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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868
Clint Vincent and employees of his business, Arcs & Angles, recently donated time to replace the roofs of the gazebo and restrooms at Falls City's Upper Park.
August 21, 2012
FALLS CITY -- Clint Vincent, the owner of Arcs & Angles, began the Falls City-based remodeling business with just a pickup truck and tools in 2008.
Not the best of timing to start a construction business, given what was happening with the economy and housing market.
"That was right when things really started to fall apart," Vincent said in a recent interview.
The first year, Vincent said he only made about $20,000, but he kept at it, eventually establishing a client list in Polk County and the surrounding area.
It wasn't easy.
"That second year, (we were) waiting for the summer to hit," Vincent said. "It was like June before we started to get phone calls in. I was starting to really sweat it."
That's when he realized just how bad the economy had gotten.
"You know the work is out there," Vincent recalled thinking at the time.
So, he went out and found it.
He pounded the pavement -- even going back to previous clients to see if they had more projects. That persistence and word-of-mouth recommendations from happy customers has allowed Vincent to not only stay in business, but grow.
Vincent now has two trucks -- and a trailer to haul his tools.
This summer, Vincent, who has lived in Falls City since third grade, decided it was time to thank his hometown for the support.
He and his employees donated time this summer to replacing the roofs on the gazebo and restrooms in Falls City's Upper Park, both of which had fallen into disrepair.
"I kind of jumped at the chance," Vincent said. "This was the first way that I've been able to give back to the community."
Vincent, who also is a single father, said he's appreciated the family-like atmosphere Falls City has offered his family. He said he wouldn't think of raising his daughter anywhere else.
The park project took several weekends to complete, but Vincent was happy to offer the time.
"It was worth it," he said.
The community has taken notice. Those who gather in the park for the annual Valsetz Reunion gave Vincent $300 for his efforts.
Instead of keeping the money, Vincent has decided to use it to help the Falls City School District pay for an automated external defibrillator (AED) that will be kept at the high school. Emergency responders can use AEDs to shock the heart into normal rhythm in cases of cardiac arrest.
Vincent, 46, believes he has found the perfect career in Arcs & Angles.
"I could see me in this for a while," Vincent said, noting he had worked for several construction companies in the past. "It's something in the back of my mind that I've always wanted to do."
And, there are no more worries about slow summers, even as other contractors Vincent knows struggle to find steady work.
"We've been scheduled out pretty much since the first of summer to the end of next month," he said.
Vincent said the business, which now has three employees, continues to grow, which is good, so long as he is able to work on job sites. He said he doesn't want the company to expand so much that he's just preparing bids.
"We are growing, but I'm not sure about how big we want to get," Vincent said. "I don't ever want to not be able to do the work myself. That's the big thing. I love doing this work.
"Seeing what you have done and seeing (your customers') reaction, it never gets old. Their faces just brighten up."
Got a Project?
What: Arcs & Angles
Owner: Clint Vincent
Services: Framing, sheet rock, interior and exterior painting, tile, additions, roofing, and bathroom and kitchen remodeling.
For more information: 503-787-3940.
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