Writer / Matt Keating
John K. Whetstone, owner of Pictured Rock Concrete, 8825 W. 650 S. in Topeka, Indiana, started his business as a part-time venture in June 2025 while he was still working full time in construction.
After he learned how to do more work with concrete, he decided it was time to strike out on his own full time.
“I just felt like the time was right to expand Pictured Rock Concrete by getting more clients and moving forward,” Whetstone said. “I’m glad I made the decision. I love it. It’s been awesome. It’s been great to have more time to get the business going. When I was working in construction, I worked on a lot of patios and learned what to do to make a patio look great. Decorative concrete is an attractive surface.”
Whetstone and Pictured Rock Concrete specialize in patios for numerous houses near the lakes.
“The demand for more decorative concrete patios has been very high,” Whetstone said. “We do some concrete work for small sidewalks, but the patios are definitely our largest amount of work.”
Whetstone estimates that 75% of the work is the stamping part of the concrete.
“Stamped concrete adds color and texture to concrete to make it look better,” he said. “Stamped concrete is a great finish for concrete areas. We mostly stick to working on smaller patios. We can also do concrete for bigger patios, but the smaller jobs are the ones we get the greatest number of requests for.”
Whetstone said customer satisfaction has helped him build his business.
“My top priority is quality,” he said. “That means everything to me. I learned more about concrete so I could guarantee my customers would be completely happy with the work we do.”
Whetstone enjoys meeting his clients and finding out what plan works best for them.
“I go out to my customers’ homes and show them some samples and give them a quote,” Whetstone said.
WINTER WORK
Whetstone keeps busy during the winter months making decorative concrete benches, which have been popular with his clients.
“I’ve made some benches that have been up to 400 pounds, but most of the orders I get are for the smaller benches,” he said. “It’s something nice to work on in my workshop when the weather is cold. Concrete benches also look great in the winter.”
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Whetstone said he thoroughly enjoys living in Topeka, Indiana.“Topeka is my hometown, and it’s a great place to grow up,” he said.
“The people here are just nice and supportive. I’ve enjoyed hearing people recommend me to their family and friends.” To find out more about Pictured Rock Concrete, 8825 W. 650 S. in Topeka, Indiana, call Whetstone at 260-293-4066 or email willardyoder77@gmail.com.
