I was born in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
(former Yugoslavia). I grew
up in a hard working family,
my grandfather had his own
bakery business and I
started to help in the
business when I was 7 years
old. After that I did
not know what the word
vacation meant. After
my grandfather died, my father
took over the
business.
In 1987 I joined the
Yugoslavian Army. Upon
finishing the
military academy I became lieutenant. I
worked in the YU
- army until 1992. That same year
ex Yugoslavia become hell.
People began to riot and
kill each other. It
was a terrible time. That
war took away everything I
had. Our house and bakery
was burned. 1992. I decided to
leave YU and escape to
Germany. The war took away
my good friends, neighbors
and family, many of them forever.
Before coming
to the United States of
America I worked in Germany
as a cement finisher for a
company named "ESTRICH HOFMAN" in
Gunzenhausen near Nuernberg.
That is where I learned how to finish
concrete and speak German.
After the war in ex YU ended,
the German government did
not allow the Bosnian
refuges to stay in Germany,
that is when I decided to move to the
USA.
It was 1998 when I
moved to Washington State
with my wife and two small
children. When I moved here
I did not know how to speak
English and did not
have much money, so I had to work
hard. I joined the
Cement Mason Union Local
528. I expanded my skills in
decorative design from an
excellent instructor, John
and apprenticeship
coordinator, Mark Mayor,
with the union. A special
thank you to Mark, who
understood my financial
situation, who loaned me the
tools that were required
until I was able to buy my
own. Upon completion of the
apprenticeship program I
worked for two years (most
of that time I worked for
Seattle based "Air Placed
Concrete" as a cement
finisher) before beginning
my own business on a part
time basis.
It was after September 11,
that work at Air
Placed Concrete slowed down
and I was cut back to 2-3
days a week. Then
I was laid off and started to
look for work on my own. I
did several jobs for my
friends and then they told
two friends, then they
told two friends,
and so Seattle Concrete
Design started.
I am now operating my business
full time
on my own, working for home
owners and General
Contractors in the Greater
Seattle area. I enjoy my work, concrete
finishing is my
passion and I especially
enjoy the technique known as
Stamped Concrete. This
is the most challenging and
aesthetically rewarding
process. I feel proud to
have mastered this process.
With more than a decade of
experience in concrete
finishing field, your
satisfaction with quality
and price is guaranteed.
Many references available
upon request.
