Chris Campton wanted to start a different kind of flooring company. After 21 years in the industry, he had grown tired of the status quo and knew there was a better way to serve customers, so he left his employer in 2005 and dedicated himself to creating a business based on building deep partnerships with each client.
Through the years
2007
Campton founds HTI and closes year one with revenues approaching $8 million
2010
The company adds Boeing and Facebook as clients
2012
Contracts with Intel, Coca-Cola, and Raytheon (a major defense contractor) open entirely new markets for HTI
2013
The company grows to 85 employees
2014
HTI’s reach extends into the food and beverage, medical, pharmaceutical, data-services, and tech industries, among others
Two years later, Campton opened HTI Polymer, which is now anchored by major clients such as Boeing and Coca-Cola. The company uses complex, detailed analysis to approach and understand every customer’s specific performance requirements for floor coatings and coverings. It sources products from world-class manufacturers and selects the best ones for each unique situation, then HTI’s skilled workers install the high-performance materials with best practices that surpass manufacturers’ instructions.
Considering that HTI completes almost 500 jobs per year, with revenues that exceed $23.5 million, its fresh approach seems to be working. Take a look at its history, its impressive client list, and its proven methods.
A Chat with Chris Campton
What questions should a company ask when selecting a flooring contractor?
The installation process is the biggest part of the puzzle. Ask how the floor will be prepared. Are there standard procedures? Is there a schedule? Will the crew operate safely in the facility? Is everyone drug tested? What will customers experience? What equipment will you use? Has the right product been selected? These are the most important questions to raise.
What factors go into picking the right floor?
We analyze traffic conditions, spillage potential, slab structure, joint conditions, operating procedures, heat conditions, sloping, thermal shock, and how the surface interfaces with other materials. We also make sure we work with great vendors such as Chips Unlimited, Sherwin-Williams, Sika, Duraflex, and BASF. Chips Unlimited is a company that provides decorative vinyl chips that go into a lot of our floors. We only use companies that are dependable and deliver excellent, high-quality products on time.
What are some signs that a floor needs attention?
Companies should invest the time and money to make sure floors won’t become major issues down the line. Twenty percent of our business is in maintenance or repairs. If floors don’t come clean or they have visible wear, cracks, or impacts, something needs to be done.
Prineville, OR: HTI Polymer constructed flooring that conforms to the complex technical specifications of Facebook’s new, hyperefficient data center. Read more about Facebook’s innovative Prineville data center in our cover story of this issue.
The HTI Process:Step by Step
1. An HTI project manager meets with a client to understand performance requirements and environmental conditions. Together, they determine how the business will operate during construction.
2. The project manager and superintendent select appropriate products. Then, they generate an installation process, a safety plan, schedules, budgets, and equipment lists prior to delivering a proposal and estimate.
3. The company presents its plan of attack to the client for approval.
4. At a preconstruction meeting, the client and HTI personnel communicate about what will happen inside the facility so that each party understands the time line and safety plan.
5. During each day of the installation, HTI leads the client through a pretask checklist designed to eliminate schedule changes and unexpected events. A superintendent directs his personnel on-site to go through goals and objectives for the day and to identify hazards before completing work. At the close of the day, HTI generates a formal daily job report that lists work completed, materials used, personnel present, weather conditions, and problems encountered.
6. After installation is complete, a project manager walks through the facility with the client to ensure quality, gain acceptance, and answer questions.
Working with Top Clientele
Since day one, HTI Polymer has been building a reputation for designing and installing industrial floors, coatings, and linings for well-known companies with rigorous demands. Campton says he attracts big businesses with his ability to understand the nuances of clients’ operations. “Our approach is to dig into their business and discover how we can really help them,” he explains. “We want to partner with them.” Whether working in the OR of a hospital or a food-service kitchen, HTI’s employees identify potential hazards before installation and isolate the process to ensure safety and cleanliness. After they put floors in, Campton and his colleagues continue to meet with clients periodically to monitor and evaluate project spaces and determine whether they require maintenance. This approach has earned HTI many giants of the business world as clients, including the following:
Aerojet Rocketdyne
Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
Bayer Medical
Boeing
The Coca-Cola Company
ConAgra Foods, Inc.
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Facebook
Harborview Medical Center
Intel Corporation
Oregon Zoo
Raytheon Company
Starbucks Corporation
University of Washington
