Cornell Surface Solutions

Stenciling

As a former power plant operator, Glenn Cornell made electricity for a living. Now, summoned to the calling of being his own boss and working in an environment that allows his creative juices to flow freely, Cornell is firmly committed to concrete.

Cornell Surface Solutions, an infant company based in North Palm Beach, Florida, specializes in concrete resurfacing, staining, pool decks, decorative concrete, engraving, stamping, stenciling, and myriad other standard exterior projects.

"After an 18-year career in the power industry, I had an itch to go into business for myself," Cornell said.

So about three and a half years ago, Cornell partnered with his brother-in-law, who already had an industrial flooring company up and running in Florida. There he learned the basics of flooring.

Curbing Staining Resurfacing

While that situation was getting closer to what he had envisioned, it still wasn't quite the right fit. For starters, there was all the travel associated with the industrial jobs. He never knew where the next big project would take him. And the industrial endeavors didn't satisfy Cornell's creative urges.

"I became more interested in decorative products ... It seemed to be a more natural fit," he said.

While the surface prep work involved in decorative work is similar to that undertaken in industrial work, the industrial approach is more aggressive to withstand heavy foot traffic by employees and customers. He and his brother worked on floors for such big-name companies as Coca-Cola, Ford, Boeing, Frito-Lay, and one of his favorites, Krispy Kreme Donuts.

"A lot of it is very similar, but the decorative provides more expression and personality," he said.

And that's important to Cornell, who has no problem telling it like it is, even on his company web site (www.cornellsurfacesolutions.com).

"I would like to say that I have been involved in the decorative concrete business for many years," he says on his web site. "The fact is I am relatively new to the business, to tell you the truth, I know very little about business at all."

But Cornell said his experience in industrial flooring, coupled with his creative tendencies, provides a strong foundation for his decorative projects.

"That simply means that I am going to give your new pool deck or driveway the best surface to stick to, and our attention to detail is exceptional," he said. "Factor in an over active imagination and every now and then, we can come up with some very interesting concepts and designs that we are very proud of and you will be very excited about."

Cornell said he is getting a lot of requests for stamped overlays and decorative landscape borders. Among stamping, random stone patterns are popular.

"And a lot of the ashlar stones and slate are popular," he said.

While exterior projects have been keeping Cornell busy, he is anxious to turn his attention to more indoor projects. He said one of his goals is to ramp up his marketing efforts and get the word out about decorative concrete. He said it's taking a bit longer to catch on in Florida than in other parts of the country.

"I like acid staining interiors ... I've also been getting a lot of calls for countertops. I think there's a lot of opportunity there," he said, explaining that thinking seriously about pursuing countertops.

Cornell's creative flair has been enhanced through attending numerous acid-staining and other specialty seminars, during which he and other participants have created unique designs, such as a pair of dolphins swimming, an intricate, colorful butterfly, and interesting geometric patterns.

"It's actually not a complicated process," Cornell said. "It's not difficult."

Meanwhile, Cornell continues to soak up every nuance of the business.

"It's been exciting. I'm enjoying being in business for myself," he said. "I'm learning a lot of the aspects of the business and I've done a lot of the right things."

One of the things Cornell is focusing on now is finding, training, and keeping quality crews. He said that in the next year he hopes to grow — but not too fast — by bringing on new employees who have similar commitment levels toward producing quality decorative concrete projects.

"It's become a cliché in the corporate world that your employees are your greatest assets, but they are," he said.

In the meantime, Cornell still remembers the wonderful feeling he had when he completed his first project — a 650-square-foot stamped overlay driveway in a nice neighborhood. And he's learned from the challenging jobs, too. One that comes to mind is a pool deck at a home located in an upper-end neighborhood. The deck — although beautiful — was failing and needed to be rehabilitated.

"Removing existing surfaces is one of the most challenging types of jobs," he said. "There are a lot of unknowns — it's a little scary."

And while sometimes the totality of running a business can have its frightening moments, the big picture is coming into focus for Cornell.

"There's a lot to be done, and the timing is everything — and you have to become an expert at the same time," he said.

So, Cornell succinctly sums up his plans for the next year or two.

"I want to hire and train quality people and to continue to grow at a moderate pace while maintaining the company's reputation and image," he said.

And in the meantime, Cornell hopes clients put their faith in him — and in all the wonders of decorative concrete.

"I would like to take the opportunity however to tell you a little about myself, and hope that in spite of all that, you may still be willing to take a risk, as I have and realize all the wonderful things that can be created with, out of and in concrete."

Cornell Surface Solutions
Glenn Cornell
407 Privateer Road
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
(561) 840-7573

Michele Dawson writes each week on one of the contractor members of The Concrete Network (www.concretenetwork.com). She has written about the home building industry for several years and was on the public affairs staff of the California Building Industry Association.