The family owned quarrying business has been operating from a large sandstone reserve west of Rockhampton since 1994. The quarry holds over a million cubic metres of quality dimension stone that is used for structural, decorative and landscaping uses, including boulders for retaining walls and decorative pebbles.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh acknowledged that Capricorn Sandstone?s product has been used in prominent buildings in Rockhampton and its Heritage Rose sandstone has been employed in the restoration of Parliament House in Brisbane. She added that recent advances in the quarry?s extraction methods had opened up more opportunities for the company to export successfully. In 2009-10, Capricorn?s export sales earned over $1.5 million and injected $2 million into the Queensland economy through employment and capital investment.
Capricorn?s owner Reece Gough said that the majority of the company?s exports are to China. ?We supply the largest individual sandstone buyer in China and our stone is used on luxury residential projects in Shanghai and Beijing.
?Exporting has brought new opportunities to our business. The Export Awards have enabled us to evaluate the success of our business and the positive flow-on effect on Queensland businesses,? he said.
Source: Office of The Honourable Anna Bligh MP, Premier of Queensland