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Concrete Decor - Concrete Decor Magazine, The Journal for Decorative Concrete - Index

Gregory Mata,
Cutting Edge
Decorative Concrete
Richfield, Ohio
by Stacey Enesey Klemenc
Volcanoes oozing hot lava … tiki torches burning on the
beach … tribal tattoos … constellations sparkling in the
sky. These things aren’t exactly what you’d expect to see in
decorative concrete jobs in Ohio, but then again Gregory Mata’s
work is far from ordinary.
The Cleveland native is incorporating actual artwork
into concrete surfaces with outstanding results. He’s also
experimenting with different materials and media — such as
integrating fiber optics into flatwork and countertops — in
scenes that light up almost as brightly as the faces of people
seeing them for the first time.
Mata credits much of his success to his think-out-of-the-box
mentality. “We’re doing things not many other companies are
doing,” he says. “I feel very honored to be a part of many of these
projects I’m involved with.”
Humble beginnings
Mata’s father was a cement contractor and a labor union
official. Working with his dad landed Mata positions on
large downtown projects during his years studying electrical
engineering at Cleveland State University. “I got a huge amount of
exposure that most people don’t get the chance to experience,” he
says about those summer jobs. “I got to see firsthand what makes
large projects flow and function.”
When the time came for his dad to retire, Mata yearned to
break free and start his own company. “I was completely burned
out on regular gray flatwork,” he says. He was more interested
in concrete and masonry work, particularly structural repair. In
1995, he founded Cutting Edge Construction, which was soon
one of the largest nonunion companies in Richfield, Ohio, that
handled structural repairs for commercial buildings.
Dec. ’07/Jan. ’08 | www.ConcreteDecor.net | 53