Decorative Concrete Training

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The Europeans have beautiful stone and centuries of expertise — but now they’re fans of concrete too. “I’m blown away when countries like Greece and Italy — with some of the world’s most ingenious architecture — ask the DCI to come over to teach them how to use this artificial stuff,” says Bob Harris, president of the Decorative Concrete Institute in Temple, Ga.

Decorative concrete was developed in the United States, but it’s growing in popularity overseas. Artisans in Europe particularly have started to develop expertise, but people in Asia and South America are showing interest as well. This presents a big challenge when it comes to training and maintenance. Some American companies send their employees overseas to train new contractors, while others use international consultants for training. In March 2007, Harris partnered with a European distribution associate to open the DCI Europe Division and bring the complete package of training, products and technical support to the doorstep of European decorative concrete artists.

The U.S. has long been the international leader in the development and promotion of decorative concrete, so it’s not surprising that the rest of the world turns to U.S. experts for their know-how. “Decorative concrete is still a new market overseas,” says Harris. “America is the innovator of the products and techniques. DCI outsources its training and consulting services overseas to Italy, Greece, Germany, and South Africa, just to name a few.”