Concrete Evolutions Turns Patios Into Art
business, concrete evolutions, mclean county, ronald ummel,
Ronald Ummel started his decorative-concrete company, Concrete Evolutions, fresh out of college in 2004.
“A buddy and I road-tripped to Georgia and Kentucky to check out manufacturers,” he says. “I bought some equipment, got a small-business loan and started my business.”
What began with concrete landscape edging soon grew to include decorative techniques, as well as ultra-modern sinks and countertops.
“We did a restaurant with all the bathroom vanities, the bar top, the hostess stand and the entire floor in stamped concrete,” Ummel says. “That was in 2007, and we’ve been fully slammed since then.”
Through word-of-mouth alone, Concrete Evolutions has grown to employ another full-time worker and four part-timers.
“HGTV is getting the word out there, and the stamped concrete has come a long way,” Ummel says. “Recently I’ve been getting quite a few calls for concrete countertops.”
Stamped concrete patios are the most popular product, he says, as more people are looking to add outdoor environments to their homes.
His company can tear out smaller patios, re-pour the concrete and add the stamping. If money is an issue, the stamping can be added at a later date.
“We can put color in the concrete,” he says. “We can make it look almost identical to stone, but it’s a cheaper alternative and it still looks really nice.”
Ummel recently landed a contract to do decorative concrete for the Peoria Zoo – using staining and engraving techniques to make concrete paths resemble dirt.
“We’re doing the decorative side of things,” he says. “That’s a pretty cool project.”
Story by Rebecca Denton
