Specialist subcontractor skills are essential to housebuilding, and here we talk to Ross Salter about his stonemasonry career and founding Ruby Granite.
Tell us a little about yourself and your job.
I’m 35 years old and managing director of Ruby Granite in Mochdre, North Wales. I am married to Gemma, and we have a daughter, Livia. I was a pupil at Ysgol Aberconwy in Conwy and grew up in the Conwy Valley.
What got you into stonemasonry and what path did you take for learning and training?
My dad Cedric was a stonemason, so I grew up around the industry.
When I left school and went to college to do engineering my heart wasn’t in it, and at the time I felt all I really wanted to do was work with my dad.
I did that for a while but wanted to stand on my own two feet and go it alone.
I managed to get a bank loan, sold my beloved Volkswagen Golf and bought an old Transit Van. I got some tools and went for it, working every hour I could in a little shed at my parents’ home to get my own business up and running.
One of my first jobs was at a house where I did everything from railings to drains, plastering and stonework. The owner was going to pay a lot of money to have kitchen workshops made and asked if I wanted to do it. I bought some slabs, had them delivered, cut them all up and he was delighted with what I produced, so it went from there.
How did you find the work/college balance as a student?
I did study stonemasonry at college in York for two years for one day a week when I started out, while working for my dad the other days. As mentioned previously, college and school were just not for me, I preferred to be hands-on and gain experience that way, but everybody is different.
Is it about natural talent, or does it take a lot of technical learning to make a success of the job?
You need natural talent and a love for stone and the materials you are working with. This is a tough industry and very physical, from building walls to carving sandstone or manufacturing worktops.
There have been huge advances in technology, but it is still hard, heavy work.
Did you have good support from family, friends and tutors along the way?
Yes, my parents have always been supportive of my choices and how my career has progressed. My dad was an inspiration and a big reason for me following this path, but I needed to make my own way and start my own business, and he backed me in doing so.
I also have a wonderful and supportive wife who understands I often have to work long hours and be flexible in dealing with customers and a growing workforce. She’s incredible and has helped me take Ruby Granite to the next level.
Do you a lot of work in the residential property sector, particularly in the creation of new homes?
I would say around a third of our work comes from the new residential sector, and as more housing developments are set to be built across North Wales and the North West, we could see that increase in the near future.
What kind of things do you do on such projects?
Our main business is the supply manufacture and fit of granite, quartz and marble kitchen worktops.
We also do bathroom worktops and full bathroom cladding projects, staircases, tables, firepits, house signs… if you can imagine something you want in stone then we’ll find a way to make it happen.
Are there any of these projects that you are especially proud of?
I am proud of all the work we do at Ruby Granite but yes there are a handful of favourite kitchens and bathrooms we’ve manufactured and fitted over the years.
One of those would be at St Swithin’s Memorial Garden in London, which we completed with Welsh slate. That was a great challenge and took me back to my college days as we used traditional methods.
Have your fellow stonemasons from college had successful careers too?
Sadly, I lost touch with them as it was many years ago and I live here in North Wales, but I hope they have all gone on to great things.
Were you ever tempted by other trade skills or alternative career choices?
I was obsessed with cars when I was younger and determined that I was going to become a mechanic. I wanted my own garage as I loved tinkering around with engines, but it wasn’t meant to be.
What’s your advice to anyone considering learning stonemasonry?
Stonemasonry is a very rewarding industry. It is very hard work and you must be passionate and have a ‘can-do’ attitude to be successful because you really need to put your heart and soul into it.
A good stonemason will never be out of work because there is demand for skilled craftsmen and women, so I would certainly encourage more young people to enter this industry.
