A DRIVEWAY FOR... PICKLEBALL? Yes. A driveway that doubles as a pickleball court. This is what (some people's) dreams are made of.
(Submitted photos)

Some guys just aren’t meant to work in an office behind a desk. They need to be outside. Getting their hands dirty. Moving earth with heavy equipment. Alex Smith and Matt Wells are two such guys.

Alex and Matt first met in fourth grade at Manz Elementary School in Eau Claire. Their friendship continued through school – through their graduation from Memorial High School in Eau Claire, during which time the duo learned the trades from Alex's dad, Jon Smith, the then-owner of Concrete Solutions by Hospitality, Inc. – and into adulthood.

While Alex and Matt were likely playing in the dirt and mud with toy trucks back when they first in the fourth grade, today the duo works with concrete – a more malleable kind of mud, really – and all kinds of moving equipment. When Jon retired in 2022, Alex and Matt teamed up and bought Concrete Solutions by Hospitality, Inc. Entering the concrete biz at the helm of a business, they focused on two things: residential concrete and masonry jobs.

"We always joke and say that 'we are making people's dreams come true one driveway or patio at a time.' We believe that our work is important and we enjoy meeting new people within our community." –Alex Smith, co-owner

Three years later, the business turned a new page: New Name. New Services. New Employees. New Equipment. Last April, they officially rebranded as Smith & Wells Concrete and Masonry (soon to be an S Corporation). The change better reflects the business's focus while continuing to serve the Chippewa Valley with its excellent concrete and masonry services, which have continued to expand.

First up, decorative and colorful concrete stamping. Brought about by customer demand, one person requested quite the creative project: make their new driveway double as a pickleball court. “It’s fun, as it brings out a creative and artistic side of our business,” Alex said.

Next up, barn restorations. A more masonry-focused project, this type of work came about when an area software engineer inherited his grandfather’s farm and wanted to bring its barn back to life.

The before (left) and after of a  new retaining wall built for a barn restoration project.

“Old barns and silos are the 'antiques' of old Wisconsin,” Matt said. “Barn restorations are something different from our day-to-day work of doing driveways. It’s fun for Alex and I and our team to restore a piece of Wisconsin’s history.”

The team is also expanding into the commercial world, having recently won a bid from Merge Development Company – which built the new Andante Apartments in downtown Eau Claire – for an apartment building in downtown Duluth. The job – located on a hill, which meant working with varying elevation – was done during the wintertime, a slower season in their line of work.

“This job required quite a bit of expertise and labor, and it was a great learning experience for both of us," Matt said.

Their team consists of Sam Zich, Alex’s positive-attitude cousin, who came on board with great concrete finishing skills; Sam Houston, a reliable 20-year-old guy with a great attitude, smile, and work ethic, who’s always willing to learn and do the dirty jobs; and Don Motzing, Alex’s 72-year-old neighbor and a CDL dump truck driver, who loves contributing to a growing business and is always coming up with ideas to improve efficiency.

Residential stoop and sidewalk project.

Their equipment includes a 1998 Ford Louisville single axel dump truck; a 2023 Allen Concrete Power Buggy, which is, in essence, a giant motorized stand-behind wheel barrow that allows efficient transport of concrete from the redi-mix truck to desired concrete pour locations; and a 2021 Kubota 75 SVL Skid Steer with a bucket, pallet forks, and hydraulic jack hammer, used for tear-out and efficient removal of material.

“Matt and I and our team are excited to contribute to the improvement of people’s property in Eau Claire and the Chippewa Valley, " Alex said. “We always joke and say that ‘we are making people’s dreams come true one driveway or patio at a time.’ We believe that our work is important and we enjoy meeting new people within our community.”

Learn more about Smith & Wells Concrete and Masonry on their website or Facebook page. Before the business's name change, an article about their concrete work was featured in Volume One in 2023.