About Us

Good quality, blue/black slate roofing tiles have been exported from the Ziyang area of the Qinling Mountains in Central China to merchants in Europe, Australia and the U.S.A. since 1990.  The quarries were small, under-capitalised and located in a remote area with poor infrastructure and transportation. They had difficulty in maintaining regular deliveries of good quality materials.  As China has developed, especially over the last 10 years, transportation and infrastructure have greatly improved and in 2009 Shaanxi Heng Jia Mineral Co. Ltd was established to acquire and develop quarries of good quality slate.

Between 2009 and 2011 Shaanxi Heng Jia Mineral Co. Ltd has injected several millions of punds into buying and clearing two quarries, improving access, installing modern machinery and training local labour.  There are currently over 200 employees at the two quarries and at the administrative headquarters in Xi’an.  Total output from the two quarries is expected to reach 1.5 million m².  With assistance from the Ziyang County Council we have acquired a storage yard at Xiangyang Railway Station where we keep ample stocks of slate roofing tiles, tested to BS EN 12326, for convenient shipment to all parts of the world via the port of Tianjin.

Our company is licensed by the Chinese government to open and develop quarries in Ziyang County, in the middle of the best slate producing area of the Qinling Mountains.   The Zhu Yuan Wan quarry lies 60 km from Ziyang county town and covers an area of 2.2 km².  Gui Hua quarry is 25 km. from Ziyang county town and has an area of of 2.95 km².  The products of both quarries are tested to BS EN12326, (see under ‘Products’ for the appropriate test certificates).  Product from the two quarries is not mixed and is shipped in separate containers.  The workers come from different villages in the mountains but due to the remote locations they generally stay in company provided accommodation during the week.  Worker welfare is of prime importance in ensuring regular and reliable flows of output from these quarries.  Most of the workers are experienced in working with this slate but have previously worked under ‘cottage industry’ conditions.

In both quarries modern techniques of extraction by diamond saws have replaced the old method of using explosives.  This gives better consistency and durability of the slate tiles, as well as being safer, more environmentally friendly and generally more efficient.  Pollution is further reduced by filtering the water used in the production process.  There are seven production lines in the two quarries where the slate is processed from raw slabs to packed and tested tiles, each of which has passed quality control at the end of the line. Total achievable output of the two quarries is estimated at 35,000 tonnes per year.

The product of the quarries is transported by road to the Ziyang rail freight yard at Xiangyang where it is packed into containers. The normal route for export is by rail to Tianjin however containers can readily be sent to Shanghai if required.