ABOUT US

Our Legacy

George R. Ivany, our founder, fled his native Hungary at the end of World War II and emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1949, he restarted his career with the goal of providing a good life for his family, believing that “the good Lord helps.”

Ivany spent his first two years in America as a construction laborer, learning English as he worked his way up. However, with his advanced degrees in mathematics, physics and engineering, he was already thinking about how he could improve the very concrete blocks he used on the job.

Ivany soon joined major structural engineering firms, then started his own. In his spare time, he began developing his revolutionary new block design – the Ivany® Block.

about ivany image founder
about ivany block
In 1967, Ivany bid his first project with Ivany® Block – foundation walls for a Cleveland office building. The project’s structural designer told him that if he could reduce the cost of the wall by one cent per square foot compared to cast-in-place concrete, he would win the bid. Ivany’s proposed wall reduced the cost by $1 per square foot – the equivalent of $7.93 per square foot in 2021! Ivany worked diligently to promote his invention – obtaining three patents, conferring with national associations and state and local building departments for code approvals and describing the advantages of his block to any architect and engineer who would listen. Its usage grew rapidly and he franchised the system to manufacturers throughout the country. By the time he passed away in 1998, Ivany® Block was fabricated in 84 cities in 23 states. Today, the family-owned business operates with his legacy always in mind – strong faith, loving family and hard work.

CONTACT US/WHERE TO FIND
the Ivany® Block System

We have partnered with many trusted manufacturers who are licensed to produce Ivany® Block in a variety of bed depths and architectural units. Contact us to help you find a manufacturer.

We also offer the expertise of our technical consultant for your project (on a fee basis).

Frequently asked questions

An engineered, steel reinforced concrete masonry system that is an alternative to cast-in-place reinforced concrete walls made with conventional formwork.

Only Ivany® Block gives your project high structural performance with costs well below those of reinforced concrete.

As the wall is erected, horizontal steel bars are placed into the pre-slotted crosswebs of the block. After the wall is built, vertical bars are placed into position. Because of the block’s special features, all steel is held in the exact position needed to meet engineering design and code requirements. The large, vertically aligned cores ensure an easy and complete fill with concrete.

Ivany®Block is ideal for any project being designed with poured concrete walls for foundations, basements and shear walls in high rises. It’s been used for 50+ years in schools, hotels, warehouses, offices, hospitals, correctional facilities, apartments, stores and more.

Ivany® Block is available through our experienced, licensed manufacturers.  Find one now by contacting us