About Us
Solid As The Stone We Use
Built On Our Core Values: Quality, Integrity, Dedication, Reliability,
Our Work Stands the Test of Time.
LEADERSHIP
We are a quality-focused team of transformative people who strive to impact our partners, our community and, globally,
our industry.
RELIABILITY
With decades of leadership in the stone and masonry field, DBI has expanded into all types of interior and exterior stone applications, including innovative solutions for residential interiors and commercial finish-out.
Our stone finishes division and in-house fabrication shop enable DBI to provide fabrication and installation of custom floors, countertops and other architectural elements.
VISION
Our time-tested values form the bedrock
of Dee Brown, Inc., an award-winning company owned and operated by
three generations.
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
Founded in 1955, DBI is a leader in the stone and masonry industry, building and restoring iconic projects, including: American Airlines Center – Dallas; Houston Museum of Natural Science; George W. Bush Presidential Library – Dallas; Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart – Houston; The Getty Center - Los Angeles; Old Red Courthouse – Dallas; Nasher Sculpture Center – Dallas; AT&T Stadium - Arlington.
MISSION
Our mission is to provide customer satisfaction through dedication, reliability,
and integrity while producing the highest quality product on-time and on-budget.
RELATIONSHIPS
Our goals will be realized when we shift our focus from ourselves to that of others.
This is a fire that must permeate all
functions of our business. It will spread regardless of form, function, or position.
It will be the very fabric that takes our company to the next level.
Strong Foundation
Laying a legacy of success, brick by brick.
David Barnes, Robert V. “Buddie” Barnes, Jr., and Robert V. "Rob" Barnes III
• 1962: Dee built his first office, shop and warehouse in northeast Dallas.
• 1976: Dee Brown Masonry acquires Cardinal Masonry Company of Houston and Southwest Masonry, Inc., of Austin.
• 1980: Dee Brown Inc. is formed with Dallas, Houston and Austin divisions.
• 1990: Robert V. “Buddie” Barnes, Jr., is named president and chief operating officer, bringing a second-generation family member into the leadership position. Dee Brown continues as CEO and chairman of the board.
• 2000: Buddie Barnes becomes chairman of the board, president and CEO, and Dee Brown becomes chairman emeritus. Dee passes away on April 25, 2000.
• 2008: All operations are consolidated at DBI headquarters in Dallas. Buddie Barnes is named chairman and CEO. Robert V. "Rob" Barnes, III, becomes DBI’s third president and COO.
• 2012: Dee Brown is posthumously inducted into the first class of the Masonry Contractors Association of America’s (MCAA) Hall of Fame. The C. Dewitt Brown Leadman Award is presented each year to an individual who provides exemplary leadership in advancing the masonry industry. Buddie Barnes is awarded this honor in 2012.
• 2015: Buddie Barnes retires and becomes chairman of the board. Rob Barnes, a third-generation member of the family, is named president and CEO.
• 2016: Buddie Barnes is inducted into the MCAA Masonry Hall of Fame. DBI is the only company with multiple recipients.
• 2020: DBI celebrates 65 years of business with a legacy of leadership built on family values of honesty, hard work and ethics.
DBI was founded by C. Dewitt Brown, Jr. (1929-2000), creating a legacy of excellence in business and craftsmanship that has stood firm for many decades.
Born in 1929 in Fort Worth, Texas, C. DeWitt “Dee” Brown, Jr., was 16 years old when he began his masonry career. After graduating from Adamson High School in Dallas, Dee served a four-year Union Bricklayer apprenticeship with O'Rourke Construction. He worked several years as a bricklayer, then joined TXI, where he became the company’s top masonry salesman.
On October 31, 1955, at the age of 26, Brown founded Dee Brown Masonry, a company that has grown into a national leader in the stone and masonry industry. Milestones include:
Leadership
You can’t build a successful business without making bold decisions along the way.
President & CEO
Robert V. "Rob" Barnes III
Rob Barnes is a third-generation leader in this family owned business. He began his career in 1986, working on the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, as a non-skilled laborer. Rob received his Bachelor’s in Business Management from John Brown University in 1992, and his M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University in 2007.
Rob has served on the Boards and various committees for TEXO – Association of General Contractors, Texas Masonry Council, MCAA, Marble Institute of America, Building Stone Institute and the Natural Stone Institute.
Vice President Project Management
Jim Hensley
As a teenager, Jim worked summers in the masonry business. After graduating the University of Texas in 1989 with a Bachelor’s in Economics, Jim moved to California to work for Dee Brown as a Project Manager.
Jim has extensive experience in stone and masonry construction. He is the primary liaison between the client and Dee Brown’s team in the field. He is responsible to make sure projects come in on time and within the budget.
Vice President Houston Division Manager
David Barnes
As a third-generation leader in this family owned business, David Barnes grew up on job sites. He began his career in 1992, working on the Providence Tower in Dallas as flagman for a crane operator. He received his Bachelor’s in Industrial Technology from Texas A&M Commerce in 2000.
David learned the trades as a bricklayer, stone mason and certified welder working for DBI in Dallas. He moved to Houston in 2013 as VP Project Manager on the 385-acre Houston Exxon Campus. Today, he oversees operations for the Houston Division of DBI, reporting directly to President & CEO Rob Barnes.
Director of Corporate Safety
Tracy Webster
Tracy received a Business degree from Texas A&M Commerce in 1978. He worked as safety engineer for a general contractor before joining DBI in 1988. In addition to serving as the Safety Director over the past three decades, he has served DBI as project manager, estimator, and Special Projects Coordinator. Tracy is responsible for setting up site-specific safety programs, safety training and compliance. Tracy has been a member of TEXO Safety Committee, Board of Directors of UMCA and the MCAA Safety Committee.
Tracy works with general contractors, superintendents, project managers and safety personnel. He works closely with DBI’s SVP of Operations David Masterson and reports directly to President & CEO Rob Barnes.
Senior Vice President Estimating/Marketing
Ty Harding
Ty started with Dee Brown in 1987 working in the fabrication facility. Ty held various positions in the Texas office before being transferred to help manage the DBI office in California.
In 2004, Ty returned to Dallas where he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Estimating/Marketing.
Senior Vice President Operations
David Masterson
In 1980 David started working for Robert V. "Buddie" Barnes, Jr., as a Mason in the Houston DBI office. David is a third-generation mason. After working many years in Nashville, he returned to Dallas as Senior Vice President of Operations for DBI in 2011.
David has extensive experience in stone and masonry construction. He is skilled in business development and project management. His responsibilities include staffing and overseeing all field operations, as well as working closely with estimating and pricing projects.
Senior Vice President Construction Management
Tim Hughes
After graduating from Ohio State University in 1982 with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration, Tim went to work for Dee Brown in Houston as project coordinator on the 42-story Marathon Oil Tower.
Tim has worked on DBI masonry projects in Illinois, California, Hawaii and Texas. In 1989, he managed the stonework on the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, California, one of the largest single stone projects in the U.S., worth $66 million and totaling 1.2 million sq. ft. of Roman Travertine.
Tim is the primary liaison between project managers and owners reps.