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Slipstone,
Inc.-
Mike Allen Sr. Founded Allen & Sons Concrete in May of 1992, later incorporating in 1996, as Allen & Sons Construction, Inc. Allen himself had been involved in the industry since the mid to late 70's and throughout the years, he had encountered many changes within the industry, which taught him to think ahead of the pack. In mid 1999 his thinking and patience paid off when, being frustrated with the current pace and process of decorative concrete work, he developed and patented his wall system. "Using Gomaco machines, the process of slipforming barrier walls and our technique came about by imprinting the walls at a more cost effective and in a more expedient fashion," said Allen. Slipstone is the new kid on the block according to industry standards and traditions, but it has enjoyed a rapid acceptance and popularity throughout the United States."Slipstone can be used in a wide range of concrete construction such as: Subdivision walls, Retaining walls, Waterside Balk Heads and Architectural Curbing," stated a promotional paragraph on the company website. "We believe the market at this point is in the Department of Transportation throughout the U.S. and abroad, with an eye toward highway sound barriers and crash barriers," said Allen. "No longer will engineers and architects be limited by the cost of formed walls with form liners." Michael Allen Sr. currently serves as the President of the company. His son, Mike Allen Jr., has responsibilities that fall under the title of Vice President. Rick McElhinnie and Laverne Beuving spend their time mainly with the estimating duties; Beuving also serves as a Project Manager. Another Allen son, Jared, lends his expertise as a Foreman on the Slipform machines, while Marie Archibeque keeps a watchful eye upon things as the Controller.
The company primarily specializes in commercial and industrial projects involving concrete construction. The members of the team all have a wealth of experience and background in every facet of general construction. With projects well over the one million dollar mark, the company has a strong base with which to push a new idea and complete existing projects. Some recent projects include the US Space Command Satellite Tower, Mills Cancer Center in San Mateo, the Mondavi Winery in Lodi and a 500,000 sq. ft. Tilt-Up Warehouse for Lever Brothers that included 28,000 yards of concrete in 90 days consisting of 8 inch thick slabs and walls, with a new truck arriving every six minutes.
The overall list of happy customers goes on and on with an impressive satisfaction rating for each. "Everyone on our team comes from a construction background," states the company website. "Construction is the name of the game with us, and you will find few suits and ties here. We are a team and we thrive on challenge. Our company's growth is due to repeat business from satisfied customers." The SlipStone Extruded Wall System is adaptable to a number of machines such as Power Curber, Miller, and GOMACO. "Slipstone's goal is to establish a network of Slipstone licensed contractors throughout the U.S. and abroad, using our new technology for architectural concrete walls, without the use of traditional forms and liners," states the company mission statement. The company is located in French Camp, the oldest community in the central valley, about 2 miles south of Stockton. Eight years ago, annual sales rose from 8 million dollars to 12 million. The growth was so rapid that the expansion unnerved Allen's confidence in the company's ability to handle it. What resulted was a quick reorganization of operations and they were soon on the right track to prosperity. Today, the company employs almost 120 individuals in various positions. "Our greatest strength comes in the form of the people who work for the company. They come first, even before the customers because they keep everything running smoothly, and efficiently, while ensuring customer satisfaction" stated Allen.
As far as the future is concerned, additional slipstone patterns are on the drawing board as well as a proposed 6-8 ft. high wall construction machine. They use chemical stain in all of the concrete coloring processes, but they are also experimenting with color transfers, which could create a more cost-effective colorization method. Allen holds the patent rights to the process in the United States, Canada, Japan and several other nations. The final designs will be mandated by the end of this year. All in all, Allen & Sons, Inc. as well as Slipstone, Inc. have a great responsibility on their hands by being the developers and distributors of the system, but they have proven themselves to be adept in one of the most competitive industries in the world. They will continue to herald the forefront of concrete construction development as they have done in the past. |
