Decorative Concrete Expert

By Deborah Teramis Christian

How can a concrete contracting company separate itself from the rest of the pack in the red sea of competition? With material, fuel and labor costs on the rise, contractors everywhere are looking for ways to both survive and be profitable. This is further impacted by the precarious economy of late.

Tom Ralston, owner of Tom Ralston Concrete, has developed his company as a specialist in hardscape and concrete interiors to answer these challenges, It is a field that sparked Ralston's artistic eye and creative inventiveness, yielding remarkable results for the customer. "I am always looking for ways to turn concrete into art or make an ordinary project extraordinary," says Tom. 'My creativity has stemmed from a passion to learn everything I can about concrete and design, You wouldn't have convinced me of this in the first 10 years of my business," Ralston laughs, "but now I'm considered by many to be an artist in this trade."

It wasn't always so. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Tom uprooted to Kauai in 1978 to spend time surfing and enjoying beach life. He had worked for a time in his father's concrete trade, and though carpentry and building fascinated him, "There was nothing I'd rather do less than work in concrete," This changed radically, however, after he returned to California and architect Mark Primack asked him to do some specialty hardscape work on a Victorian in 1989. "1 was asked to do something unique and different with this medium I'd thought was so drab and blase. This Victorian, owned by businessman George Ow, piqued my interest so much that I became really enthused, This work served to spark a passion that I didn't know existed."

As a result, he started to look at masonry and other elements he could incorporate into hardscape, and began to investigate other creative ways to use the medium. Over time, Tom Ralston Concrete has grown into a full-scale decorative concrete contracting firm featuring a variety of specialized finishes, techniques and features to realize a client's vision.

Mediterranean-style stucco walls achieved with Antique Amber acid stain; a darker Padre Brown acid stain was used to highlight the arch. Imported Italian tiles make a statement on concrete risers. Inset: Defining Italian tiles play off the Earth Tone Amber stained wall.