Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Ramirez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Back in my home town of Edinburg, TX In 1998, my friends and I were looking for part time jobs to save up money for spring break. Turned out, our friend Nick’s brother Eli had a parking lot maintenance company and he needed help. So we learned the basics in parking lot striping, sealcoating, pressure washing and minor paving in the short period of time that we worked with him. Fast forward to 2003, I moved to Austin and was looking for a way to work for myself since I tended to lose interest in most jobs I had very quickly. I remembered my friend’s brother Eli and thought, “If he can do it, I can do it.” So I called him up and asked whether that type of business could replace my income and whether he thought I could start a company like that in Austin. He quickly told me that he had all the confidence in me to start a company like his and that how much money I made or didn’t make was up to me. So said a prayer and started striping parking lots with an $800 van and a VERY used striping machine. Over time I made my share of mistakes but was able to learn from them quickly and always made it right for the customer. After a few years, my wife and I decided to move to Houston. So I packed up all my equipment and started from scratch in an entirely new city. It took only a year to get back to where I was before and have since doubled in sales and have added many new services since the start of my small striping business. Now we have a staff of about 13 people, a small fleet of trucks and equipment and a continued commitment to making sure our customers get the best service.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting off, I couldn’t understand why so many other contractors in my line of work were so bitter and grumpy all the time. When I heard them speaking with their customers, they always seemed to be suspicious of new customers and mostly wanted to work with customers that they’ve worked with before. I was happy to take customers off of their hands that they were willing to pass my way. I then realized that not all customers pay their bills on time or at all. Shocking when you’re new and naive to the construction industry. We’ve taken some small and some not so small losses from customers that, for one reason or another did not pay. When you’re a contractor who purchases all the materials yourself and pays the crew that performs the work yourself, not getting paid is a big kick in the teeth. Essentially, no one is out any money, time and effort except you. Everyone else involved in the transaction is basically just “sorry” and moves on with their lives.
Please tell us about Ace Parking Lot Maintenance.
Our company started off offering parking lot striping and have since added parking lot and exterior building pressure washing, asphalt sealcoating, joint caulking and minor pavement repairs. We specialize in parking lot striping as this is what we started with but have crews made up of guys that each specialize in one or the other type of service. As a company, I would say we are most proud of our ability to meet customer deadlines. We have often saved GCs from situations where they forgot to hire someone to do what we do or they company that they hired backed out or were too busy to schedule the work. It feels good to know that we could put a customer’s concerns at ease. And our crews aim to please on every project. It’s almost the guys are in competition with one another.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory is playing hide and go seek with my mom and brothers. I still remember one night, my eldest brother hid in the dryer and I though he was so clever because of it.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1734 Skinner Rd
Houston, TX 77093 - Website: aceparkinglotmaintenance.com
- Phone: 832 305-7275
- Email: admin@aceparkinglotmaintenance.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aceparkinglotmaintenance/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AcePLMHouston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ace-parking-lot-maintenance-houston
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