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The Art of Robear

An MCI Certified Contractor for Over Ten Years

 

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One reason Masonry Cosmetics is such a remarkable company, other than its Proprietary Proven Masonry Stain, is its Certified Contractors who are in place all over the country. We train them to do what we do best, but we, in turn, learn so much from them. They have up-to-the-minute experience in this industry, and they bring their diversified knowledge to the table.

 

These contractors come from different parts of the industry. They are Masons, Restoration Contractors, Cleaning Companies, and Brick or Stone Manufacturers. Masonry Cosmetics has become the Brick Matching Experts of the masonry industry. And because of all the companies that are linked with us, we have become so much more. Here, for example, is the story of my friend Robear, our Certified Contractor covering the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

 

Robear Breton started as a laborer working for his stepfather, a Mason by trade, in Belgium. A short time later, Robear finished his apprenticeship at the age of 21, and moved to Texas in 1977. Robear always wanted to work for himself and started a company called Art Masonry. Today it is known as “The Art of Masonry by Robear.” He began his business with a small advertisement and did masonry repairs. In a short time, he found a niche in the marketplace. From that base, he built his own success story.

 

I met Robear over ten years ago, and I was impressed by several of his projects that I was able to see firsthand. He has tremendous skill and craft as a mason, and his attention to detail demonstrated a kind of work ethic and excellence that I rarely see in my travels throughout the U.S. As I dialogue with people in our industry, there are those who say there is a vast difference in meaning between the terms “mason” and “bricklayer.” I have no argument with that distinction, and in Robear I find a true Mason, an artist, and a real talent.

 

Dennis Calander, a good friend who owns Metro Brick & Stone and is one of the larger brick distributors in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, introduced Robear to me. Dennis is one of the smartest businessmen I have ever met. I hope to tell his story at some time in the future. Dennis and I sat down with Robear and shared the concept of Masonry Cosmetics with Robear. When Robear saw the product and what it could do, he took to it immediately. He could see what a benefit this process would be to the work he was already doing. As Dennis showed him the Match work—the makeovers that he could  accomplish for outdated-looking brick homes by permanently renewing and improving the appearance of their brickwork—Robear got on board right away, and never looked back.

 

Over ten years later, Robear tells us that he never has had to push or force staining on a customer. Instead, it simply has been a valuable component of what he has to offer a client, and it complements everything he can do for them. His customers love the results! And it has increased his earnings in ways he never thought possible. Another benefit he didn’t anticipate was the discovery that working with Masonry Cosmetics is much easier on his body vs. laying brick or rocks all day, or laying pavers at some of the colleges or universities which hire him.

 

Robear also finds it faster and easier to train employees, to get them up and running and staining brick, than it is to train a mason. Learning masonry is a two to five year process, and Robear feels most comfortable working with a person who has at least that level of skill. Manuel has been with Robear for 25 years, and Robear states that Manuel is as skilled as, and sometimes even better than he is. Today it is hard to find that commitment, let alone the person who could be the next Manuel as a mason.

 

Robear agrees that staining bricks, blocks, and mortar, is an art too, and that you need to use the right product. Robear has the right product, one which is not a paint-like stain, but a penetrating translucent stain that does not create a layer. Most of all, when applied correctly to absorptive masonry, this proprietary product lasts. In fact, it outlasts all the other stain products out there.

 

Robear likes “unique,” and Masonry Cosmetics has a unique product and business process. This product and process not only produces lasting results, but results that Robear can duplicate time after time. He and his team enjoy staining masonry, and he would encourage you to find something in life that you like doing. If it is easier on your body, and you can make more profit from it, so much the better!

 

Masonry Staining for Robear is another trade he has mastered, and one he does full time now. He likes the fact that he can travel light and turn jobs over faster, with no need to carry around wheelbarrows, mixers, scaffolding, trailers, or heavy equipment. Now he just needs a ladder, a cup, and a brush. Robear also said he was amazed to see that there was such a demand for Masonry Cosmetics, and the extent to which the market is untapped.

 

Don Foster is a better person and more knowledgeable because of Robear and so many of the Certified Contractors we have. Masonry Cosmetics is a better company, by far, with Contractors like Robear, and it only can get stronger with quality Contractors who join us in the near future.

 

I hope you enjoy these short articles. We at Masonry Cosmetics appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedules to read them. You are all important to us; we would not be here if it were not for you!  Thank you!

- Don Foster

 

“It is said that knowledge is power, but never lose sight of the relationships.”

- The Brickman