trade Certifications
The Michigan Concrete Association (MCA), in Lansing, Michigan, was established in 1952 as a forum for the State's ready-mixed industry and an educational resource for consumers. Its main objectives are to promote and advance the use, and improve the quality, of concrete. MCA offers a certification program for Decorative Concrete Finishers and Technicians, the only such state-based program in the country. We were certified through this program in March 2016, and recertified in March 2022.
The American Concrete Institute (ACI), founded in 1904 and headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan, is the leading authority and resource worldwide for the development and distribution of standards, technical resources, educational, training and certification programs, and proven expertise for individuals and organizations involved in concrete design, construction and materials. We were certified through ACI's Concrete Flatwork Finisher and Technician program in April 2016.
Since 1975, Hanley Wood Media, Inc. has held annually a huge international conference and convention in Las Vegas, called "World of Concrete", dedicated to the concrete and masonry industries, and consisting of educational seminars, product and equipment demonstrations, and manufacturer exhibits. We earned a Master Certificate in Decorative Concrete from World of Concrete (WOC) in 2007 and again in 2016. In 2006, we were one of the few companies nationwide asked to participate in WOC's annual, weeklong "Artistry in Concrete" demonstrations, held outside during the conference and convention.
Education in Concrete Coatings is critical for selecting appropriate sealers for decorative concrete installations to resist the forces of concrete deterioration and maximize adhesion, durability and longevity. We took the NACE International Concrete Coatings Program in 2003, in Tampa, Florida. In May 2014, we attended their Concrete Coatings Conference in Philadelphia.
At World of Concrete 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada, we received Tradesman Certification in Polished Concrete by the Concrete Polishing Association of America (now the "Concrete Polishing Council" of the American Society of Concrete Contractors). Polished concrete is used in conjunction with acid stains or dyes, and unlike most decorative concrete does not require a film-forming sealer.
At the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI) Fall Convention in Cleveland, in November 2016, we received certification by the ICRI as Concrete Slab Moisture Testing Technician. Proper moisture testing is a critical element for the success of any decorative concrete flooring project. (See the listing of company owner, Jeff Donius, on the ICRI web site locator here. Currently, Jeff is the only person in the State of Michigan to provide ICRI-certified Concrete Slab Moisture Testing.) We were recertified in Moisture Testing in November 2022.
Manufacturer Certifications
Premier Veneers holds training certifications from numerous companies in use of decorative-concrete-related products. In Acid Staining, our specialty, we are trained and certified by renowned artist, acid-staining professional, Gaye Goodman, of Faux Real, in Albuquerque, NM; and by Scofield Products of Atlanta, Georgia, the company with the longest history of manufacturing and selling acid stain in the U.S. Scofield was acquired by Sika Corporation, a leading supplier of specialty chemical products, and industrial materials, for the construction market, in 2017. At the same time, Sika also acquired Butterfield Color, of Aurora, Illinois.
We have regularly used acid stain from Scofield Products, Butterfield Color, and Brickform Solomon, the primary competitor of Sika/Scofield/Butterfield.
In Cement Overlays, including other decorative concrete products used with cement overlays, such as sealers, dyes, and stains, we are certified by Elite Crete Systems of Valparaiso, Indiana; Surecrete Design Products of Dade City, Florida; Ardex of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and Brickform Solomon of Springfield, IL.
Elite Crete and Brickform Solomon provide extensive training in "trowel-down" cement overlay systems; Surecrete specializes in "spray-texture" overlay systems; and Ardex focuses primarily on "self-leveling" overlay systems. We install all of these types of cement overlays.
We are also trained and certified in installation of Concrete Countertops, through use of cement overlays, by iCoat Concrete Products, of Phoenix, Arizona. We took iCoat training and certification program in Buffalo, New York, in September 2015.
In Concrete Coatings and Sealers, we are trained and certified in Polyurea Coatings and Sealers by Citadel Flooring Systems, of St. Paul, Minnesota. “Polyurea” is the latest and best technology in the area of Concrete Coatings and Sealers. It is odor-free, and 20 times stronger than epoxy - the concrete coating of choice by most decorative concrete flooring contractors.
In High Performance, Seamless Concrete Flooring Systems, we took training from, and were certified by, Dur-A-Flex, of East Hartford, Connecticut, on May 8-10, 2018. Dur-A-Flex serves primarily commercial and industrial markets, not residential. The main difference is their flooring systems, like urethane and epoxy cements, are much thicker and more thermal and shock resistant than residential coatings.
In Concrete Engraving, we received training and certification from the Engrave-A-Crete Company. of Mansfield, Missouri, in April 2002. The concrete engraving craft includes the creation and reproduction of images, text, designs, motifs, logos, and pictures, in concrete, as well as the scoring of decorative, saw-cut patterns, through use of a variety of pneumatic (“air-powered”), and electric, specialty power tools.
The pneumatic tools are encompassed in the KaleidoCrete division of the Engrave-A-Crete Company. They are the “Shark”, a “Mochton Stylus” Concrete Engraver, which is a handheld, metal, cylindrical tool containing sharp, impactor teeth for digging out cement and small concrete chips at the surface of a concrete slab; the “Barracuda” (a somewhat smaller version of the “Shark”); and the Mochton Stylus “Wasp”, another, small, handheld, cylindrical tool, somewhat like a “dremel”, but using a carbide tip, for detail work, like straightening edges, and making text and words.
Also, in 2002, we attended Incon University, sponsored by the Florida Concrete & Products Association (FCPA), in Orlando, Florida, and received education and certification in New Concrete Technologies, including the use of White Cement, and building of Concrete Homes.
Lastly, in 2003, we took and completed the EPA-mandated, Lead Safety Training, for companies working in remodeling, repair, and painting, from MasiMax Resources, Inc. of Reston, Virginia.
Contractor Licensing & Certification
Michigan has a state licensing requirement for contractors. In Illinois, contractors are required to register with every county in which they do business.
In 1999, we passed the Michigan Residential Builders, Maintenance & Alterations Contractor licensing exam, in the Painting and Concrete trades. We took the exam and passed again in December 2013 after the State of Michigan revised its licensing requirements (in 2008) to require 60 hours of pre-licensure education. Prior to the second exam, we took and passed the 60-hour Residential Builder Pre-Licensure course from the License to Build Company. Our license was most recently renewed in May 2017.
Most recently, on May 10, 2018, Jeff Donius, the owner of Premier Veneers, was appointed by Michigan Governor, Rick Snyder, to the Michigan Residential Builders and Maintenance & Alteration Contractors Board. Previously, Jeff took and completed, in 2003, "Contractor College", from the Painting & Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA).
