August 2008 Industry Leader

Evan Lloyd's Solid Solutions Takes Business Further with New Techniques and Products

by Juliet Farmer

Solid Solutions, located in Fresno (CA), provides California's Central Valley with unique countertops and decorative flooring. Evan Lloyd, owner and artisan, recruits artists from the local art school in Fresno to assist in crafting unique works for clients.

Lloyd, a former Los Angeles recording engineer, grew up on a ranch in Arizona, where he and his family did everything from building barns to fixing cracked pipes in bad weather. His father's passion and hobby was woodworking, and that's where Lloyd credits his skills with tools.

When his father-in-law started remodeling a home in Fresno, he informed Lloyd that he wanted to create concrete countertops as part of the remodel, and that's where the decorative concrete bug bit.

Lloyd started to dabble in concrete, then quit the recording studio job to work with concrete companies in Los Angeles. From there, he and his wife moved to Fresno and he started Solid Solutions. He also expanded into Arizona, opening an office in the Phoenix metro area.

Recently, Lloyd took time away from his busy schedule to share his thoughts on the industry, and give some insight into why the recession isn't hitting him as hard as it has some of his competitors.

Here's what he had to say:

Q. What have you been up to since we last talked to you (a few years ago)?

A: Well, we still focus on countertops and interior floors. The biggest change for us has been in countertops. In the beginning, I was only doing pre-cast countertops, but we now offer pour in place.

At first, I wanted to avoid pour in place, because I had heard bad things about it. Then I did one, and I realized that the stereotype is completely false. They look just as nice, and they're quicker to make and save money for everyone. It's also all done right the first time, and there are never any call backs because the customer is there every step of the way.

I use the customer being there to my advantage, and I get daily feedback on the project so I can hit the mark. That way they love what I make and I love that I make them happy. I also get the job done faster and more efficiently.

I still do pre-cast, but only more for special pieces like concrete sinks and special inlays--things that require being cast a certain way.

Q: How's your proprietary mix doing? Any thoughts of selling it?

A: My mix is working really well. I'm not considering distribution at this point, because I want to keep it simple.

I've always used my own mix, and it's evolved over the years. As technology changes, our mix changes.

The biggest thing we've had to overcome is bowing with long countertops, which makes installation difficult. My mix is strong and eliminates that bowing, so installation is easier.

Q. How are things in Phoenix?

A. I still work in Phoenix and throughout Arizona, but I don't have a formal showroom there, which helps keep overhead down. Everyone in my family lives in Arizona, so when I get a job there, I get to see my family.

The tricky thing about out-of-state jobs is the paperwork aspect. It's easy to sell a job if I give the pitch in person. Luckily, I've done a lot of commercial work there, so I can send potential customers to see my work.

I also rely on my website as my virtual portfolio. Without my website, I'd be out of business. The majority of my leads come through there, and they originate from The Concrete Network, which is the number one source of leads for me,

Q. How is the economy faring in Fresno?

A. We're definitely feeling it here. This quarter is the slowest quarter I've had in the last five years.

I used to do 75 percent remodels, but now that people aren't taking out home equity loans like they used to, that's dried up. The average $200,000 home is now worth $150,000, and people don't put more money into an upside-down situation,

I've been getting more into commercial work, as well as new construction in the custom home niche.

Also, I don't have a lot of overhead. Because I've stayed small, I've been able to stay in this industry while my competition is going out of business.

Q. Are you still recruiting art students?

A. I recruit from both Fresno State and the city college, and they are some of the best employees, because they know nothing about the industry. They want to create art, and they understand color, which is nice because our customers don't want standard out-of-the-box colors.

I've found it's much better to train someone from scratch than from within the industry, because decorative concrete pretty much only has cement in common with grey sidewalks.

Q. Are you still teaching?

A. I run private seminars now, where I will go to a company and teach hands-on private classes and seminars.

I also bring people out for on-the-job experience. For instance, if I'm doing a floor I might have someone who has expressed interest in learning come help me, and they learn and I get compensated for my time.

It's a win-win for everyone.

Q. How's the Vintage series doing?

A. I created this series by request. I didn't really want to get into the Tuscan / Renaissance / Old World style, but my customers kept asking for it, and people here love Vintage.

Part of my success and longevity is due to the fact that I give customers what they want, instead of what I think is right. Once I started doing that, my business increased a lot.

I can still be highly creative on some projects, but to make money, I need to meet the requests of the customer.

Q. Anything else new or that you're excited about right now?

A. I found a local company out of San Diego, called Westcoat, that makes an unbelievable flooring product called Liquid Dazzle.

I can buy it locally off the shelf, it's easy to use, it's epoxy (so it's strong and durable), and it's available in 12 colors.

All you do is clean the concrete and fix any cracks, then trowel on the epoxy and hit it with a paint roller.

The color moves and flows, and you come back an hour later and it looks completely natural and gorgeous. I think it's going to be huge.

Solid Solutions
Evan Lloyd
3682 W. Stuart Ave.
Fresno, CA 93711
(602) 412-7252 Office
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www.concretecountertop.net

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