SSQ is celebrating 30 years of collaboration with world-renowned Spanish slate quarry Del Carmen.
In 1992, SSQ founder Ahmed El-Helw first met with Del Carmen’s owners, where he found the quarry was home to the level of aesthetics, durability and all-round performance he was looking for in slate.
Ever since, SSQ has used Del Carmen slate to roof thousands of buildings all around the world, with the material often handpicked by architects for its distinctive, faintly-rippled texture, deep blue-black colour and longitudinal grain.
He said: “As quarries go, Del Carmen had it all – uncompromising quality standards, decades of expertise, and the most stunning blue-black slate with the longevity to last up to a century.
“However, it wasn’t as simple as placing an order. Like any quarry, Del Carmen only had a limited amount of material they could supply, and any slate they gave to me was slate they couldn’t supply elsewhere.
“I had to convince them to put their faith in me – a young businessman operating in a country they’d never supplied to before. But I’m delighted to say they did.
“We trusted and respected each other from the very beginning – so much so that, when our agreement was finally made, it was with a handshake. Thirty years on, we’ve still never signed a formal contract.
“Later in 2022, we’re hoping to travel out to Spain to celebrate properly with our friends at Del Carmen, and look forward to the next thirty years of cooperation.”
