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 As we at Cohills approach our twenty fifth year of
living in the “Valley of the Sun,” we would like to reflect on how
important this business has become to our family and our employees.
In 1983, Mike & Karen Cohill purchased Building Specialties, a then
existing 33 year old business, from Mr. Bill Morris. At that time, the
primary products that were being sold by Building Specialties was integral
color, color hardener and water-proofing products. Although Cohills has
expanded our product line quite extensively over the past 24 years, our
primary specialty is still decorative concrete products.
Through good customer relations, excellent purchasing strategy, and by
selling only the highest quality materials have we become so successful.
At present, Cohills sells over two million pounds of color a year. We
would like to think that through our efforts, Arizona has become color
“savvy” and that “We Color Your World.”
Several years ago, we realized that in order to sell color, the contractor
needed to know how and what to do with it. By giving bi-weekly
demonstrations on the different techniques of stamped concrete, acid stain
concrete, overlay systems and epoxy systems, we have been able to help our
customers with future sales. With this knowledge, the concrete contractor
has a variety of options to offer their customers. Cohills has always made
our own concrete sample chips using local cements which gives a more
accurate result of what the finished product will look like. Color chips,
color cards and small amounts of pigment for sample pours are provided to
our customers at no additional charge.
When it comes to expert advice on colored concrete, you’re getting it from
the best! With over twenty-five years of knowledge and experience, Mike
Cohill, President & CEO, is available to answer all of your questions.
Eight years ago the construction boom warranted us to hire an outside
salesman, Brett LaFevers. Brett’s friendly, outgoing nature has been
instrumental in increasing our customer base as well as setting up
Distributors throughout Arizona and the Southwest. Gabriel Quihuis started
with Cohills in 1996 as a warehouse employee, and we’re proud to have had
him on the sales staff for the past nine years. Gabe is bilingual and
helps converse with our Spanish-speaking customers. Another huge asset is
Tim Cohill, Vice President, as part of the sales staff and purchasing he
has the insight as to how Cohills can further assist our customers and
increase product knowledge and awareness. Jim Fitzpatrick is also part of
our sales and purchasing staff; his twenty-five years of knowledge with
products related to the concrete industry, is a huge asset. Jose Rodriguez
has extensive knowledge and hands on experience with all Decorative
Concrete Products. He is also bilingual and very helpful with our
Spanish-speaking customers. In November of 2005, we opened the doors to
Cohills East in Apache Junction. Cole LaFevers, manager of Cohills East,
has extensive product knowledge and hands on training, which are very
helpful to our customers. He also does the product demonstrations at our
training facility, which is located one block east of our main
headquarters. Adam Conrad joined the company in 2005 and has been Coles right hand man with counter sales and warehouse assistance and has been a valuable asset.
Our Staff
Our office staff consists of Karen Cohill, Shelley
Cohill-LaFevers, Jennifer Cohill, Linda Evans, Jen Micatrotto, Marcella
Tempero and Peggy Evans. Karen Cohill, part owner, is the Corporate
Secretary & CFO for the company. She has worked in every aspect of the
business for the last twenty-four years. Shelley Cohill-LaFevers is the
Corporate Treasurer and Office Manager overseeing the accounting
department. She has worked for Cohills since 1986 and has complete product
knowledge, allowing her job to overflow into the sales department whenever
necessary. Jennifer Cohill has been with us since 1995 and has proved to
be indispensable. She assists Shelley in every capacity necessary to
efficiently manage the office. Jennifer also has extensive product
knowledge and can extend a hand in the sales office whenever she is
needed. Linda is our “Gal Friday” who no one can do without. She started
working for us part time, during the summer of 1999, and we haven’t let
her go since. Jen Micatrotto joined Cohills in 2003. She works on all of
Cohills advertising, product brochures and binders. She expertly deals
with all aspects of customer relations. She has been an asset to the sales
staff by acquiring extensive knowledge of the Cohills product line.
Marcella Tempero joined our office staff in 2005 in the accounting
department to help with our growing company and lends a very useful hand
wherever she is needed. Peggy Evans joined Cohills East the day we opened.
She is office manager and lends a hand to the sales staff when needed.
Looking ahead to the future is difficult at times when you’re so busy in
the moment, but for us the future seems bright. We feel that if we can
keep doing what we’ve been doing with a positive attitude, the business
will continue to grow. It always has been and always will be our primary
goal… the customers come first and whatever it takes to make the customers
happy, we’ll do it. We know our customers can go anywhere and get concrete
products, maybe cheaper, maybe not. Our hope and goal is that you will
continue to come to Cohills because we offer the BEST service that money
can buy.
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