Chris Becker (far right, back row) with company members, wife Staci, and daughter Morgan.

Becker Architectural Concrete, St. Paul, Minnesota
The creativity and innovation of Becker Architectural Concrete is evident in homes, buildings and parks all around St. Paul. What sets Becker Architectural Concrete apart is attention to detail. A successful project depends on both skill and artistry.

One question Chris Becker often hears is, "Why does your work look so different from everyone else's?"

The Becker Architectural Concrete showroom creates an inviting atmosphere for visitors.

Becker, founder and president of Becker Architectural Concrete Inc., in St. Paul, Minn., believes the answer lies in his commitment to bringing a high-quality, professional approach to the installation, design and marketing of architectural concrete.

The creativity and innovation of Becker Architectural Concrete is evident in homes, buildings and parks all around St. Paul, but it's not limited to concrete. Chris Becker's creative abilities also shine through in the way he manages and markets his business.

Becker came to architectural concrete in a roundabout way. Studying journalism at the University of Minnesota, he worked summers in concrete restoration. A slow job market when he graduated in 1989 led him to take a sales job with a ready-mix business, and he soon became director of marketing for the $100 million company. This put him in the right place at the right time to spot the opportunities in architectural concrete as it began to take off in the early 1990s. He left the corporate world to work with an experienced contractor, learning hands-on how to install decorative concrete, how to run jobs in the field and how to manage a business.

Twelve-foot long concrete surfboard table used with clients in “Board Room.” Cast-in-place custom design. Chemical stain, two-part epoxy finish.

Finally, in 2002 he was ready to go on his own. “So many people in architectural concrete come from a traditional concrete business. I came from a background in innovation and marketing. My goal from the beginning was to bring a more polished, educated and classy point of view to the industry,” Becker explains. He brings that point of view to three areas that are key to his business: installation, design and marketing.

Technique you don't see
The first element that sets Becker Architectural Concrete apart is near-obsessive attention to detail. “A lot of it is having your own name on the company,” Becker explains. “You have a distinctive energy to make sure every job turns out fantastic. We set the bar higher than most customers themselves would because this is still a new, very subjective industry.”