Welsh slate makes perfect roofing tiles. But the production of them creates a lot of waste, as anyone who has seen Snowdonia in North Wales will be aware.

But Welsh Slate, part of the Lagan Group, is turning that waste into a profitable product line as decorative aggregate. Welsh Slate says demand across Europe is growing and evolving.

Seven shipments of decorative aggregates, totalling almost 14,000tonnes, were made in 2017 from Port Penrhyn at Bangor, near to Welsh Slate’s main Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda.

A major customer for Welsh Slate is Redsun in Rotterdam, from where some of it goes to Redsun at Kevelaer in Germany for distribution throughout mainland Europe.

A little nearer home is Long Rake Spar, which has already booked five deliveries for 2018 to supply a Tarmac project for DIY giant B&Q.

Neil Rowland, Commercial Manager (Crushed Products) for Welsh Slate, says: “Demand for our aggregates products is growing exponentially throughout the UK as well as much further afield.”