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Every month, Polyurea Magazine profiles a member of our professional community who represents the best of what this industry has to offer. This month, we’re honored to spotlight Carlos Rodriguez, founder of Rodriguez Protective Coatings based in San Antonio, Texas — a company that has grown from a single-truck operation in 2018 to a 12-rig fleet with over $8 million in annual revenue.
The Beginning: One Rig and a Lot of Uncertainty
“I bought my first Graco E-30 and a used pickup truck with a $45,000 equipment loan and zero clients,” Carlos recalls. “I had my PDA certification, six months of employee training with a larger contractor, and a genuine belief that the market in South Texas was underserved for professional polyurea work. That was it.”
His first year was what he describes as “character-building.” He spent 70% of his time networking — calling on metal building contractors, agricultural supply dealers, petroleum terminal operators, and commercial property managers. His first significant contract, a $47,000 secondary containment lining project for a fuel distribution terminal, came through a connection made at a local petroleum industry networking event.
Building Systematically
“The big turning point was realizing that the market doesn’t reward the best spray applicator — it rewards the most reliable and professional spray applicator,” Carlos says. “I invested heavily in quality control systems, documentation, and client communication from the very beginning — things that larger companies often do poorly because they’re dealing with volume.”
By Year 3, Rodriguez Protective Coatings had three rigs and was generating over $2.5 million annually. The business mix had evolved beyond secondary containment to include commercial roofing, industrial flooring, and — Carlos’s personal specialty — agricultural cisterns and livestock water storage. His tips on surface preparation align closely with our comprehensive surface prep guide.
Investing in People
“I pay my spray technicians 20% above market rate and fund all of their certifications — PDA CPA, AMPP CIP, OSHA 30. I have zero turnover among my senior operators. In an industry where the labor shortage is the number one challenge, that’s a massive competitive advantage.”
His approach to certifications mirrors the guidance in our industry certifications guide — invest early, invest often, and view certifications as business development tools rather than compliance checkboxes.
Looking Ahead
With 12 rigs and a growing reputation across Texas and the Gulf Coast, Rodriguez Protective Coatings is targeting federal water infrastructure projects. Carlos will be presenting a session on contractor business development at our upcoming Regional Summit in Houston.
