After leaving Lebanon to create a new life for himself, Sam starts work two days after his arrival, labouring for Strathfield Council, working hard, doing double shifts and saving enough money to buy his first house, which he renovates with the help of new wife Annette, and sells for a profit. He continues to work for local builders, learning new skills and discovering a love for paving.
Sam and his wife Annette decide to launch their small, home-based paving business in 1985, hand-delivering flyers, knocking on doors, and managing every project themselves. Their dedication quickly earns Sam the nickname “Sam the Paving Man,” a name that Sam and Annette embraced and became synonymous with quality and reliability.
Sam the Paving Man grows as a business, as Sam and Annette employ more staff and build a fleet of trucks to service their growing list of clients, mostly residential projects to start with. However, during this time the jobs got bigger and bigger, with Sam now tendering for larger scaled infrastructure and government jobs with success.
A defining moment for the business came with the successful tender and completion of the Sydney Olympic Park project, where our team installed over 20 million pavers across 200,000m² of floor space. The project’s scale and complexity solidified our reputation as the go-to paving experts for large-scale, high-pressure projects. This success propelled us to the forefront of the industry, establishing Sam the Paving Man as Australia’s largest paving company.
In 2009, Sam the Paving Man took a significant step forward by acquiring the prestigious Austral Black granite quarry. This exceptional stone, renowned for its rich history and superior quality, has become the material of choice for government and high-profile projects across Australia.
From Parliament House in Canberra and Federation Square in Melbourne, to Pitt Street Mall and Hyde Park in Sydney, Austral Black has shaped some of the most visited public spaces in the country — the stone of choice for architects and specifiers who demand strength, reliability and durability.
Building on the success of Austral Black, Sam the Paving Man expanded their expertise with the acquisition of an Australian stone processing facility in Adelaide. This enabled the company to produce 100% Australian natural stone across a full range of products — from pavers, tiles, and kerbs to bespoke items such as stone bollards, seating, and intricate pavement patterns – strengthening capabilities and broadening our offering of superior stone solutions.
Today, Sam the Paving Man stands as the only fully vertically integrated supplier and installer of Austral Black in Australia, quarrying, processing, and delivering completed projects across Sydney, Greater NSW, and the ACT. From specification through to installation, every stage remains in our hands, ensuring uncompromising quality and continuity on every project.
Sam the Paving Man’s purchase of Melocco marks a strategic expansion, reinforcing our commitment to building Australia with premium Australian natural stone materials. By integrating Melocco’s rich 118-year heritage and expertise into our operations, we enhance our capacity to source, process, and deliver high-quality, locally sourced stone for landmark projects nationwide.
This move strengthens our supply chain, supports Australian industry, and ensures that our clients have access to the finest natural stone products — aligning with our vision of crafting enduring landscapes and infrastructure with materials that reflect the beauty and resilience of Australia.
