Five years ago, the Michigan Concrete Association initiated a training and certification program for decorative concrete finishers as a response to increasing complaints regarding poor quality decorative concrete. They realized that decorative projects were a rapidly growing market segment, but one that could be stunted by poorly executed projects. By developing, implementing, and then publicizing decorative concrete certification, they hoped to improve decorative concrete contractors’ skills, provide a means for owners to identify contractors with well-trained workers, and reduce the incidence of projects that failed to meet owner expectations.