Mark Estrada and Zach Lovett have been working together since high school. Admittedly, they initially went against the grain and chose the “school of hard knocks” path toward success. The duo temporarily disbanded after high school, but it wouldn't be long before they joined back up. Zach was serving in the US Air Force and Mark was land surveying. Both guys didn’t know what path their journey would take the until the small business opportunity came into view.“
In 2005, while painting handicap symbols for extra cash, Zach saw a bigger opportunity and asked for a loan from his Grandma to buy a striping machine," said Mark Estrada, Senior VP, and Co-Founder of Marathon Solutions Group, LLC. and the winner of this year's Good Neighbor.
"The first year in business, we made many mistakes, we were trying to figure out what we had on our hands and how to develop it,” said Lovett. However, this “passion-driven” team was determined to learn how to grow and operate a small business. First, implementing line drivers and lasers on all projects for team members, and then taking the leap of faith purchasing paving equipment and learning the value of team culture when staffing up crews. Their determination paid off and now it's paying back into their community.
"It all started with a call from the local elementary school (Lakewood Elementary, Tomball ISD)," Estrada recounted. "Their Parent-Teacher Organization did some DIY markings on their concrete, and they wanted it removed. They were discouraged by the years of built-up chipping paint and the lack of texture. We went out there and it was a quick blasting job. Afterward, we noticed there was really not that much color at the elementary school. There are no kind of hard scapes, schools usually have something colorful, something vibrant that beautifies the school. At that moment, we knew what we had todo.”
Both Mark and Zach have children in elementary school and can attest to the excitement of bright colors, fun designs, and artistry welcoming kids; imaginations when they got to school each morning. When the walking paths they travel evoke something more, "You introduce creativity, and something magical starts to happen, Imaginations get ignited," Estrada said.
They approached the school about donating their time and materials to give the kids something special for their playground. After considering several different designs, the school gave them the green light. At first, they installed a colorful number chart and a basketball court alongside brightly shaded four-square court spaces. "They loved it," said Estrada.
"I went out there right after school the next day and saw the kids were taking selfies with their parents along the vibrant hardscapes," he continued. "It was amazing. That's how we knew we were on to something special and realized we needed to continue doing this. "This year, they returned to the school and installed a huge multi-colored stencil of theUnited States map overnight.
Estrada said, "They ended up using the map as part of their curriculum in the classroom lessons. It was incredible."Estrada said that the overall map shape was a stencil, but the inside lines showing each state were trickier. "That's when we had to use our artistic skills and customize every little niche. We used an unfamiliar anti-skid to the school district, which is made of ground glass, making the final product very robust and vibrant.
”It took some real artistry to bring the map to life. Not only were the teachers inspired, but once the parents saw it, they received word that the kids themselves were curious about the appearance of the painted map and how it was done.
With the heartfelt donation by Marathon Solutions Group, they potentially seeded the interest of the next generation of striping professionals!
The final touch came from Mark's wife when they decided to mark the map with a "you are here" paw print, so the children could visually see where they live in Houston in relation to their state and the entire country. "The kids loved it, because their mascot isa Wildcat.” Estrada said, “The little details make all the difference.”
Mark Estrada and Zach Lovett receiving the Good Neighbor Award at NPE 2023.
