Meet Matthew Teer and David Penne of Freedom concrete design in West valley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Teer and David Penne.

Matthew and David, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We started out with no intentions to create a business. It all started in 2015 when my wife and I wanted a concrete table for our backyard. DIY projects around our home are very common, so figuring that this would be one more thing we could tackle.

On the weekend we were going to cast our table my wife suggested I make a few small samples. I took her advice, and after a few samples, I come to the realization that this wasn’t going to be the average DIY project. I began researching processes, techniques, products, and tools, as well as going out of state for training.

Nowadays, FCD is ran by myself and my childhood friend David, as a family business. It has become a regular experience to see our children helping in the shop with our excess supplies using their imagination to create beautiful artwork (just like our Dads!)!

We continue to push our limits regarding size, techniques, and staying up to date with new products on the market, constantly pushing the limits of what we can create.

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?
If the road was a smooth as our final product, we would be some stay at home Dads! We’ve had lots of lesson learned, from contracts to bidding jobs and scheduling.

By far the biggest hurdle we came to find out, is sealing. Sealing concrete has been the Achilles heel in this industry. Although sealers have improved and the way they applied is very critical to sealing.

Our sealing process is not by any means bulletproof, but it is defiantly top of the line when it comes to abrasion and stain resistance. We continue to explore and test new options for sealers by constantly making changes to help improve our product.

We are constantly performing in house testing to make sure we are providing the best product we possibly can.

Please tell us about Freedom concrete design.
We love Concrete! It’s an amazing material, from sculpting to designing and creating new ways of using it around your home or office. As a concrete countertop company offering all types of concrete work like counters, bathroom vanities, BBQ islands, fire pits, table, flower pots, and tile just about anything we can put our project hats on with!

We are always looking for new and exciting ways to push the envelope and the limits of concrete as a medium. There are a few signature styles that we have spent years developing. We have a detailed two-tone style that we love creating into a beautiful masterpiece.

We are currently working on a line of woodcrete (concrete that looks and feels like wood) fire pits and table production line. This industry is constantly evolving and what styles are popular today won’t be the same next year, along with new products and techniques as functional art.

How would you describe the type of kid you were growing up?
Growing up, we were typical skateboarding kids from Phoenix. David and I were always at the local skate park and just being typical kids. I chose the military route after high school while David chooses the work route.

After I was done serving in the Army, I returned to Phoenix where David helped get me a job as an FAA engineering technician (aerospace). Our families spend a lot of time together teaching our little ones that with some hard work and imagination you can do what makes you truly happy in life by doing what you love.

For us, that’s about it, creating beautiful work and inspiring our little ones to use their hearts to make them happy!

Thank you for your time and reading our Q&A and if you like to find out more about us. Please feel free to reach out. We genuinely wish you the best!

Contact Info:

• Website: Freedomconcretedesign.com
• Phone: 6025139921 / 6232019959
• Email: freedomconcrtedesign@gmail.com
• Instagram: Instgram.com/freedomconcretedesign
• Facebook: Facebook.com/freedomconcretedesign

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.