Fountain of Fame
by Adrianne Hartley
Published June 2003 in Alberta Venture Magazine

You could say ideas are constantly flowing for Calgary's Clint Eklund. While watering his garden seven years ago, he noticed water trickling down a piece of slate. He not only saw a beautiful effect, he also saw a business opportunity and a possible career-change from earthmover to fountain designer. Several pieces of slate later, Eklund's slate and metal water features are a focal point in the lobbies of companies like Forzani's and Seminole Canada Energy Company and in private homes, where the residents appreciate not only the contemporary look of water washing a multi-coloured slab of imported slate, but also its function.

Walking into a home that features one of Slate in Design Inc's fountains is like walking into a tropical oasis. In Calgary's dry climate, the fountains provide enough humidity so that homeowners no longer experience their drywall, furniture or skin cracking. Unlike fountains in shopping malls and hotel lobbies, the water in Eklund's fountains constantly runs clean. A secret, naturally occurring additive to the water prevents issues such as scaling from hard water deposits, algae, odour or evaporation. The spray bar design, another trade secret, allows water to sheet the slate evenly and water levels can be adjusted to mimic a light rainfall or a mountain stream. "It's still water and rock at the end of the day, but guaranteed, there won't be anything else like it," says Eklund.

There also won't be two fountains that are similar because no two pieces of slate are identical. Instead of using local slate, Slate in Design Inc. imports slate from as far away as India, China and Brazil because it features brilliant colour combinations of rusts, blue-greens and mustards and can include fossils and impurities which contribute to the overall effect and look of the fountain. Eklund has always prided himself on being an innovator. While working in heavy construction, he was always trying to figure out how to get jobs done more efficiently. "I always try to excel at what I do," he says.

But excelling at construction wasn't providing the financial situation he wanted for his family, so in 1995 he started building water features to supplement his income. With $5,000 on a credit card, Eklund bought startup materials. Business grew and more slate, water pumps and electrical supplies were necessary, so he sold the family home and vehicle for more equity and racked up a $45,000 credit card debt over three years. By taking deposits and getting clients to sign contracts guaranteeing the purchase, he had the green light to begin production. But cutting huge slabs of slate requires thousands of dollars worth of machinery. Eklund couldn't afford to start his own fabrication shop, so his longtime friend and sole employee, Rob Aston, introduced him to a stone fabrication shop where he could rent the necessary slate-cutting equipment and storage space for the huge slabs of
metamorphic rock.

Since 2000, Eklund has been designing water features full-time. He has built $1,000 fountains as well as $15,000 fountains, which range in height from 40 centimetres to three metres. Last year, Eklund sold 100 fountains and had $120,000 in sales. In the first three months of this year, he has already had $148,000 in sales and in May alone he installed 30 fountains. At this rate, he figures he'll be out of debt by this summer. Most of his business is drummed up at home and design shows where he spends about $25,000 per show on merchandise, booth rental and staff. "It's the only advertising expense that we incur and it will generate business for the rest of the year," says Eklund.

At the 2002 Calgary Home and Interior Design Show, the Slate in Design Inc. booth caught the attention of Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman, hosts of the Designer Guys on HGTV. Seven months later they called Eklund to tell him that they wanted to use the fountains in their show as well as to make them a focal point in a new chain of stores. At this year's Calgary and Edmonton Home and Garden Shows, Vern Yip, a designer of Trading Spaces fame, was also impressed with the fountains. "Yip's crew took photos and he said he'd never seen a product like ours," says Eklund. "It goes to show we're showing the product properly."

Eventually Eklund would like to have his own fabrication shop where he can mass-produce fountains to sell as an off the shelf product in stores. But for now, he'll settle for just trying to keep up with demand.