"We recognized an entrepreneurial opportunity," said Radford. "I have a diversified background, and the ability to put it together comes from a lifetime of business experience. The opportunity presented itself and we put together the right team to make it work."

Given the demand for slabs in the North American market - and the U.S. in particular - Radford said there were strong prospects for establishing Epoch Rock. "When we did the due diligence for this project, it became clear that there was a tremendous opportunity for a North America-based slab manufacturer, to supply just-in-time delivery and take advantage of NAFTA," he said. "One of the things driving me was a report by the multinational consulting firm KPMG, focused on the cost of doing business in the G7. The capital of Newfoundland was listed as the number one place to establish a manufacturing facility. With that in hand, it was very encouraging."