This summer, Ewing and Techo-Bloc teamed up to bring hands-on hardscape education directly to contractors through a nine-stop roadshow at Ewing locations.

As Ewing’s Territory Hardscape Category Sales Manager, I was proud to be part of the team supporting the roadshow, with a shared goal of giving contractors opportunities to learn from industry experts, get hands-on with new tools and techniques, and discover ways to grow their businesses.

Leading the training was Paver Pete, an industry educator and hardscape expert with decades of experience training and coaching contractors. His approach focused on more than simply demonstrating techniques. He wanted contractors to get involved and experience the process for themselves.

The roadshow brought together contractors, 11 vendors and industry experts for a combination of classroom education, product demonstrations and hands-on training.

Hands-On, Not Eyes-On

One of the biggest focuses of the roadshow was making sure contractors were involved in the training. We didn’t want them to simply stand around and watch someone else build something. We wanted them to participate.

Paver Pete summed it up perfectly: “What’s most valuable is that it was hands-on, not eyes-on.”

Contractors had the opportunity to run saws, use HEPA vacuums, work with lifting equipment, set blocks and help build fire and water features. They could see the process step by step while also learning how a foreman and crew can work together more efficiently.

By actually doing the work, contractors could see that some of these projects may be more approachable than they initially thought.

“By doing them, there’s an epiphany. There’s an eye-opening, ‘Wow, this isn’t so tough,’” Paver Pete said.

The hands-on portion also gave contractors a chance to see how specialty tools and equipment can make a difference on the jobsite. Dust-control technology, HEPA vacuums, cutting equipment and mechanical and vacuum lifting devices were all part of the conversation. These solutions can help crews handle heavy materials, reduce physical strain and maintain cleaner jobsites.

Another highlight was the clean-and-protect training. There can be a misconception that cleaning and protecting a hardscape requires multiple visits, but Paver Pete demonstrated how contractors can turn it into a same-day opportunity to provide additional value to customers and grow their business.

The 11 participating vendors played an important role in that education, bringing relevant tools and products that complemented Paver Pete’s training. Techo-Bloc, Pave Tool, SEK Surebond, In-Lite, Weber MT, IQ Power Tools, Aquascape, NDS, Hide Skimmer Covers, Warming Trends and Alpha Tools gave contractors the opportunity to ask questions, explore new solutions and see the products in action.

Creating New Opportunities

The roadshow was also about helping contractors find new ways to grow their businesses.

We demonstrated fire features, water features, and elevated planting areas that contractors can incorporate into outdoor living projects. Paver Pete refers to these as “upserve” opportunities, which are ways to enhance a customer’s outdoor space while creating additional revenue opportunities for the contractor.

We also spent time talking about the business side of hardscaping, including job costing. This was one of the classes that really seemed to resonate with contractors because it helped identify where businesses could lose money without realizing it.

It was informative and revealing, showing the true profit leaks a company can experience every day.

Paver Pete reinforced the importance of understanding the numbers behind every project.

“Watching contractors whose heart is in the right place fail because they don’t know their numbers is unacceptable,” he said. “You have to know your numbers on that specific job and make sure your margin is what you said it was at the end of the day, not what’s left over.”

The value of training comes from being able to put what you learn into practice. Job costing was a great example, giving contractors practical insights they could apply directly to how they price and manage their next project.

Seeing the Impact

After completing all nine stops, one of my biggest takeaways was seeing how engaged our customers were.

We saw contractors taking photos and videos of the demonstrations, asking questions and talking about how they could take what they learned back to their businesses. Several contractors even shared that they planned to add the water and fire features they saw demonstrated to their own offerings.

Seeing customers document the demonstrations showed me how much they want to learn and invest in growth for themselves and their companies.

Paver Pete had a similar takeaway, but from the other side of the roadshow. He was impressed by the effort Ewing teams put into making the events happen.

“My biggest takeaway probably is the desire of your staff at Ewing to help their clients,” he said. “You’re not willing to complacently sit back and expect someone else to do it.”

That is something I’m proud of.

From our corporate and regional teams to the branch employees who helped prepare the locations, coordinate vendors, and get everything ready for each event, there was a lot of work happening behind the scenes. Seeing contractors engaged, learning and thinking about how they could grow their businesses made it worthwhile.

The Techo-Bloc Summer Roadshow was ultimately about more than building hardscape features. It was about building knowledge, creating connections and giving contractors practical tools they can take back to the jobsite.

For us at Ewing, that’s what contractor education is all about.