:: Export to PR of China

New Development in Zhongshan

Gosford Quarries has been exporting dimension sandstones to many regions of the world since 1990.

At that time the company's markets were primarily in Japan and Hong Kong. In recent times these markets have grown to include Germany, Taiwan, Indonesia, USA, UK and recently China.

During the mid 90s with the collapse of the Asian markets China jumped to the fore and became Gosford Quarries biggest customer.

Gosford Quarries sandstone from the Somersby region was employed to clad the entry portals of a prestigious development at Zhongshan in China.

At this stage the banded varieties of sandstone from the Somersby region in Gosford were new and almost unique material to the Chinese dimension stone market. Initially the sandstone was primarily sold as sawn 30mm slabs for cut-to-size cladding on 'high end' installations such as feature walls in hotels, shopping centres and exteriors of new boutique buildings.

Such was the market interest in sandstone that at one stage during year 2000 Gosford Quarries was exporting 10 containers per month, mainly to Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xiamen.

Typical of the new aspirations for quality living following the surge toward consumerism is the development of high rise security apartments with 'gated' and monitored entry and exit.

Gosford sandstone was chosen as the 'imported prestige' material to clad the entry portals of such a development at Zhongshan in China.

The material was supplied as 30mm slab and cut-to-size and installed by the Hong Kong based company called Sky Success. The installation was 'solid fixed' using cement based mortars and stainless steel cramps. The stones were simply butt-jointed at the corners.

Comment by Gary Hargraves,
Gosford Quarries, NSW.
"... Such is the industry and energy of Chinese enterprise that by early 2001 we were informed by our distributors that a Chinese equivalent to our Somersby sandstone is being quarried from the remote region Yunnan Province, south west of China near Myanmar.

On a recent visit to the stone processing region called YunFu, two hours drive from Guangzhou I estimate that I saw first hand at least 3,000, yes 3,000, manufacturer / wholesaler operations cutting, polishing and selling small slabs of granite (600mm x 2000mm). Even a conservative estimate of the numbers of these 'small production houses' that are processing Chinese sandstones would equate to enormous production levels by Australian standards."