Today we’d like to introduce you to Cj Salzano.
Hi cj, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Arlington Virginia, went to DJ O’Connell high school and ended up at ODU in Norfolk in the mid 80s for my undergrad degree in the computer field. In the late ’80s I went to George Mason University for Master’s degree also in the computer field. My career in computers started with a job working as a civilian for the US Army in Northern Virginia. Few years later, I got a job on the commercial side also in the computer industry. Starting in early 2000s, the company I was with started reorganizing and sending workers to other locations. About that time I was turning 40 and thinking about a complete career change to try something different for the second half.
My older brother Frank is a civil engineer from Virginia Tech and at that time had his own small concrete contracting company.
So while my IT career was becoming unstable, and I was thinking about a major career change, and Frank was running his own company I started hanging out with him on job sites to get a sense of what the concrete business was about. After all, I do believe concrete comes next alphabetically after computers….
Somewhat coincidentally, a friend of his, the owner of a landscape company also had a small crew that did something called “Stamped Concrete”. A service not commonly known back then. After a few discussions he offered to sell off this small crew, equipment, and material to Frank and I. The thought was to add stamped concrete into Frank’s existing company and I would run that piece of the company.
Making a major midlife career change was a huge decision and I could never have done it without the love and support of my wife and family. Forever grateful to them for their ongoing support.
So in August 2004 we bought the equipment and material that Frank’s landscape friend had on hand and we hired his 4 employees that had been doing stamped concrete for about 3 years, now as Salzano Concrete employees.
We operated this way for about a year, then decided it was best to separate the stamped concrete part of the company away from Frank’s core contracting company. So in fall of 2005, the new company, Salzano Custom Concrete was formed.
For the first 2-3 years, Cj did most all of the sales, operations, project coordination, back office paperwork, billing, etc. Then in 2008 Cj hired an office manager to take over the back office work including billing, invoicing, payroll, picking up mail, bank deposits, etc.
Over the years we have had anywhere from 5 to 10 laborers skilled in decorative concrete, resurfacing, stamped concrete, and stone mason work, etc.
We have always maintained a small business atmosphere with small crews skilled in specialty services.
Early on we experimented with several different service offerings to see what made the most sense for our business. For example we offered concrete countertops and concrete polishing for a short time. We have since focused our service offering on a more limited range.
Now we are mainly focused on backyard patios, driveways, walkways, pool decks etc. We build six or eight different types of hardscapes including flagstone, some paver work but most customers select stamped concrete because of the bang for the buck, a great value, a beautiful look, and low maintenance.
One other thing I started early on was a very unique installation method for stamped concrete where each “stone” in the pattern is colored by hand, this creates a more authentic and convincing surface that looks more like real stone also with natural grout color etc. It’s been exciting to experiment with different products and application methods for the best way to do this type of installation, and has been something that sets us apart from other concrete companies.
We just passed 22 years in business and I’m very proud of our history and what we’ve been able to accomplish in all these years.
Now that I’m getting old, retirement probably in the next few years, can’t wait to find out what happens in the next chapter.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This is an easy question because the biggest obstacles and challenges for us in the beginning was pretty much everything we did. When we first got started, my brother had a lot of concrete experience however none in this new world of decorative concrete, with colors, and stamping etc. We basically had to learn everything that we did and we quickly found there really isn’t an instruction manual for most of the things that we did. We hired the workers from the other company that had been doing stamped concrete for a couple years which was a help, the problem is they didn’t speak English. So this leads to our next obstacle and challenge and that was while trying to figure out the concrete work, also learning Spanish to be able to communicate with the workers. Then lots of other challenges, trying to do our own accounting and bookkeeping and advertising and creating collateral for the business, all things we’ve never done before and had to learn as we go.
I think in a nutshell this is what attracted me to starting my own business. The thought of being a bit of a pioneer learning something new and a new field in the industry in general, coming up with a brand new hand coloring method and in general doing something we’ve never done before and just trying to figure everything out. It’s been a long road but looking back on it, with the help and support of my family, I’d like to think of it as a success.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
This business is based on decorative design elements, colors, patterns, shapes and use of lots of different materials.
I don’t consider myself an artist per se however I think you have to at least have some interest and desire to think that way to help customers with choices and options what shapes go with what and what textures go with what colors etc.
Customers always seem to appreciate my ideas and feedback which is good to hear.
It’s great to see the final results. Having started with a blank slate, often just a backyard with grass and having gone through hand drawn sketches, viewing color charts material samples, lighting choices etc and have customer make final choices and have workers build the final project, to see the end result, some beautiful new outdoor living space, is always very satisfying.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
When I’m not trying to figure out the next craze and decorative concrete, I try to find at least a little bit of time for a hobby or two. A list of my hobbies over the years, in no particular order…
soap making, is oddly similar to making decorative concrete, yes it would take me some time to explain the similarities .. 2-wheel motorcycle riding wasn’t interesting enough so I went back to get my license with 3-wheel motorcycle riding ..
I’ve always had a fascination with flying, so got my recreational pilots license and did that for handful of years, what a blast ..
more recently got my boating license, this is been a great hobby, love being out on the water when I can find a few minutes to spare…
and don’t forget about the ATV, love riding the trails in West Virginia ..
We always try to find a long weekend here and there for an adventure traveling with family and friends ..
I also enjoy working on cars, years ago did a complete restoration of one of those old great Chevy muscle cars ..
I’m a big country music fan and try to get to at least a handful of concerts each summer..
and finally, and most important, love to spend time with our new grandson, what a true joy that has been.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SalzanoConcrete.com
- Instagram: Salzano Custom Concrete
- Facebook: @SalzanoCustomConcrete
- Youtube: Salzano Custom Concrete
