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  • Northern Concrete’s indoor showroom not only displays what they offer, it’s also set up to be an inviting space for discussing design plans. “It’s a great place to meet with customers after touring the outdoor showroom, whether it’s cold and raining or hot and humid,” says staff design Dan Watton. “We can go inside, enjoy refreshments, and listen to customers until we fully understand what they are looking for.”.
  • The showroom’s acid-stained concrete floor is an alluring display of different colors separated by sawcuts.
  • The showroom also includes samples of Northern Concrete’s vertical stamping work on the walls and fireplace.
  • After meeting with clients then going to their home to take measurements and photos, Northern Concrete will draw up detailed design plans that might include landscaping, design accents, and a color palette.
  • An example of Northern Concrete’s work, this in-ground swimming pool uses insulating concrete forms, which keeps the water warm without constant heating. The pool deck is stamped concrete.
  • Outdoor fire pits and built-in seating are popular amenities that can be sold along with a decorative concrete patio. “People enjoy being outside in a comfortable environment where they can enjoy time with friends and family. Having a little heat available and the warm glow of a fire really makes it an activity more than just lounging,” says Watton.
  • Some of Northern Concrete’s work is made up of concrete overlays. This stamped, integrally colored cement-based overlay restored an existing concrete patio. “Overlays offer a lot of options for different looks without turning a backyard into a hard-hat zone,” says Watton. “This product lasts for years, and actually cures harder than regular concrete.

Northern Concrete Inc. is a large contractor in Denmark, Wis., specializing in commercial and residential foundations and exterior flatwork. Their fastest-growing business unit, however, is decorative concrete, and helping to propel this growth is an indoor showroom they opened several years ago to market their decorative services directly to consumers. What was once a tractor barn is now an inviting place for Northern Concrete sales reps to meet with customers and discuss their project in an environment where they can see, feel and touch all the various options. The display includes color charts, an acid-stained concrete floor in different colors separated by sawcuts, samples of their vertical stamping work, pool equipment and other resources that can help customers in the design process.

“This space gives our customers confidence in our abilities, and is a much better way of choosing colors and textures than a catalog,” says Dan Watton, staff designer for Northern Concrete. “Customers are always surprised by how many different ways concrete can be used from a decorative standpoint - from a knockdown finish on the walls, to the acid-stained floors, to a vertically stamped fireplace. It helps them open their minds and stir some new ideas. It’s a great selling tool for us, and a great resource.”

Showroom planning tipsFor contractors who are thinking of setting up their own concrete showroom, Watton offers these tips on how to make it more enticing:

  • Draw up a plan for your showroom space prior to starting. “This obviously helps guide the process,” says Watton. “It is no small feat setting the space up, but not overly different from a typical remodeling project - lots of demolition, cleanup, and then reconstruction.”

  • Make it bright and appealing, and have a constant stream of videos and images showing your work.

  • Provide a large, comfortable seating area to review plans, show samples, and display color charts.

  • Consider how you can get add-on sales from what you display, such as turning a simple concrete patio project into a patio and an acid-stained basement floor.

  • Make it easy to find and access. “Even though we are a large company, our indoor and outdoor showrooms are right up front and are the first things you see entering our grounds,” says Watton.

Watton says that many of their customers are looking for more of an outdoor room, rather than a plain patio to put a couple lawn chairs and a grill on. Epoxy floors, acid staining, and garage floor resurfacing are also popular. “Some of our new designs are including outdoor kitchens, bars, fireplaces and fire pits,” he says. “We also got into building in-ground swimming pools about seven years ago. We have developed a unique way to construct them using insulated concrete forms. They provide an R-value of about 25 with the concrete. Keeping your pool warm without having to continuously heat the water saves a lot of energy and money.”

In addition to using the showroom as a selling tool, Northern Concrete also uses the space for employee meetings and a number of other functions. “Having this oasis - this place to meet and discuss aesthetics and colors and textures in the middle of a campus full of trucks and heavy equipment, dust and work boots definitely helps us close a lot of business,” says Watton.

For more information: Northern Concrete
6601 County Rd R
Denmark, WI 54208

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