Concrete Science

When you think about a concrete company, you probably don’t think cutting edge technology. Then again, most concrete companies don’t include the word “science” in their name.

When an innovative company like Concrete Science was looking for a new bank to fund their growth plans, they found an equally innovative partner in North American Banking Company. Steven Hicks, owner of Concrete Services, started working in the concrete business in 1973 with his father’s business. Over the years, he came and went from the business, starting other companies around the country. He carefully studied the science of concrete to push the envelope of design and durability.

When his father had to shut down his business in 2013 for health reasons, Hicks got to work planning a new type of concrete company with a focus on customer service, technology, and data. For example, when a customer schedules a project, texts and emails are sent to prepare the customer for the work to be done. The customer can also track the crew en route to their house from their phone. Today, Concrete Science even has a tool to show customers what a finished project will look like based on the customer’s photos and requests. Hicks credits innovations like these for rapidly growing his business, with 15-20 jobs scheduled per day during construction season in Minnesota. He’s also quick to mention the level of expertise and knowledge of his staff of more than 100 employees.

“After decades in the business, I’ve never had a better team in the office or in the field than what I have now,” says Hicks. Hicks has grown Concrete Science through these innovations while being focused on training, hiring experienced employees, and tracking his budgets and forecasts with state of the art technology. When Hicks was looking for a bank to help him relaunch his business in 2013, he says he was turned away by six different banks. One of the banks referred Hicks to North American Banking Company as a bank that might be a good fit for his vision.

“I’ll never forget how North American Banking Company stepped up to help my business at a critical time,” says Hicks. “After being turned away by those other banks, when they told me ‘You have a deal’ I about died. I think about that often. They took a chance on me and I’ll never forget it.”

Since then, Hicks has developed a strong banking relationship with Todd Nelson, Senior Vice President/Business Banking at North American Banking Company.

“I’ll never forget how North American Banking Company stepped up to help my business at a critical time,” says Hicks.”

“Todd is super sharp and also easy going. He never misses a beat,” says Hicks. “I know when I come in, I’ll bring my spreadsheets and we’ll have a good conversation about my business. It’s just a great relationship."