Business grows in CAN BE incubator
July 25, 2008
For more information contact Precision Design, 570-455-3533
Concrete Alternatives & More, headed by President Robert Tarapchak, left, and Vice President David Yeager, right, has added a new division to its business.
West Hazleton - Local business Concrete Alternatives & More, Inc., has continued to grow during its time in CAN BE’s business incubator, so much so that the company has expanded its operations by adding a new division.
Concrete Alternatives & More, located in the Greater Hazleton Business Innovation Center in CAN DO’s Valmont Industrial Park, provides decorative and functional concrete and asphalt resurfacing for commercial and residential properties using a variety of epoxy, polymer and rubber-based materials. The process can duplicate brick, stone and faux terrazzo finishes.
The company’s newest operation is its concrete raising division used for sunken concrete, including sidewalks, driveways, porches and industrial floors. In concrete raising (also known as mud-jacking), several holes are drilled into a sunken slab of concrete. Next, a grout mixture is pumped under the slab to lift the sunken areas. The holes are then patched with cement.
Concrete Alternatives is headed by President Robert Tarapchak and Vice President David Yeager. When Tarapchak learned about concrete raising, he thought it would go well with his business’ scope of work.
“We saw the potential of concrete raising and researched the technology behind it. It fits within our business plan of specialty coatings and resurfacing,” he said.
Tarapchak noted that concrete raising has many benefits, saying, “The process helps eliminate tripping hazards when concrete begins to sink. Also, concrete has a tendency to settle and this provides an answer to that problem. Concrete raising costs significantly less than replacing the concrete, and a lot of it can be accomplished in one day.”
Tarapchak’s career as a building inspector led him to found Concrete Alternatives & More in August 2006. The business began as mostly residential-based as he began looking for a way to help homeowners restore concrete floors and to do more than simply painting the floors, as that quickly peels and cracks.
The first step in the process is concrete preparation, when the crew etches or grinds the concrete to allow bonding to take a stronger hold. They can also repair any minor damage to the concrete at that time. The crew then applies two coats of polymer and a vinyl chip to give traction to the new surface. Finally, a clear topcoat is applied to add sheen and seal the surface, protecting it from the elements.
“The process adds value to a home because you are increasing the property value as well as the curb appeal of the home. Decorative coating systems also increase long-term property values,” he said.
Concrete Alternatives uses eco-friendly, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) products in a broad range of systems. “Green technology is the new wave, and a lot of product lines are going green. This technology is very popular in the commercial industry,” Tarapchak said.
Concrete Alternatives moved to CAN BE’s Greater Hazleton Business Innovation Center in Valmont Industrial Park in August 2007. As the business grew, its operations branched out into the commercial arena.
“Jack St. Pierre (CAN BE’s executive director) has been very helpful as we expanded our business focus from strictly residential to broaden into the commercial market. It’s a real asset to be in the incubator and take advantage of what it offers,” Tarapchak said.
St. Pierre praised the business and its success, saying, “We’re very excited when a company such as Concrete Alternatives is able to grow while at our incubator and develop new products and services like this.”
“The incubator offers businesses more than just an address,” St. Pierre said. “Here, businesses have access to many shared services, including financial, business and technical assistance; a receptionist and switchboard; a lunchroom with vending machines and free parking.”
The CAN BE incubator program helps establish new business and industry for the area, giving local entrepreneurs the keys to turn their ideas into ventures that will become successful firms able to function on their own. Companies that “graduate” from an incubator program have the potential to create new jobs, commercialize new technologies and strengthen the local economy. CAN BE, founded in 2005, is a division of CAN DO, Inc., Greater Hazleton’s economic development organization.
For more information on Concrete Alternatives & More, visit www.concrete-alternatives.com or www.concrete-coatings.biz, or call (570) 455-5303. For more information on the incubator program, call CAN BE at (570) 455-8334 or visit www.canbe.biz.
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