About Us
The Decorative Concrete Institute provides consulting, education, installation and training to marketplaces across the United States and Internationally. DCI places its focus on Architects, Artists, Concrete Finishers, Faux Finishers, General Contractors, Interior Designers, Ready Mix Producers, etc. to bring them knowledge and offer advice on the demands of Interior and Exterior Architectural Design.
DCI has worked with and continues to work with a diverse range of industry professionals catering to the individual needs of each project focusing on products and designs that are conducive to the particular environment they are working in. DCI consults with on-the-job applications and installations and provides the technical expertise to complete jobs successfully.
Hands-on Workshops
DCI offers different levels of workshops and training to accommodate each student’s needs, from the beginner to the advanced installer.
Consulting
DCI consults with on-the-job applications and installations and provides the technical expertise to complete jobs successfully.
Education
Proper surface and floor preparation, faux finishes, design layout, decorative scorecutting, and staining techniques are among the curriculum offered by DCI.
Books and DVDs
DCI offers a series of books and dvds specializing in stained concrete, polished concrete, overlays & toppings, concrete floors, stamped concrete and more!
Exclusive DCI developed products
From skim coats to water and solvent-based dyes, DCI offers only the highest quality products for your project.
Installation
With several million square feet of decorative concrete installed to date, rest assured there is no job we can’t handle.
Clients and industry partners
Delivering innovative design and workmanship is our top priority
DCI President and Founder
Bob Harris
Bob Harris is a Partner and Senior Director of Decorative Concrete Consulting for the SSI Team. Known worldwide in the Decorative Concrete Industry, Bob’s expertise has taken him many places to share his ideas and educate others in the field of architectural concrete. He has been presenting at the World of Concrete for going on 20 years as well as the World of Concrete in Mexico City for four years, was the Master of Ceremonies at the Con/Expo Con/Agg demo in Las Vegas in March of 2002, participated in various speaking engagements for the Decorative Concrete Council and has conducted training sessions in Canada, the Caribbean, China, Germany, England, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Spain to name a few.
Bob is the author of several books that have sold over 50,000 copies worldwide, including his Guide series for Stained Interior Concrete Floors; Stamped Concrete; Concrete Overlays and Toppings; and Polished Concrete Floors. In addition to his own collection of DVD’s, Bob has produced instructional videos for organizations such as the Portland Cement Association, AGC-Laborers and the Concrete Network, Concrete Décor and Concrete Construction Magazines.
Bob is a third-generation concrete finisher and served as recent President of the Decorative Concrete Institute. Bob was affiliated with a large manufacturer of decorative concrete products for nearly a decade, the last part of which he served as the Director or Product Training, traveling the world sharing his job site experiences with students in addition to being an essential part of technical support and research and development. For many years as an active member of leading industry associations, such as ACI, ASCC and DCC, he contributed to the training and advancement of decorative concrete.
Bob also worked as Senior Superintendent for six years exclusively in Disney theme parks, doing decorative “themed” concrete work with integral color, dry-shake color hardeners and chemical stains. Bob personally placed and/or supervised the placement of over three million square feet of decorative concrete, including work for some of the major Disney theme parks in Orlando, Florida.
Bob Harris was among the first to be inducted into the Decorative Concrete Hall of Fame in 2010, in recognition of his achievements, commitment to excellence and innovations that have helped the Decorative Concrete Industry grow.
Managing Director / Owner
Lee Ann Harris
Lee Ann Harris is the Managing Director / Co-Owner for Decorative Concrete Institute, Inc. established in 2001. Prior to this she worked for a leading Decorative Concrete Manufacturer for 4 years as Secretary to the Vice President of Sales and an additional 4 years as Secretary for the Training, Research &Development and Sample Department at L. M. Scofield Company.
Shortly after Decorative Concrete Institute was established, Bob and Lee Ann installed many decorative concrete applications Worldwide. The installations included Stamped Concrete, Microtopped Floors, Intricate Stained Designed patterns, Concrete Countertops, Walls, Stencils and Polished Concrete. Many of the applications and techniques had never been attempted and were developed early on.
During the early years, Lee Ann and DCI started the Distribution of Decorative Concrete Products servicing ,all the above-mentioned applications. She quickly developed a network of local contractors while at the same time obtaining an International presence shipping products worldwide. As a result, Bob and Lee Ann were invited to teach courses as well as work on projects in countries like: Canada, England, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, France, China as well as many islands in the Caribbean. As a result, many Friendships were developed in these countries that still continue today with Training classes within their respective country.
A few of the Friendships developed during this period with Luca Seminati, Maurizio Pontello and John Anderson of Idealwork lead us on a journey to create an innovative stamped concrete tool line unlike any of its kind. The name was derived from a famous Italian Architect named Andrea Palladio which was the inspiration for our new line of stamping tools called “Paladiano, Wonders of the World” by Bob Harris”. The five of us traveled to many Historical sites including Athens, Greece; The Island of Cyprus; Paris, France; Yorkshire, England; collecting textures from authentic stones in these regions and once we obtained these textures we were able to use them creating the most realistic patterns of its time.
Lee Ann was instrumental in the Bob Harris Guide Collection with over 75,000 books and DVD’s being sold worldwide. She also helped to produce numerous videos for Concrete Network and other trade affiliations that were posted to Social Media Sites with millions of viewers.
During Lee Ann’s management of Decorative Concrete Institute, she has had a huge impact in many of the lives of her students on a personal and professional level and has been instrumental in training virtually tens of thousands of students worldwide. Her passion for this industry has afforded her many lifelong relationships that she cherishes.
Lee Ann’s newest venture includes becoming an acting Board Member of the Women’s Association of Concrete Professionals with five other Industry Leading Professional women consisting of Sarah Bryan w/Slurry Monster, Crystal Ploszay w/Unicorn Epoxy, Rachel Bruce of FLOORmaps, Inc., Carla Nickodemus w/Boride Engineered Abrasives and Rebecca Fuscardo w/Fuscardo Concrete/The Art Works. The collaboration of these six Industry Women want to provide mentoring, resources, training, support and camaraderie to other women and most importantly to build confidence and empower future women of the industry.
Lee Ann continues to live by their motto “Training, Love and Passion” for the Industry.