Our Slate History
The National Slate Association was first established in 1922 by slate quarriers. The goal was to promote the use of slate for roofing and structural applications. The standards set for slate and its installation are still adhered to today. Shortly after its formation, the organization became inactive due to lack of cohesion in the industry. However, its primary publication, Slate Roofs, remained a valuable resource, continuing to be reprinted and used throughout the quarrying, construction and design communities.
In January 2002, a historic meeting took place in Saratoga Springs, New York. A steering committee of producers, roofing contractors, architects, building owners, and other interested parties convened to revitalize the National Slate Association. Inspiration for the meeting came from Dave Leeland, Bill Marcum, Martech Associates, and Brian Stearns, et al., authors of The Slate Book, who sensed a growing interest in improving the industry. Bill Marcum chaired the meeting. The event was attended by Dave Leeland, Matt Millen, Doug Cochran, John Conlon, Pete Papay, and Jonathan Hill, all NSA Board members; Nancy Turner of U.S. Quarried Slate; Jim Gibbs, Pat Rudder, and Jim Constantine, all from Cornell University; John Meyer of Vermont Slate & Copper; Steve Taran of Taran Bros., Inc.; Norman Farrell of the Farrell Group; Pete Tatko of Sheldon Slate Products; Stuart Matthews of Northern Roof Tile; Richard Boyle of Evergreen Slate Company; Craig Markcrow of Vermont Structural Slate; Shawn and Dave Camara of Camara Slate; Ken Lerch of the Structural Slate Company; Chuck Smid and Clay Heald of New England Slate; and Joe Jenkins of Jenkins Slate Roofing Services.
Just three months later, the National Slate Association was re-established as a non-profit, interdisciplinary, membership organization. The newly formed Board of Directors quickly grew from three, to six, to nine, with members from across the nation representing each of the key industries with a keen interest in slate roofing. Today, the National Slate Association is dedicated to promoting excellence through the development and dissemination of technical information, standards, and educational resources for the slate industry.
Our members include: –Slate Roofing Contractors -Quarriers -Distributors -Roofing Consultants –Architects -Architectural conservators -Facility Managers -Commercial Building Owners -Educators -Slate-crafters -Designers -Specifiers
The list below of National Slate Association Charter Members is as it appeared at the time of reorganization in 2002. Since then, some members and companies have changed – please use the online NSA Member Directory to find updated company information.
Golden Slate Hammer Charter Members
Dave Leeland Leeland Slater Roof Repair, Inc.
Matt Millen Millen Roofing Company
Peach Bottom Charter Members
Michael Bregenzer Bregenzer Brothers, LLC
James Myers James Myers Co., Inc.
Charter Members
Shawn N. Camara Camara Slate Products, Inc.
Scott H. Christiansen Christiansen, Inc.
Douglas M. Cochran Durable Slate Company
Jack Corcoran The Fania Roofing Company
Danny L. Cornwell CC&L Roofing Company
David H. Crocker Crocker Architectural Sheet Metal Co., Inc.
Christopher M. Cronin Knickerbocker Roofing & Paving Company
John Dally, Jr. Dally Slate Company
Dany Dumont Glendyne, Inc.
Alden Gibbs Slate International, Inc.
J. Reed Gooding Gooding, Simpson & Mackes, Inc.
Michael R. Heistand Michael R. Heistand & Son
Doneen Hesse Detroit Cornice & Slate Co., Inc.
Clark Hicks Evergreen Slate Co., LLC
Kevin Higgins Higgins & Higgins, Inc.
Jonathan Hill Greenstone Slate Company
David J. Karel Garlock-French Roofing Corp.
Gene Keppler Evergreen Roofing, Inc.
Frank Lawson, Jr. The Lawson Roofing Company, Inc.
Kenton W. Lerch The Structural Slate Company
Jeffrey S. Levine 1:1:6 Technologies Incorporated
Michael Lukis Mortenson Roofing Company, Inc.
Craig E. Markcrow Vermont Structural Slate Company, Inc.
William Marcum Martech Associates
Pete J. Papay Penn Big Bed Slate Company, Inc.
Dieter Pfisterer Pfister Roofing
Judith E. Selwyn Preservation Technology Associates, Inc.
Alfred Slauenwhite W. S. Aiken, Inc.
Chuck Smid The New England Slate Company
Chester Smyda CHS & Associates Contracting, Inc.
Tim Spillane Timothy Spillane, Inc.
Rick Steinrock American Roofing & Metal Company, Inc.
Glenn Roberts Sumwalt John H. Roberts & Son, Inc.
David Thomas Hilltop Slate, Inc.
Russel Watsky Westal Contracting Company
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