Most of B & E Applications offers a variety of interior to exterior for services that are either residential or commercial-level areas. B & E Applications can do painting, concrete finishes, water blasting and so much more. They know how to make your area spectacular.
Prais decided to go to Palomar College to get his business license so that his company could be legit. He wanted to start his own business because he wanted to make money for himself as well as pursue his own dream, not somebody else’s.
“I was tired of making money for other people,” Prais said. “I’ve always pictured myself owning my own business.”
The initials B and E originally stood for Billy and Eric. Billy was Prais’ business partner, but they had a fallout, and Billy ended up leaving the company. Now “B & E” stands for Brett and Emma, after his two children.
Although business was not booming the first year, the client list kept getting longer in the second year.
B & E Applications became such a success, that it was accredited by the Better Business Bureau in 2000. For instance, the company does concrete finishes, they can make the garage floor into a thing of beauty with epoxy coatings. Also they can also make the sidewalks clean by water blasting it.
Many of his clients want their crown molding to match their baseboards, just to give the room a more cohesive and sophisticated appearance. Most of the homeowners want more baseboards than crown molding, because it serves both aesthetic and functional purposes.
“Baseboards give your home a tighter joint between the floor and wall, since no wall is entirely straight,” Prais said.
When some of his clients ask to have their garage floors done, they want it to shine.
“They always ask to have their boring or ugly cement floor transformed into a floor of beauty,” Prais said. “The garage has now become more than just a place where you park your car. Epoxy coating is the holy grail to making your garage floor look shiny. It all depends on which application you choose. You can select from custom colors and blends of color flakes that match your style.”
The Pandemic
B & E Applications has five employees, but Prais tries to take in as many workers as he can. When the pandemic began, his business struggled a little, but after three months the company started to pick up. For B & E Applications, the employees had to wear masks and have their temperatures checked whenever they worked on a project.
Though the pandemic was a problem for B & E Applications for a while, the business still had to continue to push forward. Many of his customers, who he has worked with for years, were very eager to work with him again and the company was ready to start upcoming projects.
Their largest project was Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego. They started this project from 2000 to 2001, and it took them nearly two years to finish.
“This project was very grueling for us,” Prais said. “I honestly didn’t think that we were going to finish on time, because there were so many mistakes that we did.”
B & E Applications also worked with Skinit, a San Diego ski company that designs phone cases, laptops, audio or gaming device with skins. Prais enjoys doing projects in San Diego because he enjoys the breeze of the ocean.
“Whenever I’m in San Diego the energy just feels different,” Prais said.
His clientele are mostly in Rancho Santa Fe and Del Mar. He has also done homes for celebrities like Bill and Melinda Gates and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk.
“I’m a huge fan of his, he’s such a great guy,” Prais said, referring to Hawk. “My son grew up watching him. He also wanted to become a professional skateboarder.”
Employees and Customers
Brett, Eric Prais’ son who is also one of his employees, enjoys working with his father. He started working with his father in his early twenties because he didn’t want to go to college, so he started working.
“My father is a very strict man,” Brett said. “You either go to school or get a job.”
Brett decided to join the family business, but his father told him that he wasn’t going to be getting any special treatment just because he’s his son. He would be treated exactly like his father’s other employees. Brett hopes one day he’ll take over his father’s business.
Working with his father was not in the cards for him. Brett had other dreams that he wanted to accomplish.
“Growing up I’ve always wanted to be a professional skateboarder,” Brett said. “In the end it didn’t follow through.” During the time that he has worked with his father, he has learned to appreciate how much his father puts into the company.
Melissa Grant, who is one of Prais’ newest customers, lives in Carlsbad. She said that Prais’ company did a very good job painting her hallway walls, the dining room and two of her bedrooms.
“My husband and I choose B & E Applications because of their great reviews on Better Business Bureau,” Grant said. “I would definitely recommend his services to other people.”
Prais has always wanted to own his own business and he most certainly has achieved that. His main goal is to always make customers happy. He hopes that the family business will continue when he retires one day.
