Pro Concrete Countertops LLC Owner Dian Mullis got creative and bold with this countertop made to resemble flowing lava for a Hawaiian pizza restaurant.

Pro Concrete Countertops LLC Owner Dian Mullis is shown spraying concrete into a form. Dian and her boyfriend, Jeremiah Pierson, handle every aspect of projects, from design to creation to installation.

To anyone who looks at the custom countertops, vanities, bar tops, signs, fireplace surrounds and fire tables that Dian Mullis constructs from concrete, they are works of art. They feature colors, designs and even LED lighting unique to the project. But as a mathematician and engineer first, Dian is quick to point out that, above all, they are functional.

“I love being creative. I love that what I do is functional as well,” says Dian, the Owner of Pro Concrete Countertops LLC (Pro Concrete) of Albertville, Minnesota. “I’m not someone who buys art just to put it on my wall. I always like things that are functional and that you can make look good, and concrete does that. I’m more of an engineer than an artist.”

Dian has worked with concrete for six years and launched Pro Concrete in 2019. In February 2021, it became her full-time job.

DIY Project Inspires New Career

While she holds two bachelor’s degrees—in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics—and held related jobs in the automotive and energy industries, as well as for equipment manufacturers, she fell in love with construction after she built and general contracted her first house in 2003.

Dian’s daughter has special needs, so it always made sense for Dian to design and construct her own homes, which she did in 2009 and again in 2015.

It was in her third and current house that Dian decided to make her first concrete countertop. She had stained a concrete floor in her previous home and was intrigued by the possibilities it offered that granite could not.

She poured the concrete in place—which she says is a more old school or do-it-yourself (DIY) way of doing it than molding it beforehand like she does now. Then she stained it. She was nervous about whether she could get the countertop to match her custom cabinets.

“Acid stain is really interesting because there’s not a true way of predicting how it’s going to look and what it’s going to do. It’s very artistic and gets darker the longer it sits,” Dian says. She liked the finished product, despite it being different from what she envisioned.

“Everyone who sees it is like, ‘Oh that looks great!’ and they do look great; it just wasn’t what I was expecting,” she says.

That learning experience was the first step in what would ultimately become a career in concrete countertops.

“I was amazed that this material gave me so much creative liberty while making something with function,” Dian says. “And I always loved building things with my hands, but this made me realize that I wanted to build not just things, but a company, too.”

A Notable Client—and Project—Come Calling

At odds with her engineering career, Dian attended The Concrete Countertop Institute in 2019 to learn about glass fiber reinforced concrete. The product is lighter and stronger than regular concrete and so offers many creative possibilities. But it wasn’t until she made countertops for former Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph’s house in November 2020 that she decided to make plans for Pro Concrete to be her full-time endeavor.

Dian says Kyle’s contractor found her website after his interior designer specified concrete countertops for Kyle’s home. In one of her most notable projects to date, Dian created and installed a 12-foot bar with a custom back ledge, a large island and two countertops near Kyle’s golf simulator.

“The bar countertop matched the bar cabinets perfectly, and the rest of the countertops complemented the reclaimed lumber they sat on,” Dian remembers.

Making Artwork

After that project, Dian and her boyfriend, Jeremiah Pierson, who works in the business with her, leased a space to work from.

There, Dian creates templates, builds molds and pours the concrete. She and Jeremiah handle every step of the process from sales to installation.

Jeremiah’s background in trim carpentry and cabinet installation is helpful, and Dian says he is especially good at focusing on fine details when creating molds. He also gave her the inspiration to put LED lights in countertops and he handles the electronics.

The lighting is one aspect of Pro Concrete’s work that makes it stand out, along with bold colors and unique designs. It’s all part of Dian’s plan.

“With countertops, how often do you see something that’s really bright or wild or artistic? It seems like everyone gravitates to stone and marble,” she says. “But with concrete, I can make something that looks almost like a painting.

“I’m trying to change the industry, at least in the luxury market. I want to get away from the neutrals; I want to be bold.”

The Bolder the Better

Dian is eager to work with anyone who wants design that will stand out.

She recently completed bathroom vanities for a Hawaiian pizzeria. Dian hoped the owner would be up for a themed design like surfboards, but he wanted a simple gray.

“After that, the customer said they hadn’t picked out a countertop for the express area yet and that if I wanted, I could do something pretty bold there. He suggested we do something like lava, and I was like, ‘Heck yeah we can do that!’ “

Dian said the sample she created looked like lava and was very bold. The owner was unsure of whether to go through with the design—until his son suggested it would make for a great backdrop for Instagram photos. Dian recently installed the countertop featuring bright orange “flowing lava” and appreciates that she got to utilize her artistic abilities.

“It’s rare that customers are like, ‘Let’s do something really wild,’ “ she says. But she understands the hesitation, given that people will have these in their home or business for a long time.

“Interior designers are more willing to go bold in small spaces,” she says. For that reason, much of her most creative work is on bathroom vanities.

Dian says customers come to her from word-of-mouth and referrals or through her website. With concrete being an uncommon choice for countertops, she says most people learn about the concept through Pinterest or Houzz. Sometimes, they seek out concrete because they want “a nontraditional look that only concrete can satisfy.” People who discover the possibilities of concrete through online inspiration may be surprised to learn that it can provide the one-of-a-kind, artistic, abstract look they often desire.

“It’s still a misunderstood option for many people,” Dian says. “When people think of concrete, they think of a gray sidewalk; they don’t think of the bold colors and artistic choices that you can get with concrete.”

Changing the Game

While she works to bring functional art to people’s homes, Dian is looking to change the game in luxury countertops beyond the bold designs as well. She says that most firms in her industry only do custom work. However, she is planning to offer 10 limited-run slabs that customers can choose from in her showroom. She expects to change them out every four to six months.

The intention is twofold: A lot of her customers don’t know what they want until they see it. Slabs will allow them to see options and make decisions right away. They will also allow Dian to have creative control over what she designs. And if customers want something beyond the 10 designs offered, then they can discuss a custom project.

As Dian looks ahead to new products to make her business stand out even more in the countertop industry, she also envisions adding a managerial role to her plate when the business expands beyond her and Jeremiah.

Striving to be ‘Extremely Successful’

Her desire to build a business where employees are happy and supported is a motivator to keep growing Pro Concrete.

“I’ve been a manager for about 15 years, and I’ve definitely learned from my experience of being a boss and having bosses. As long as I can have a company that’s extremely successful, I can have a company where everyone who works for me is just as successful and fulfilled,” she says.

And Dian is confident that, with the combination of her skills, background, personality and trust in God, Pro Concrete will become the company she envisions.

She notes the numerous roles she fills at various times—including salesperson, website designer, artist, interior designer, mother, accountant, engineer and cook—have gotten her where she is so far.

She adds: “Most of all, I am strong, stubborn, persevering, persistent and innovative. I’m a driven dreamer who believes that all things can be accomplished by hard work and faith in God.”