That technology, which began at the turn of the century with wooden molds in Edward´s basement, has come a long way.

It now includes 4 modern plants, 3 state-of-the-art finishing facilities and, of course, the Internet.

Currently, Mark works alongside J.C. Henry III, President and CEO of E.P. Henry, making sure that the company will remain successful and profitable as they enter their second century in business.

Although Mark had no previous experience with concrete, he has had little trouble parlaying his experience in the catalog business and his extensive marketing background into a successful venture in this industry. He and J.C. have focused extensively on applying a common marketing strategy to a product— branding-- and an industry—concrete-- that is not known for being brand-oriented.

"What we´ve been able to do is create terrific brand awareness for a commodity product. We´ve taken a piece of concrete and made it a consumer product in much the same way that Starbucks has taken a cup of coffee and branded it."

Mark says that the Internet has been integral to the success of their innovative marketing plan.

"At that point, the Internet was still relatively new, but we saw it as something we needed to do to continue the branding."

Many businesses, particularly small and family-owned operations, are skeptical about testing the waters of new technology. They often feel that it´s best to leave well enough alone. With that in mind, we asked Mark if J.C. was enthusiastic to pursue an Internet presence for the company.

"Yes. He´s a terrific visionary. He saw it as another prong of our marketing program. We produce a full color catalog, which none of our competitors do, We´re a featured exhibitor at the Philadelphia Flower Show. We spend time training contractors. We look outside our industry at other consumer products companies as models, because to look within our industry would slow us down."

Mark feels, unfortunately, that theirs is not a forward-thinking industry. While the Internet has allowed E.P Henry to go forward, it hasn´t become a standard tool for concrete and hardscaping businesses, allowing E.P. Henry to dominate the web in their niche.

"Most concrete products producers are just selling chunks of concrete, and that´s how we´ve managed to separate ourselves from the pack and really catapult ourselves beyond everyone else."

"There are some people that have nice web sites, there are some people that have nice catalogs, but no one has the complete program that we have, and the progressive outlook that we have."

We asked him what he felt was holding his competitors back. The answer was simple and direct.

"Vision. They just lack the vision. They´re selling a piece of concrete, and we´re selling a consumer product and there´s a huge difference."

Mark and J.C. opted to outsource their website using the services of Netreach. Although the site contains some areas that can be updated in-house, they felt that the high-end technology they wanted to incorporate would be best managed by a dedicated web development team outside the company.

Continuing to integrate new technologies into the site is an ongoing challenge, and the when their 3rd iteration launches this year, it will contain some truly innovative programming.

"One of the things we´re developing is a software program that allows Mr. And Mrs. Homeowner to look at their patio before they buy it by taking a digital picture of their house, defining the area where they´re going to have their patio, and actually placing in different colors, patterns and textures that will let them see how it will look with their house."

But advanced features can present yet another obstacle: accessibility. Technology often moves far more quickly than the consumers it seeks to reach. It becomes necessary to wait for the masses to catch up to the technology.

Heavy graphics programs take a lot of memory, and Mark is aware that their new software may be difficult for users who are not on a broadband connection. But he isn´t going to wait for broadband usage to climb before releasing their new tool. He feels that the web site will whet the users´ appetite, and if they are interested, can request a cd-rom of the program be sent to them.

To further educate consumers, they´ve implemented an online guide to finding and selecting a contractor. But while some features of their site target the end users of their products, they remain primarily a manufacturer, selling their products through authorized retail dealers, and over 80% of their inventory requires professional installation by contractors.

To that end, they´ve created a Dealer Locator on the site to lead potential customers to a point of sale for their product.

"What we´re doing is pull-through marketing. We´re getting the consumer all hot and bothered, and then chasing them to our dealers."

We asked Mark what the biggest benefit of the Internet is for companies like E.P. Henry in the future—and what benefit it holds for the customer.

"It simplifies the whole shopping experience. We have less and less time, and when people want information, they want it now. They don´t have to go anyplace, they can find exactly what they want in a matter of seconds."

"The Internet ties our marketing program together. It allows me to stay more current. Once we print a catalog, the moment we print it, it´s out of date. Yet our website is dynamic. If we introduce a product in the course of the year, I can put it on the website."

Just as important as convenience is company image: "It gives you a lot of credibility, and you can also look a lot bigger than you are."

To drive this point home, he shares with us an anecdote from his earlier days in the catalog business.

"I had a client that made chalkboards and blackboards. When you walked into their office, it was something straight out of the 1950´s, and this was in the 1980´s. They had a big, impressive catalog that they spent thousands and thousands of dollars on, and I asked them why they did [the catalog]. He said, `Nobody sees my company or my offices. The catalog is what they see, and they think they´re dealing with a much bigger and more sophisticated operation based on what they see in this catalog.´ And it´s true!"

"If you´ve got a rinky-dink website, you´re going to look rinky-dink. If you put forth a little money and put forth a good effort, you can look and act a lot bigger than you really are."

Customer satisfaction, however, can ultimately determine the success of any business. And when it comes to customer satisfaction, Mark reminds us that it´s not always necessary to compete on price to come out on top- Any company can increase their success when they compete on service.

"We´re certainly not the cheapest guy out there, and it´s our corporate credo that if you don´t have the cheapest price, you better have the best service."

"If people like you, they find a reason to do business with you. And if they don´t, they´ll find a reason not to do business with you."