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Bartley Corp. currently works with a track builder and a few custom home builders who are emphasizing energy efficiency and green certification in their homes. Bartley Corp. has two concrete homes and one concrete addition under its belt, with a couple more in the pipeline. Concrete homes are something they offered in the good economy, but Bartley sees even more opportunity opening up in the current economy because people are interested in saving money on energy.

Bartley Corp. uses two insulation systems in conjunction with its aluminum forms: Thermomass from Composite Technologies Corp. and ThermaEZE by CertainTeed. Bartley notes the company has won jobs with these systems that were originally specified for ICF construction.

The company has two employees who are certified pervious installers through the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). Bartley expects pervious concrete to take off in his area of the country where new homes are being rebuilt on small lots with limited green spaces for stormwater drainage.

The recent emphasis on green building has opened up a new set of clients for Bartley Corp. to pursue. They have contributed to LEED Homes and have seen a growing interest in energy efficiency. And as they grow their expertise on the residential side, that knowledge and experience will help them garner sustainable construction jobs on the commercial side.

"We're trying to be visible whatever way we can be visible. That's all we can do - make ourselves known as someone who can do this work," Bartley explains. But it's the company's ability to offer anything concrete for its customers that makes it a successful and viable concrete business. "We need 'cookie cutter' houses as well in order to feed the number of people we have in the field," Bartley says. "We haven't lost that original foundation focus, we're just trying to augment our business."