Management Team

Andrew Dennis – President & Founder

Andrew Dennis is the Company’s founder and creator of existing IP and future product lines.  Mr. Dennis is an acclaimed architectural and industrial designer with more than 37 years of experience designing numerous products, and architectural designs for hotel, casino, restaurant and commercial projects. As both an entrepreneur leading his own design firms in Canada, Los Angeles and San Diego and as a Design Director at two of the leading architectural firms in Las Vegas, Mr. Dennis built a track record of seminal design work on some of America’s most recognized casinos and hotels.

Mr. Dennis first started the development of what became the GigaCrete technology suite by creating a challenging set of design and engineering problems: to construct a thoroughly “green” non-toxic and fire and Hurricane resistant Caribbean retirement home with entirely containerized components (panels and finishes) that could be shipped and then erected by unskilled labor in a matter of days. The panel components had to be lightweight and still have structural integrity great enough to withstand hurricane-force winds. The home also had to be truly ‘green,’ with a high percentage of recycled content and low embodied energy. This set of engineering problems became the vision behind some of GigaCrete’s product development efforts.

Mr. Dennis holds degrees in Architecture and Industrial Design from West Nottinghamshire College of Art and Design and Kingston upon Hull College of Art and Architecture in the United Kingdom and was the recipient of the highly coveted national award for Britain’s top design student.

Melissa Peterson - GigaLabs R&D Engineer

“Mel” Peterson directs the GigaLabs operation and materials testing protocols for all GigaCrete products and works closely with Andrew Dennis on new product development samples.  Mel also works hand in hand with Rick Phillips and Ed Morris optimizing materials during the “best practices” testing done both in-house and in the field.  Previous employment she worked as a Development Scientist with James Hardie Building Products.  Mel graduated Pomona College in Claremont, California with a degree in Geology.

Edward Morris – Plant Manager

Edward Morris is responsible for managing all operational elements of GigaCrete’s first prototype factory in Las Vegas, Nevada. This includes manufacturing practices, safety, the operation of heavy equipment, supervision of personnel, and staff training. Mr. Morris has over 20 years of leadership and management experience in the construction and environmental management industries. As an entrepreneur, he founded a contracting company that built successful commercial and residential developments. Prior to GigaCrete, Mr. Morris worked as a heavy equipment operator and supervisor at Crapo Hill Landfill in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he was honored with the “Bronze Excellence Award for Outstanding Contributions for Landfill Management.” Crapo Hill Landfill successfully partnered with Commonwealth Electric of Massachusetts in converting landfill gas into electrical power, feeding the local electric distribution grid at ComElectric’s 3.3 MegaWatt green power plant.

Rick Phillips – Director of Training & Technical Assistance

Rick Phillips is responsible for working with applicators, contractors, specifiers, and other professionals throughout the United States and training them to successfully specify and apply GigaCrete products. His work enables contractors to maximize savings in labor costs and vastly increase the speed of projects that they can complete, enabling them to do more jobs, realize higher margins, and deliver greater value for their customers. Mr. Phillips is also a research and development professional, with an appreciation for taking products from the lab and making them more user-friendly and easier to install.

Mr. Phillips has over 20 years of experience in the finishing concrete industry and has installed millions of square feet of commercial and residential slabs. He was one of the innovators that mastered the art of colorizing and patterning concrete before it was fully understood, recognizing concrete as a viable option to replicate finishes like brick, slate, stone and tile. By integrating artistic decorative overlay finishes to existing surfaces, this technology also served as a cost-effective option to removing and replacing surfaces for aesthetic purposes. Mr. Phillips worked to bridge the gap in education between the installer and the customer, successfully pioneering the initial effort to educate the trades. He represented major decorative flooring product suppliers and conducted training seminars to advance the careers of industry professionals. A member of the American Society of Concrete Contractors (ASCC) and the Decorative Concrete Council (DCC), Rick has trained and certified over 400 entities nationwide and demonstrated installation techniques at major international events like “The World of Concrete.”

Derek Perlman-VP Marketing and Business Development

Derek Perlman is responsible for managing GigaCrete’s marketing and business development efforts. Mr. Perlman previously worked with Pacific Charter School Development, serving as a project manager for the non-profit school builder. In this role, Derek oversaw the development of several Los Angeles charter school facilities, dealing with all aspects of the projects from finance through to construction.