We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jonathan Mortillo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jonathan below.

Jonathan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My wife and I were living in NY I was working for a reputable plaster installation company that worked on very high end homes all through out NYC, we were ready however for a change of scenery and the circumstances were right to do so, so I called so of my contacts from around the country and got a job offer in Miami. My wife and I moved and began our life in South Florida. I soon realized that the work, the pay and were not what we were expecting and we decided to start our own installation company but focus on all aspects of decorative plaster work not just one field. I noticed certain types of work would slow down and there would be lows during the year. When I started working in plaster 23 years ago fortunately I was taught the fundamentals of a very broad trade, I soon realized there are multiple disciplines in my work that you can do as long as you have the patience and drive to do it. So I thought if I start my own company I want to be able offer a diversified range of quality work that have learned over the years. But where would we begin, I had to honor the previous employers contacts, so we had to start completely fresh during a time when the economy was doing…ok. So I started making phone calls, visited architects, designers, builders, owners reps and so forth. The type of work we do is very specific so how do you get noticed? We had to wait a little and let that hard work take effect, we started our website at that time also and designed it to attract the clientele we needed. During this growing time we did our best to follow up on every lead, be on time with our appointments and do our work in a clean and professional way. Work was going well but not great, until we got a
lead from one of my older contacts in NY about a job in FL. This was the opportunity were looking for to showcase our work, allowing us to show a diversified range of our skills. Once the job was contracted to us we followed simple principles of quality and honesty and since then we have stayed very busy with great clients. Being able to finish a home to the clients desire and to see their happiness when it’s done is something that continues to make me keep doing what I do. We are happy to bring those visiones into
fruition for as long as we can.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m considered an Artisan Plasterer which is someone who is dedicated to the craft of plaster. These is more on the artistic side of things and requires me to think outside of the box and be creative with how I apply the many forms of plaster that exist in the world. We offer a wide range of quality applications such as Tadelakt, Marmorino, Traditional Plaster, Plaster Mouldings, and making applications in between. The majority of our work is Tadelakt and Marmorino work. Tadelakt is a water resistant plaster that can be used in showers and wet areas, it provides a beautiful smooth seamless finish which is second to none.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

We provided a quote for a large job and didn’t hear back for a bit, so I followed up in diligence to see how things were progressing, we were asked to provide a sample last minute and had to drive the sample to the owners rep which took about 3 hours, I hoped it was the right thing to do. We didn’t hear back for months, I followed up again and no response, I waited 1 more month and was already at this point figuring they moved or the job was done. When I followed up they actually thanked me for following up and yes the project is still on and they appreciated that I was so on top of it, months later lol they informed us they approved the quote and were ready to move into contract, it was one of the best jobs we had in size and clientele, I’m glad I was persistent. Sometimes just respectfully keeping in touch makes a difference.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building a good reputation takes…time. Something we wish could sometimes move along quicker but there is the beauty in my opinion. Through good service, quality control, and standing behind your product in an elevated way, the reputation will speak for itself. Good, prompt communication goes a long way too and answering your clientes calls and not making them feel like it’s a bother to speak with you creates a good relationship. Some of my clientes I still keep I touch with years after the work has been completed.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.plaster-craft.com
• Instagram: Plaster_craft