Darrel Kern celebrated his retirement this year by gaining more business and working more than ever before. After 40 years in the commercial concrete industry, Kern decided to add to his repertoire, opening Creative Concrete Illusions part-time five years ago.
His foray into the world of decorative concrete came as the result of his desire to try something different. He chose decorative concrete because it offers a way of repairing concrete without having to tear it out and start over.
Since then, Kern, who offers both interior and exterior concrete designs, has cultivated a reputation for his work. Creative Concrete Illusions offers a full range of products, including concrete overlay systems, epoxy garage systems, stenciled concrete, and repair and resurfacing systems. Kern is also an Elite Crete installer and also uses applications from Concrete Technologies Incorporation (CTI).
One of the main benefits of opting for decorative concrete is the longevity and durability of the concrete.
“I installed products 15 years ago, and they still look good,” Kern says. “In fact, I’ve been doing this for five years, and I’ve never had a callback for any repairs. I have yet to go back and reseal for anyone after five years.”
It is that kind of durability that attracts many homeowners to decorative concrete. And while Kern doesn’t offer a written guarantee, he will fix problems for a client if they should arise. 
Most of Kern’s business is the result of referrals. After completing a job, for example, three of the homeowner’s neighbors asked for quotes. Another client still proudly shows off the work that was done on his home.
“I did a garage four or five years ago,” Kern says. “I ran into the client last week, and she told me her husband still drags people into the garage and shows them how easy it is to clean five years later.”
In addition to his clients’ satisfaction, Kern has one project in particular that stands out in his mind as his best to date. He was hired to tear out an old blacktop driveway that had 110 feet of sidewalk and 80 feet of curb. After tearing out the old driveway, he poured a new 25 by 70 foot driveway, with a decorative topping.
The client was so happy with the work that Kern was also hired to do two more projects: A swimming pool and a walkway.
Based in Northampton, Pennsylvania, Creative Concrete Illusions serves Lehigh County and Monroe County, including Allentown, Bethlehem, and Strasburg.