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Think high-end hardscape products in fashionable colors and creative craftsmanship are bygone wishes when the economy takes a turn for the worse? Think again if you?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?re a hardscape contractor bidding jobs this year.
These tools might be your best sales strategy for winning jobs in a year when it?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s widely accepted that American consumers are spending less (and getting more bids from your competitors along the way). Still, there?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s going to be millions of square feet of hardscape products like pavers and segmental retaining walls installed and contractors who differentiate themselves can get a piece of the pie.
?EUR??,,????'?????<?Today?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s hardscape dealer has had to increase their attention on the homeowner,?EUR??,,????'?????<? said Scott Santos of J&J Materials, a Boston, MA hardscapes distributor. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Even if a homeowner is working with a contractor, they often need to see displays for ideas, color selection and style choices. One of the biggest changes we?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?ve made to hardscapes is how we display retaining walls.?EUR??,,????'?????<? Santos said SRW product demos are built so contractors can send their customers to see new ideas like seating walls and columns that hold light fixtures and mailboxes.
Santos also said a best seller for the 2008 season was a product called the arazzo retaining wall system, a concrete block that features face styles that emulate natural stone. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?The product works on so many levels,?EUR??,,????'?????<? Santos said. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?First, the face is very natural looking and it?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s enhanced by warm earthtone colors. Second, the displays sell the walls. Homeowners come in and say ?EUR??,,????'?????<?that?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s what I?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?ve been looking for.?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?
It was a reaction to the J&J Materials display by Tina and Bob Sylvia, homeowners from Bristol, R.I., that convinced the couple to purchase a different retaining wall system than planned. The Sylvia?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s visited J&J expecting to buy natural stone to edge flower beds. But they looked at the arazzo display and changed their mind. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?The display wall was exactly what we were looking for,?EUR??,,????'?????<? explained Tina. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?The blocks are very natural and the colors are a perfect match for our house.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
Like the Sylvias, homeowners are having considerable influence in choosing the color and style of their hardscape products; a trend contractors must take into account. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Choosing the color and style of the retaining wall is a top priority for the homeowner,?EUR??,,????'?????<? said Tim Huinker, an 18-year landscape designer and contractor who now works as a construction specialist with Anchor Wall Systems. He not only advises contractors on installation, but also provides training on how to effectively communicate with homeowners.
?EUR??,,????'?????<?Our strength as contractors is installing, but not always communicating,?EUR??,,????'?????<? said the designer/contractor. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Appearance and color are the most important factors to homeowners. For years I presented product benefits, but when I discovered that homeowners want to hear about human benefits, which is how the wall adds to the outdoor space, my relationship and sales success really improved.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
Tim Huinker?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s selling advice is to start with the end in mind. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Ask the homeowner how they intend to use the space,?EUR??,,????'?????<? said Huinker who notes that women influence 75% of home decisions and enjoy the rapport building that comes with discussing the project. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?As you listen to customers describe how the project will look when it?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s completed, start offering suggestions like a color choice, or adding an accessory like a seating wall.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
This approach has served Hal Bridgers, a Southport, N.C. contractor of 18 years well. Bridger?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s company specializes in total landscape design and construction. He believes that people wanting to improve their outdoor space isn?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?t a temporary trend and should not only weather a down economy but even grow.
Bridgers offers fellow hardscape contractors insight into why selling fashionable walls is smart business. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Don?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?t ever show the customer a gray block,?EUR??,,????'?????<? the contractor states confidently and notes that he only offers a three-piece system in blended colors, Anchor?EUR??,,????'?????????????? Highland Stone???????(R)????, by Pavestone Company. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?By showing an 8-inch tall block in grey, you are competing with the masses and you don?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?t want to do that. Show a wall with lots of color and in pieces that will help the wall mimic natural stone and you and your company will look better.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
?EUR??,,????'?????<?Sell your best assets and that?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s your craftsmanship, creativity and ability to solve landscaping problems. Even in today?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s economy, there are savvy customers buying and you can position yourself to win.?EUR??,,????'?????<? ?EUR??,,????'?????<??oeTim Huinker, Anchor Wall Systems
?EUR??,,????'?????<?I think that homeowners are shopping around more,?EUR??,,????'?????<? says Bridgers. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?But it?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s not just for the lowest price. Sometimes it?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s for the best solution. A contractor who can deliver a hardscape project the customer loves at a fair price will succeed in this economy.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
The 18-year industry vet fondly recalls the sales visit he made to Leon Hicks, the owner of a new Southport home. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Leon told me he needed steps leading to the front door,?EUR??,,????'?????<? he said. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?There was a significant elevation change and I knew he needed more than stairs. I showed him a Highland Stone wall I installed a mile away and he loved the color and the overall look of the wall. I suggested that we terrace the wall to soften the height. Fifteen minutes later the job was sold and when the job was completed, Leon was speechless.?EUR??,,????'?????<? Speechless, but satisfied, Bridgers later installed a retaining wall for Leon?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s next-door neighbor.
2009 promises to be a more challenging year for the hardscape contractor. But listening to the seasoned, experienced voices of the industry can lead to profitability surviving the downturn and building a foundation for continued growth. ?EUR??,,????'?????<?Sell your best assets,?EUR??,,????'?????<? says Huinker, ?EUR??,,????'?????<?And that?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s your craftsmanship, creativity and ability to solve landscaping problems. Even in today?EUR??,,????'?????<???EUR?s economy, there are savvy customers buying and you can position yourself to win.?EUR??,,????'?????<?
Francisco Uviña, University of New Mexico
Hardscape Oasis in Litchfield Park
Ash Nochian, Ph.D. Landscape Architect
November 12th, 2025
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