June 2008 Industry Leader:

Shellie Rigsby Elevates Decorative Concrete to Art Form

Concrete Floors Concrete Stain Designs Plano, TX

Shellie Rigsby, owner of Acanthus Inc. (Concrete Stain Designs) in Texas, is a writer, teacher, artist, and, most importantly, champion of the decorative concrete industry. Her book, The Complete Guide to Concrete Stains, was published by Thomson Custom Solutions, a unit of Thomson Learning, and debuted at the 2007 World of Concrete.

Rigsby also creates step-by-step how-to videos and conducts training sessions, including the American Institute of Architects (AIA) continuing education program for architects and interior designers.

She draws on decades of experience, all of which harken back to when she was a girl and worked with decorative finished on cars in her father's auto body shop.

Recently, Rigsby took a few minutes to tell us what she's working on now, where she believes the decorative concrete industry is headed, and where she thinks some in the industry fall short. Here's what she had to say:

Q: What types of teaching do you conduct?

A: I'm involved in five to six public demos a year, such as at World of Concrete and AIA, where I focus on teaching specific techniques. The AIA program is continuing education and offers an outsource opportunity for manufacturers, via online distance learning and onsite education.

I also do installations, seminars, guest training, consulting, and serve as an expert witness

Q: How much research and development are you involved in?

A: Research and development is a big part of what I do. I take various existing products and push them beyond their traditional applications. I take a product outside the box, but stay within its limits. I'm constantly expanding uses for products and developing new techniques. I also borrow techniques from the automotive industry and graphic arts—there's a lot of cross over.

In addition, I work with manufacturers who are not in the field--they know the standard uses of their product and compatibility, etc. People in the field, however, go beyond the lab, and that's where I come in. I take products outside of their regular use.

Q: What's your design process?

A: I'm very attune to design and I offer a comprehensive approach. I start with the use of the space—what does the decorative concrete need to accomplish for the client? What does it need to do? I look at design form and function. How does it need to perform? What does it need to look like? I don't want to create an anomaly.

There are times when clients are specific that they want x and y only, and we will do that, but I will give my design opinion and usually it's a collaborative effort to co-create something.

Also, if I'm working with an architect, however, I don't usurp. But I will go back to the specs and see what the design mix of the slab is (to avoid failure). I look to see if cure and seal, bond breakers, flash, fibers or accelerators are specified.

Most people don't look beyond where their work begins, but I look at it as a canvas, and I want the end result to be successful.

I don't change specs for brand preference. I have a lot of respect for other the manufacturer's reps--they work hard to get their brand specified and decorative concrete designed into the project. If there's ever a problem with compatibility as specified, I approach the architect or specifier to find solutions.

I like to take a step back and have respect for all parties involved: owners/occupants, architects, manufacturers and reps, people maintaining, designers, even me. All are necessary to the final outcome, and it's better to work with them.

Q: Do you see the recession impacting the industry?

A: The recession can play for you or against you. People aren't going to stop building, and commercial is still going at a heavy pace.

Decorative concrete offers a product that's resilient, well performing, requires less maintenance, and costs less. So, if no one can tell the difference between stone and concrete, and concrete is a fraction of the cost, why not?

But it takes quality work and a creative mind to succeed, recession or not.

Recession does cause owners, designers, architects to explore cost-effective materials.

Q: How do you view your competition?

A: My practice is to set aside conflicts of interest, which yields more high-end work, and increases my volume of work.

Sometimes when I start on a project, maybe wood floors or a brick façade would be a better choice, and I speak up. By being honest, we then have a relationship to move forward and build on.

I'm very fortunate in that we turn down more work than we install. I also look at my competitors as a community, and I refer to [my competitors] regularly. I don't look at them as competition but rather as colleagues.

I'm very inclusive, and I feel that respect will further what we're all doing.

Q: How does your mission statement "to advance and enhance the building industry with comprehensive design, superior products, uncompromising standards and unsurpassed craftsmanship" align with where you see the industry headed?

A: I wrote that mission statement 11 years ago when I was just starting out, and I've never changed it. I still go back to that, my work is consistent with it, it's really who I am.

If everyone continues with the "all about me" attitude, the industry's going to crack. I want to turn it around and focus on quality. The only limits are the limits of the imagination, as well as the "all about me" attitude.

I want the industry to become much more than it is, and I want to help propel the industry forward. In the end, I want to see the industry do well, as opposed to just me doing well.

Shellie Rigsby
Concrete Stain Designs
rigsbymail@msn.com
www.concretestaindesigns.com

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