Javier, you are the President and Founder of Tucson Stucco, tell us a bit about what you do.
Tucson Stucco is a local stucco company. We specialize in large commercial construction and we also have a large tract division.
I heard there is a difference between applicating stucco and wall systems. And Tucson Stucco is into wall systems. Can you explain the difference?
A wall system has been tested by the manufacturing company and comes with a system guarantee. This is different from an application that is often considered a traditional stucco that has not been tested, which does not carry a long warranty. At times we read the plans and specifications and will make suggestions to the architect that will meet the architect’s intent and be a full warrantied wall system.
Does that make a difference for the client?
The biggest difference is the warranty. The client will get a longer warranty when you’re installing systems vs. an application.
I see. I saw that you had several certifications?
Yes, we’re certified with STO; we’re also certified with Total Wall and with Western One Kote.
Does that cover the entire field of wall systems?
Not necessarily. Different manufacturing companies have different wall systems and different standards applied to creating the wall system.
You specialize in large construction projects. Can you tell us more about that?
Large commercial construction is a little bit more complex. There’s more moving parts to it. This is where we tend to thrive; that’s the systems that we’ve created, the safety that we’ve created, the organization, the culture of our company.
You work with many local clients, who are they?
Our local clients would be W.E. O’Neil, Adolfson & Peterson, Mattamy Homes, DR Horton Homes, Seabold Construction, Tofel Dent, Lloyd Construction, Richmond American Homes, all the usual suspects (laughs).
I heard that you got an award, a special award for 2018. What is it?
In 2018 we received an award from SBDC (Small Business Development Center). It was an award for being one of the fastest growing companies in Arizona. It was really a reflection of our clients and our employees… The trust our clients had given us and the hard work our employees are actually doing.
I see. I also heard that you use E-Verify, which is not necessarily a practice in the business, so tell me about that.
We’re big fans of developing people here in the US. We like to pick people, introduce them into the stucco market, into the construction market, train them… because we want to make sure that everyone working for us is legal US citizen and we’re helping our local community.
Got it. Is safety one of your preoccupations, values?
We know that safety is a priority for our General Contractors, it’s also a priority for us. We’re one of the higher risk subs that are out there, we’re on scaffolding, there’s a lot of movement going on around scaffolding, so for us we actually have warm-ups that we do in the morning, we make sure the guys have their proper PPE and are ready to work in a safe environment.
I see. You bring extra value to your clients because you are a native Tucsonan. Tell us about that.
Yeah, I’m a native Tucsonan. We’ve been here for 4 generations now. We love this town, and we’re excited to see the growth that’s going on. So one of our biggest factors when we’re building something is that we want to be here for a long time. We are proud of the work that we do. We want to give the client the best wall system that’s out there, and also add value for our general contractors.
Anna & Javier Contreras, Owners
