Alain - Goma Contracting
During the pandemic, Alain was brand new to the industry of epoxy when he started out in 2020. We chatted about his early struggles and how he overcame them, including the small things he did that propelled him into scoring huge commercial floors.
1. How long have you had your company?
I did my first job in 2020 in San Antonio after taking training with another company during the pandemic.
2. Did you have any major roadblocks when growing, and if so, what did you do to overcome them?
For me, it was important to have a good product sales rep, in addition to finding the right product as well. The sales rep at the first company I bought the product from never explained how to properly use it. I also did not like that product, it was really liquidy. I was pretty unsatisfied, so I called Alex from Epoxy ETC and he actually explained how to use the product the right way. I really like using the rockhard epoxy you guys sell. It’s a lot thicker, it covers a lot more. The first product we used just wasn’t that good and it was way too liquid. Besides that, everything was smooth sailing.
3. Do you have any tips for those starting out in the industry?
Just have patience and be super clean and tidy when on the job. A lot of installers aren’t that careful and don’t pay much attention… especially around here, they’re not locals. We are thorough. We always vacuum in-between coats, because any time you open and close doors, or walk around, dirt/ dust gets in. Then as you’re applying the product you start to see those little bubbles and clumps... and it just doesn’t look good. You also can’t cut corners because that’s often where mistakes come up and it just looks bad in the end, and it takes away from the beauty of the job. I don't get why you would try to cut corners. Part of the selling point of epoxy is its beauty and how clean it looks.
4. What was a pivotal moment in your career if any?
I did one of my first floors in a mall and I did a really good job. Then this person came in, he liked it, and told me he needed it done at another location. With that, we started generating a lot more jobs... huge jobs. Right now I'm doing a 22,000 sq/ft commercial job! We also did TikTok videos highlighting our work and those were a hit too. At the moment we are super busy so we're not really looking for more work.
5. What is your favorite type of floor to install, and why?
I like the metallics a lot because people love to see the details and the shape that metallic takes. It makes us excited to see how much people like it.
