values

Family Ownership

A long-term commitment to our employees, customers, and communities.
Manufacturing Excellence

Modern facilities producing consistent quality across every product line.
Trusted Partnerships

Building lasting relationships with architects, engineers, contractors, dealers, and homeowners.
Continuous Innovation

Evolving our products to meet the changing needs of architecture and construction.
Generations of Craftsmanship

Decades of experience shaping every product we manufacture.

A Leap of Faith

People often ask me how ORCO got its start.
The truth is, it began with my dad, Pete Muth, and a leap of faith.
Rick Muth

After returning home from World War II, my dad joined his father and brother-in-law making donuts in Santa Ana, California. They sold them for 30 cents a dozen plain and 35 cents a dozen fancy, working long hours to make an honest living.

Then an opportunity came along that would change our family’s future. A partner in a small company called ORCO Block Company decided to step away, and my dad, my grandfather, and my uncle scraped together around $6,000 to buy his share. For a while, they were making donuts and concrete block at the same time. It was exhausting, but they believed in both businesses.

Eventually, they realized they had to make a choice. They decided to leave the donut business behind and put everything they had into manufacturing concrete block. Looking back, that decision became the foundation of ORCO.

More than 80 years later, I still think about the courage it took to take that chance. My dad taught me that success isn’t built overnight, it’s earned through hard work, integrity, and treating people the right way. Those values have guided our family and our company ever since.

The ORCO Story

1945

Pete Muth returns to his family in Orange County from Pearl Harbor as WWII comes to an end. Pete and his Dad start out in the bakery business. It was by chance Pete, his dad and brother-in-law stumbled upon workers making concrete block while driving down Main Street in Santa Ana.

1946

Pete Muth, his dad, and brother-in-law establish ORCO Block Co. in Santa Ana. At the time, it was very much a hand operation and only 4 inch high units could be produced. Although in its infancy, ORCO was about to undergo a remarkable evolution.

1952

ORCO, short for Orange County calls Southern California home at its Santa Ana location. With the opening of the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway, ORCO grew quickly and in 1952 a second plant was built in Stanton. At that time, the surrounding area was predominately orange and avocado groves with small two-lane highways.

1963

Colored block had made its big debut, then Slump Block in the ‘60s was big, so much so in fact OC’s newest thriving community specifies ORCO’s Slump in “Mission”, the color created for the release of its newest thriving neighborhood, Mission Viejo.

1971

Pete expands ORCO’s manufacturing operations with the addition of a new Riverside plant. At the time, the facility’s production capacity was enough to build a 6-foot-high wall more than 8 miles long each day.

1975

Pete’s son, Rick, officially joins the company as assistant office manager after growing up around his father’s block plant. His start was at a very young age picking up broken block around the plant. It was in the summer of 4^th grade he earned enough to buy a blue bike, which is still in his office today!

1980s

Split Block kicked CMU specification into the architectural realm in the ‘70s, opening the doors for product innovation in the ‘80s. In addition to new Burnished and Shot Blast machines, ORCO produces its first Paver.

1984

ORCO Stanton production crew taking a break to watch the Olympic Torch being carried down Beach Blvd!

1988

ORCO expands to an Oceanside location, allowing for better service of the San Diego area.

1990

Product diversification continues as ORCO produces its first Segmental Retaining Wall unit (SRW), adding to its hardscape line. Today, ORCO hardscape products include pavers, mortarless wall systems, porcelain, natural stone and fireplaces.

1993

Having worked in nearly every facet of the business, Rick becomes President. Under Rick’s leadership, ORCO expands its product offerings and enters new markets with an innovative range of masonry products.

1999

ORCO Blended Products (OBP) is established, bringing cement masonry mortars and veneer bonding mortars to ORCO’s product offering. A wide range of mortar color options are available to suit any project need.

2000

The Peter and Mary Muth Interpretive Center opens in Newport Beach and is dedicated to preserving the Upper Newport Bay wetlands through education, restoration, and advocacy.

2001

ORCO wins the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ) Family Business Award, for the continuous achievements and contributions to the local Orange County business and civic community.

2003

Rick Muth is named Small Business Administration California (and Western Region) Small Businessperson of the Year!

2005

Situated right next to the original ORCO office in Stanton, a new office is built. The Muth Building receives the CMACN (Concrete Masonry Assoc. of Calif & Nevada) Grand Award for Commercial Architecture in 2005 for its outstanding design!

2008

A dedicated Paver Plant opens at ORCO Riverside. ORCO pavers have been included throughout Southern California, on projects such as OC VIBE, the Irvine Spectrum, Fashion Island, Christ Cathedral, various educational institutions such as Mater Dei and J Serra, and the Hotel Del Coronado.

2010

ORCO embraces sustainability, developing Life Cycle Cost Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that quantify the environmental impact and carbon footprint of our products. Pictured is HI R H™ block, which can provide an insulation R-value as high as 15.

2013

Rick Muth is honored the Bishop’s Award for Exemplary Business Integrity, by the Orange Catholic Foundation, being recognized for his dedication to ethical business practices.

2013

ORCO is awarded the BB&T National Safety Recognition Award for leadership and commitment to a safe and healthy workplace.

2014

ORCO honors Head of Production Dwayne Gleason’s 50 years of service by dedicating “Dwayne Lane” at ORCO Riverside, recognizing his decades of leadership and commitment.

2014

ORCO is honored with the 2014 Most Sustainable Manufacturer Eco Award given by USGBC!

2015

Rick Muth is honored as Segerstrom Center for the Arts “Distinguished leader” in Arts & Business, for his leadership in business and the community.

2018

ORCO installs state-of-the-art block machines that have unprecedented multi-color capabilities. ORCO’s Variegated block set a new holistic and vibrant color standard, where block can be installed off the pallet, eliminating the need for traditional sorting.

2020

ORCO Commercial expands its product offering with 6 new molds and a variety of shapes and sizes. New linear and hexagonal paver shapes are seen today on large-scale commercial projects, such as apartment complexes, shopping centers, universities, and business plazas.

2021

ORCO turns 75! Reaching this milestone is a tremendous honor and we know it would not have been possible without the trust, loyalty, and partnership of our staff and customers!

2022

A new ORCO Blended Products(OBP) plant opens at the ORCO Riverside plant, creating a one-stop location for all ORCO products! The new OBP plant is equipped with modern technology and designed for greater efficiency and consistency offering customers a destination to pick up their full range of ORCO products.

2023

Rick establishes the Rick Muth Family Chair in Economics endowment at Chapman University, creating a lasting legacy that supports excellence in education and future generations of students.

2025

Rick Muth is inducted into the CMHA Hall of Fame in recognition of his exceptional leadership, lifelong dedication, and lasting contributions to the concrete masonry industry. The same year, he celebrates more than 50 years with ORCO, a remarkable milestone that reflects a legacy of innovation, leadership, and service that continues to inspire future generations.

2026

Thanks to our customers and staff, our family business is now 80 years old! From humble beginnings our reputation for quality quickly spread. Today, our quest to discover unparalleled products continues. We’re honored your business is with us as we enter our 80th year.

Building the Future, Together

Since 1946, ORCO has remained committed to delivering quality products, investing in innovation, and building lasting relationships. As we look ahead, we’re proud to continue helping shape California’s communities with the same integrity, craftsmanship, and dedication that have guided us from the very beginning.

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