Southern EliteCrete Systems Masters Marketing, Success Follows

Juliet Farmer, ConcreteNetwork.Com Columnist

Southern EliteCrete, in Augusta, Georgia, has already surpassed all expectations in its short tenure. What started as a way to alleviate one retiree's boredom has grown into a lucrative business in a short two years.

John Bares, Southern EliteCrete's principal, started repairing concrete at age 14. He's since gained over 40 years of experience repairing East Coast concrete—from roads, to bridges, to hi-rise condos, to parking ramps, to tunnels, to airports, to Manhattan skyscrapers, to wastewater treatment plants, to heavy-highway. Any commercial, industrial, residential, institutional or public project—you name it, he's done it.

"Then I retired and got bored," Bares explains. "[So] I looked around for another business. I'd heard of decorative concrete and it was intriguing. Having worked with epoxies and polymer-modified cements in concrete repairs, I knew their capabilities first hand. Once in the field, it's easy to see this profession is going to expand geometrically."

"I'd seen stamped [concrete] and knew that wasn't the solution to existing concrete," he continues. "Besides, what about all that concrete already in place—just tear it out and replace it with new stamped [concrete]? And most stamped is difficult for ladies in heels and people in wheelchairs. [So] I looked at materials, methods, factory training, and distributor support for two years. We finally chose Elite Crete for permanence, design capabilities, installation, and most importantly, distributor support."

Southern EliteCrete is a fully-licensed Elite Crete installer. All office personnel and staff artisans have graduated factory training. Their primary service area is a 75-mile radius of Augusta, Georgia, including Aiken, South Carolina. They also work in Charleston and Hilton Head, South Carolina, as well as Athens and Savannah, Georgia, with occasional projects in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

"We serve two of the fastest growing counties—Columbia County, Georgia, and Aiken County, South Carolina," says Bares. "The demographics are perfect. We're magnetic for northern retirees. They buy new homes and start improving them. They have discretionary funds and tend to be better informed. They're drawn here because of weather, a reasonable cost of living, and golf."

Southern EliteCrete is also the only member of the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) between Atlanta and Savannah. "It's important our clients know we're competent professionals, and being members of ICRI is advantageous," Bares says, adding that he and his staff regularly attend World of Concrete's courses in concrete repairs with new restorative and decorative techniques.

Bares holds a degree in business administration with an emphasis on sales and marketing. That, coupled with experience as a fifth generation monument builder in the family's business, helped with overview when working in the construction arena. He knows his stuff—from television commercials, to talk radio spots, to pre-packaged coupons, to targeted direct mail, he's got all the advertising bases covered.

"When we started, advertising was educational—let clients know decorative concrete overlays were here and they have options," Bares recalls. "We started out with pre-packaged coupons and cable television. Our commercials played on HG-TV, Discovery, Fox News, History, and the Sci-Fi channels. We bought 'The Today Show' and 'Imus In The Morning' on AM sports radio. We now focus on AM talk radio because listeners actually listen to AM talk—it's not background humming music. Our clients want to be informed. Quite frankly, we don't market to those who don't own homes."

"In all of our advertising, our message was the same. 'Taking concrete from gray to gorgeous!'" he says, adding that his website is also always mentioned. "We don't direct mail randomly. We target certain neighborhoods—those in which our clients will live. Marketing and advertising are a concentrated effort. You have to have a total marketing concept...Many guys are busy working, rather than managing their business. But if I don't do my job—sell—my guys don't work."

This summer, Southern EliteCrete's artisans embossed a bell-shaped pool with the spa positioned as the bell's clapper for a client who's last name is [you guessed it] Bell. Their projects are varied—from fire station floors to pools—but the focus is primarily residential in response to their marketing efforts.

According to Bares, unique projects are the norm. "There are no trends. All of our clients have different homes and decide, on their own, what they want," he explains. "We listen to our clients as they list thoughts, wishes, desires, and practicality. Then they go play golf [while we do the work]."

As for what's next, Bares is optimistic. "I saw a great future in concrete repairs, and decorative concrete's is even brighter. With new equipment, better methods, and new materials, the future looks extremely good. Capitalization is not major, so it's a good business for someone [like me] who was thinking 'retirement.' We can work anywhere we have a phone."

"If you don't recognize quality in life, you won't succeed in this work," Bares notes. "A good artisan must appreciate design, recognize function, have an eye for detail, and see both the forest and the trees. Most artists starve, but good artisans eat very well."

With a company that recently expanded from one to five employees, Bares adds, "We don't have that much competition. I wish we did. Competition is good for the profession and one's spirit. If you're not competitive, don't get into this business."

Southern EliteCrete
John Bares
220 Commons Drive
Evans, GA 30809
(800) 285-6323 Toll Free
(706) 564-1546 Cell
Send Mail Now - Click Here
http://www.southernelitecrete.com

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