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 large infrastructure and government jobs with great 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 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 Granites of Australia, a company renowned for its ownership and production of the prestigious Austral Black granite. This exceptional stone, known for its striking aesthetics and superior quality, has become the material of choice for numerous high-profile projects. Today, Austral Black is proudly specified for developments by the City of Sydney, Parramatta, and Liverpool Councils, reinforcing its reputation as a premium Australian stone.
Building on the success of Austral Black, Granites of Australia and Sam the Paving Man expanded their expertise with the acquisition of Tillett Stone in Adelaide. With a remarkable 150-year legacy, Tillett Stone was recognised for its craftsmanship in processing premium Australian stone into a range of high-quality products. From pavers, tiles, and kerbs to bespoke items such as stone bollards, seating, and intricate pavement patterns, this addition to Sam the Paving Man strengthened capabilities and broadens our offering of superior stone solutions.
Sam the Paving Man’s purchase of Melocco Stone in Melbourne marks a strategic expansion, reinforcing our commitment to building Australia with premium Australian natural stone materials. By integrating Melocco Stone’s rich 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.
