Hello, Welcome To My Journey!

I grew up in a small town (population 52) in North Dakota, and have come a long way and done
many things since that simple beginning. After moving to the Seattle area, from North Dakota, with
my parents and little brother, I quickly realized that the world was bigger than I had known "back on
the farm".  Graduating with Honors from Kent Meridian H.S. in Kent WA, in 1990, I went directly into
the construction fields.  
A bit about me.    Tommy T. Cook
After I gained all I could from the retail side, and needing to put this knowledge to use, I moved on to
finish carpentry.  With this, I found a new passion, creating with wood.  From simple trim work, to
making and installing cabinets, from custom stairs to custom fireplace surrounds, I could make
about anything out of wood.  Over the next 4-5 years, I held several different positions with different construction companies,
trying to decide exactly what I wanted to do.  Then, one day, in 1998
I happened into Lucioni Arts in Seattle WA, and found my calling, my passion - precast concrete!  
I began an apprenticeship with Marco Lucioni and spent a year learning all he could teach me
and falling in love with concrete.  I quickly realized that this industry gave me an opportunity to utilize
all the knowledge I accumulated from my past jobs.  I had the knowledge of a hardware store and it's inventory in my head and
the applied use of most everything I had ever sold. Being a man who loves
a challenge, I decided to test my business skills, after now having honed my concrete skills (or so I thought).  I gave Marco my
notice, left Lucioni Arts and ventured out on my own.
Starting by getting my hands dirty in drywall, hanging, taping and scraping, I quickly decided to move on
to the retail side.  Working for Eagle Hardware (now Lowe's), Mclendon Hardware and True Value Hardware, I was trained in all
aspects of the retail end of the construction field.  Certified in kitchen and bath design, trained to custom tint  and mix paint,  
managing an HVAC department, managing a
customer service crew, trained as Head Cashier, with cross training in electrical, plumbing, hardware
and lumber, were just some of the positions I held and knowledge I gained which gave me a jump
start, with more knowledge than I realized, to move forward in the construction fields.  
Interestingly enough, this was all before I was 22.  
Within the next week, I founded Cook's Custom Creations.  Beginning with basic wet cast concrete counter tops, I quickly
expanded into a full precast operation offering counter tops, fireplaces, furniture
and architectural details.  As my business expanded, I trained my little brother, Mike Cook,
past owner of The Concrete Store, and helped found Cook's Custom Creations in Whitefish Montana.  
A few years later, wanting to expand my operation further, I teamed up with one of his my very satisfied clients from Cook's
Custom to form Absolute ConcreteWorks, LLC.  ACW, because of my
artistic work and that of Laurie Smith, currently owner of Advanced Artisans Concrete and Design,
quickly became one of the most respected and larger precasters in the Puget Sound Area
due to the work that we produced, completing projects for the WADOT,
Seattle Parks and Rec, City of Burien, as well as working with numerous contractors
such as JE Dunn, Opus NW, and GLY Construction.  ACW became nationally renowned in the
concrete counter top industry for our use of color and our unique designs, winning us numerous
awards, both locally and nationally.  The design and art team, headed up by myself and
Laurie Smith, created some of the most unique designs around in the early years of
concrete counter tops.
The work that I produced at ACW has inspired artists across the nation and is the basis for my new adventure - The Traveling
Concrete Gnome. In late 2009, I decided to sell my shares of ACW to my partners, and founded CM Services, LLC with my
friend Collette Musil. CM Services is a traveling,
consulting firm that boasts being the only "Green" Training service out there, offering a unique
perspective to training and consulting for the precast industry, by offering it's "Organic Training"
service. It is also a new way of life for me, one of peace and simplicity and not the world of corporate America where the only
thing that matters is the bottom line and how using other people can
benefit that almighty dollar.  I have no respect for this and no use for it in my life
and have so chosen the life I live.
SO, This is my journey. Thanks for surfing over.
Tommy T. Cook