Caithness stone specialist Norse Stone and building contractor GMR Henderson have entered into a strategic partnership to streamline the supply chain of Caithness stone, strengthening tenders and providing an end to end service for customers.

Caithness stone is quarried in the north of Scotland around Wick. Norse Stone was founded a year ago by experienced Caithness stone quarrier Michael Ronaldson and architect Lachie Stewart.

Since the company’s launch, it has supplied stone for Scottish castles such as Mey and Elien Donan, as well as for the new Wick Noss primary school.

Wick-based contractor GMR Henderson is a long-established construction firm and regular main contractor on large-scale construction projects throughout Scotland. Its projects using Caithness stone include flooring for commercial clients such as the Landmark Trust and Ackergill Tower.

GMR Henderson brings triple ISO Accreditation (ISO 9001, 14001 and 18001) to the partnership.

This gives customers confidence that quality management, health & safety, and environmental impacts are managed according to international standards.

This should help make Caithness stone a serious contender as a material for major projects, as blue chip construction firms across the UK and Ireland look for greater levels of accreditation from suppliers.

Michael Ronaldson, Founder and Director of Norse Stone, says of the partnership: “We know the design and build process very well. Architects specify the type of stone to be used; contractors then source the stone from a supplier, such as Norse Stone. This partnership with GMR Henderson essentially cuts out one step in the supply chain, saving customers time and money.

“Anything we can do to improve the profile of Caithness stone is beneficial to the industry as a whole.”