HistoryThe Origin of North Country Slate
North Country Slate’s origins began as Newfoundland Slate Inc., a company formed in 1990 to develop and exploit a beautiful clear purple slate deposit on the east coast of Canada at Burgoyne’s Cove, Newfoundland. The sole investor in this company was John Carrick Sr., president of McAsphalt Industries Ltd.
Slate production of Newfoundland Slate Inc. (NSI) ceased in 1998 and the operations of the company were wound down. However, John had developed a passion for the roofing slate business and immediately created a new division of McAsphalt with the goal that it would source and distribute natural roofing slate. He employed the former sales/marketing staff of Newfoundland Slate and the division he created would come to be known as North Country Slate.
In early 1997 John became aware of a quarry start up in eastern Quebec developing a high quality deposit of unfading black slate in the tiny village of St. Marc-du-Lac-Long. This young quarry start-up was Glendyne Quarries Inc.
Management staff of North Country Slate met with the owner of Glendyne in the summer of 1997 to discuss their production capabilities and to negotiate a distribution arrangement with them. These discussions were concluded and in September 1997 North Country Slate was appointed as the exclusive distributor for Glendyne’s products throughout North America. This agreement would prove to be the springboard that launched Glendyne as the largest and most efficient roofing slate producer in North America, with an exclusive distribution partnership with North Country Slate that continues to this day. The goal of Glendyne is to manufacture the highest quality and be the most efficient producer of roofing slate in North America. The Glendyne material has become recognized throughout North America as North Country Unfading Black.
In June of 2004 North Country Slate suffered the loss of John Carrick Sr, the founder of the business and the inspiration for everything that North Country Slate is. “Your word is your bond, a hand shake is a contract, and you do what you say you are going to do”. It was a great loss but he had laid a solid foundation for our business and we continue to follow in his footsteps today.
In February 2007, Glendyne purchased North Country Slate from McAsphalt Industries and in January 2011, North Country Slate was acquired from Glendyne by its long time president Dave Large.
At the same time as North Country Slate was forging a partnership with Glendyne, the management team also developed relationships with all the dominant producers of roofing slate in the slate valley of Vermont and New York. The goal was to ensure multiple sources of each color produced in the region, so that North Country would be better able to service customers and projects with more readily available inventory and production scheduling.
North Country Slate also has made a commitment to carrying significant inventories of all its North American produced slate colors to ensure projects start up and are completed on schedule. Our sales team is made up of individuals with 12 to 22 years of experience with the company, all having intimate knowledge of roofing slate and the roofing slate industry, and with an unwavering commitment to customer service.
North Country Slate holds membership in many industry associations including the National Roofing Contractors Association, Vermont Slate Quarry Association, Slate Roofing Contractors Association, and the National Slate Association.
Company president, Dave Large, retired in the summer of 2020 after spending 30 years devoted to the natural slate roofing industry in North America. In his early days as a slate salesman, he would carry around a single briefcase and a 15 lb. sample package of slates meeting with architects and roofing contractors all over Canada and the USA, promoting the use of natural roofing slate from coast to coast as the “Rolls-Royce” of roofing materials. His hard work, keen eye for detail, and astute production knowledge surrounding the history, manufacturing, distribution, installation and standards, set him apart from any other industry professional.
An active member of Committee C-18 Dimension Stone of ASTM International since 1999, sitting on the C18.01 Test Methods, C18.03 Material Specifications sub-committees and as a member of the C18.03-04 Slate Task Force. Committee C18 was responsible for establishing and monitoring material test methods, specifications, terminology and practices for natural roofing slate. He also served as vice-president of the National Slate Association and is one of the co-authors of the association’s Slate Roofs: Design and Installation Manual. In addition to his general duties with the organization, he was responsible for their material standards undertakings including interaction with ASTM International related to C406 Standard Specification for Roofing Slate, hail impact, wind, and fire testing to name a few.
Often wishing he had become involved in the slate industry much earlier in his career, he still enjoys sharing his technical expertise and working on special projects when called upon.
North Country Slate is a proud a second-generation family owned business. Company Vice President, Chris Large, has followed in his father’s footsteps learning the business from the ground up during his summers off from high school. It was then that he started to learn about slate quality, material handling, and installation techniques. After graduating from the University of Ottawa in 2005, Chris became a member of the sales team at North Country Slate, learning from a steadfast group of longstanding, key employees. He has spent extensive time at the Glendyne slate quarry in Quebec, Canada learning about slate quarrying and manufacturing as well as numerous trips to the ‘Slate Valley’ in Vermont / New York.
Currently a member of the board of directors for the National Slate Association, he is committed to upholding the inspiration for everything that North Country Slate is built on.
From founder John Carrick Sr. to successor Dave Large, our core values remain,
“Your word is your bond, a hand shake is a contract, and you do what you say you are going to do.”
With our commitment to our customers and projects through knowledge, service, and high quality products, and our commitment to our industry through association membership and involvement, North Country Slate is well positioned to look after your every need. Contact us and check out the difference!