Stone coated metal roofing was refined during and after
World War II in the
United Kingdom, when the government requested materials that would protect corrugated steel roofs from the harsh climate. A coating of
bitumen and subsequent covering by
sand, stone or other materials proved effective at protecting the metal roofs and serving as
camouflage against potential attack. In 1954, L.J. Fisher, an industrialist from
New Zealand, secured the rights to produce stone-coated metal roofing outside Great Britain. The company he founded,
AHI Roofing, operates the largest metal roofing factory in the world, and has continued to make changes to the metal roofing product. ==References==