GREEN
BUSINESS
qUARTERLY
CONTRAC'TING
& BTIILT]ING
ln (lo or c llrc rele
tles ign
LOCATIO N:
Martinez. CA
USCBC ME MBER SINCE:
October 2o08
F
YE A R O U N DE D :
I 999
SAL ES CROWTH IN
PAST YEAR:
1ay .
EM PLOYEES
INTERIORS,
CONCRETE INC.
B Y MA TT P ETRUSEK
TERRYSTOGNER,FOUNDERAND PRESIDENT unusual, but the client's insistence finally the design process and the final creation.
of Concrete Interiors, Inc., spends most pushed him to begin investigating the It opens a whole new design world."
of his days up to his elbows in mud.With possibilities of indoor concrete design. "It
more than ten years of experience, he took about a year of research and design T hi s aes t- heti cand pr ac ti c r l fl c xi h i l i t y
learned long ago that mixing, pouring, and I'ailure and successes before we got a Stogner calls it a "living product"-
shaping, and curing concrete is a delicate mix we u.ere comfortable bringing to the dc m on.tr ate. a di s l i nc t adv anta g e t h a r
process that requires constant hands on public," he says. But his persistence paid concrete has ovcr stones like granite and
attention to detail. "Cement definitely has off. He founded his own company in 1999 quartz, which are traditionally used for
a personality," he says. "lt acts differently and hasn't looked back since. indoor projects. It has numerous green
c\.ery day." benefits as lvell. For example, Concrete
Concrete Interiors now offcrs dozens Interiors uses a mix called Earthmate in
Stogner didn't always enjoy working with of designs for countertops, vanities, and many of its products, a formulation of lo-
concrete. As a 20 year homebuilding Iireplace surrounds in hundreds of colors. cally sourced raw materials that contains
veteran, he recalls his previous encoun- C l i ents al s o har e the opl i on of ( r c dti ng 85-perccnt recycled concrete reclaimed
ters with the mcrcurial gray sludge less hi ghl y t u.tom i z c d pr oJ u, ts by tak i ng from old bridges, sidewalks, and drivc-
than fondly. "The'beep, bccp, beep' of advantage of wet cemcnt's malleability w a) \. Ear thm al e al s o us es 100 p e rc e n t
th e tr u ck b a , kJng up st ill hr unts m c." hc and color absorption capacity. "Most cus- post-industrial, crushed recycled concrete
jokes. But his perception began to change tomers can't interact rvith the othcr com- for its sand and aggregate, and replaces
u.hen, in the late 1990s, one ofhis clients ponents that are going into what they are 40 per c ent ofi ts c em enl u i tl l f l y a s h . a
asked for cement rather than stone kitchen building," Stogner says. "But this is one reclaimed byproduct of electric fired
countertops. Stogner found the requcst product where they can become part of coal plants. What's more, cement, unlike
r 6o GREEN BUSTNESSQUARTERLY f{atY,r1lE{t 2oog
/r '
bb Our greenproducts a responsibility co n scr e n ce .q
are to q
JJ
Terry Stogner,President
stone, does not need to be quarried and to take advantage of the green movement This seriousness ofpurpose, however, in
t r a n *p o rte d l o ng d ista nccs hy m assive, purely for the sake of publicity and profrt. no way overshadows the fun he and his
smog-producing vehicles or re-cut to size But Concrete Interiors, he insists, is the r eam har e on the j ob. Indeed, i t's thc
by power-intensive diamond saws. And real deal. "Our green products are a re creative, cooperative partnership with
it never has to end up in a land{ill; it can sponsibility to conscience," he says. customers in developing unique products
be broken down and recycled again at the and meeting design challenges that Stog-
end ofits life cycle. This dedication to eco-{iiendly products ner finds most satisfying. "Anytime you
and practices explains why Stogner founded can share something you love with other
Stogner augments cement's eco-friendly hir ou n compan). He openly rccognizcs pc opl c and thc y r c s pond to i t that s a
characteristics by extending his commit- that h:is products are not going to save the naturai high," he says. "And I'm rewarded
ment to producing quality, green end world.Yct he locates his work within a with that high quite a bit."
products into the factory itself, something broader societal movement towards a more
he opens up for all customers to see. "Our sustainable futurc. "l would like, even in a Of course it's not fun all the time, Stog
clients are excited to see when they visit small way, to be a leader in recycling and ner admits. Concrete remains, for him,
our factory that we walk the walk of be the green aspects of our industry," he says. a beast to be tamed. But thousands of
ing green," he says, "evcrything from our "I feel passionately about the green move- countertops, vanities, and fireplace sur-
lighting to recycling excess cemcnt to ment and the desperate need to try to take rounds later, he linally feels in command
using green products in the manufacturing control of ourselves and abate some of ou "l've iinally gained some control over
process that have no or littleVOCs." He la bad habits." His business, he hopes, marks cement," he laughs. "I've won."And so
ments what he calls "greenwashing" in the a small step in the direction of becoming too, cven if only in a small way, has the
industry, the tcndency of some businesses what he calls a "less disposable nation." environment. oBq