Stucco Depot “Makes It Happen”
The Right Products, The Right Service Make A Difference
Dave Bowlby is a classic entrepreneur with a keen sense of opportunity and a firm belief in doing what’s right. His company, Stucco Depot, offers tools, safety equipment, scaffolding, stone, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), finishes and technical support services from its showroom and store in Wallingford, Connecticut.
For most of his life, Dave has been in construction, first as a laborer and then as a bricklayer. During high school, he worked weekends and summers for his uncle at Markim Construction in Hampton, New Jersey. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army and then returned to his uncle’s company as a laborer. From there he entered trade school and worked as an apprentice bricklayer.In 1981, he started his first business, Dave Bowlby Mason Contractor, Inc., in New Jersey.
In 1993, Dave started another company in New Jersey called Concepts 90s, which became his first EIFS distribution business serving eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City.
In 2000, he sold that business to move to Connecticut where he accepted a CEO position at a scaffolding company that served New York and Connecticut. In 2004, his entrepreneurial spirit took hold again, and he started Preferred Fastener. “I started selling fasteners from my car in off hours at the scaffolding company using what I knew from Concepts 90s,” he says. “As the business grew, I bought a tag-along trailer and began to add more products. As things got busier, I started renting storage space for my expanding product line.”
Opening the Depot
He saw more opportunity by broadening his product offering, and in 2014, he closed Preferred Fastener to open Stucco Depot. He now stocks 3,700 items in his 6,000-square-foot facility that includes a CNC cutting area, a material-tinting room and a conference room for plan reviews and private meetings.
“We represent Parex, the third-largest manufacturer of EIFS in the world,” Dave says. “Our whole approach is based on providing excellent service. I worked as a contractor, so I know how important it is to have materials to the job on time. That remains our focus—getting the material out the door when and where it’s needed. We ship next-day anywhere in New England, and we can sell pretty much anywhere in the United States because we have great deals with shipping companies.”
Building business for Parex in the United States has been a rewarding challenge. “Parex is sold in 22 countries and is a high-quality product that we’re proud to represent,” Dave says. “The EIFS competition—Dryvit and Sto—have been in the business a long time. Parex did not have a footprint here, so we had to battle for what we got.”
Dave says that convincing general contractors to buy in is essential. “Our buyers are primarily EIFS application companies that are trained and certified by us to install Parex. The products are phenomenal and the warranties are good, so once we get them to try the product it’s a no-brainer,” he says.
Blending Tradition and Innovation
Stucco Depot also offers a host of traditional stucco products, including LaHabra, the original California stucco created in 1926 and representing the three largest stone manufacturers in the United States. It also offers a unique service to replicate moldings, cornices and trim-out of foam.
Dave says that Stucco Depot is the only company in Connecticut that cuts moldings and cornices out of foam for restoration and new construction. “If a customer brings us a piece, we will duplicate it out of foam or concrete if they prefer,” he says. “Cornices on top of old buildings are traditionally made of heavy concrete. We can replicate them out of foam, usually within 24 hours. Visually, you can’t tell the difference between the foam and concrete versions. The density of the foam is good; it cuts well and is durable. Our fast turnaround on these foam shapes is a big advantage in today’s market.”
His focus on service also includes being sensitive to language challenges for some customers with limited English skills. “They are good at what they do but have a language barrier, so we help them with English and are willing to go to a job with them, read blueprints or help them with proposals if needed,” Dave says.
Dave enjoys working with customers, training them on products and helping their businesses grow. “Since I’m a plasterer by trade, I understand how the products work and can show them some tips,” he says. “Or if someone needs design or architectural assistance, we will help with that.”
He has maneuvered through the peaks and valleys of business with good management and an eye for opportunity. “Only two of us, Duane Woodard and myself, work at the company full time, and we get extra help when we need it,” Dave says. His wife, Marie, helps with some of the administrative work, and he uses an outside CPA for corporate financial needs. He might add some full-time retail staff as the business continues to expand.
Ever the entrepreneur, Dave recently acted on another business opportunity: rentals of boom lifts and forklifts. He formed Connecticut Lift Rentals and works with a Rhode Island company for the equipment. “It’s a $39 billion-a-year industry, and is estimated to grow to $89 billion by the year 2025. Lifts are taking over where scaffolding has previously been used,” he adds. Connecticut Lift Rentals is legally a separate entity from Stucco Depot. “We already have a customer base in place through Stucco Depot, so it makes sense to introduce this lift rental business to customers already renting them elsewhere.”
Consistently Serving Others
Throughout his business transitions, Dave has been steadfast on his goal to give back to those in need. As an ordained minister, he has always had a desire to help others. He is ordained by The Missionary Church International and is the Director of Feed Them Ministries. He also has made many medical missions and building trips to Haiti, where he has supported 13 schools since 1993.
“I started selling fasteners to raise money for mission trips to Haiti when I was working for the scaffolding company,” Dave recalls. “After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, I was there as part of a medical team within eight days of the quake. That experience was worth more to me than anything else because of the kids we were able to help.” Dave returned in April of that year with supplies to build temporary shelters and classrooms.
Stucco Depot helps to fund trips to Haiti and makes financial donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Special Olympics, Wounded Warrior Project and other organizations.
Achieving Peace of Mind
For Dave, his satisfaction in life is not defined by material gain. “I decided that I don’t want to be wealthy and am happy with that decision. My relationships with God, my wife and family are more important,” he says.
At Stucco Depot, he bases his business model on honesty, fairness and opportunity for others. “I’m always straight with people. Everyone who walks through this door gets the same pricing and is treated equally well. That’s our business model. We have customers who work really hard, and we want to help them be successful. That’s why our slogan says, ‘We Make It Happen.’ Stucco Depot is a blessing that gives me the ability to do different things with and for people.”