Today we’d like to introduce you to Greg Ray.
Hi Greg , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’m Greg Ray, the owner of Set in Stone Statuary in central Texas. My work is inspired by Hutto, the only city in the country with a hippo mascot, and that local pride is what first got me into statuary.
I poured my first hippo in 2016 as a garden piece for our home. It was meant to be a fun project, but it quickly turned into something I wanted to keep doing. With support from my wife and a growing interest from others, I started creating more designs and learning new ways to bring them to life.
Hippos are still a big part of what I make, but I also create a variety of animals and custom pieces. Most statues are cast from molds I build myself, and I finish and paint each one so it has its own character. Even as the business grows, it is still just me in the shop, and I take pride in making sure every piece feels right before it leaves.
My goal is simple: create statues that make people smile and give them something special for their home or garden. I appreciate the patience and support from everyone who follows the journey of this small business and helps it continue to grow.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Set in Stone started as a side project, so the biggest challenge has always been time. Balancing a full-time career, family life, and a growing statuary business means most of the work happens late at night or on weekends. There were plenty of moments where I wondered if I could keep up.
Another challenge has been learning everything on my own. From mold making to casting, sanding, repairs, painting, and even the business side, every step came with trial and error. I ruined more pieces than I’d like to admit before I figured out better techniques.
Space has also been a struggle. As orders grew, so did the need for more room to build molds, store materials, and let pieces cure. Working out of a small shop pushes me to stay organized and sometimes forces me to get creative with setups.
Even with all the bumps, the challenges have pushed the business forward. Every mistake taught me something that made the next statue better, and the support from the community made the hard parts worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create custom concrete and fiberglass statues, with a big focus on hippos because of Hutto’s unique mascot and the pride our community has in it. Over the years I’ve built a range of molds and designs, from classic hippos to animals, custom pieces, and larger display statues for neighborhoods, chambers, and local businesses.
What I’m best known for is taking a simple idea and turning it into something people instantly connect with. The hippos especially have become a local symbol, and I love seeing how families, businesses, and whole communities make them part of their identity.
I’m most proud of how far the craft has come. I started with one hand-built mold in 2016, and now I design, cast, finish, and paint pieces that end up all over central Texas. Each statue is cast from molds I create myself, but the personality comes through in the finishing and paint work. That’s where every piece becomes unique.
What sets me apart is the mix of creativity and technical process. I build my own molds, experiment with materials, and use a combination of traditional casting and modern methods to get the right look and durability. I also work closely with people who want something custom, which lets me put their ideas directly into the statue.
At the end of the day, my goal is simple: create pieces that make people smile and give them something they’re proud to display. Seeing that reaction will always be the part I’m most proud of.
How do you think about luck?
Luck has definitely played a part in my journey, both good and bad. The good luck came from timing and location. Living in the only “hippo town” in the country created a natural market for something I already enjoyed making. I didn’t plan on hippos becoming my main thing, but the community’s reaction and support made it possible.
There has also been luck in the people around me. My wife pushed me to take the first steps, and friends and neighbors kept encouraging me every time I tried something new. That kind of support isn’t something you can plan for, and it made a huge difference.
On the other side, there were moments of bad luck too. Materials that failed, molds that tore, statues that cracked, orders that got delayed, equipment that broke at the worst times. When you’re a one-person operation, even small setbacks can throw off your whole plan for the week.
But overall, I think luck opened the door and hard work kept it open. The good fortune of being in a hippo-loving town gave me a direction, and everything since then has been about learning, improving, and pushing through the tough days so the business could keep growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Setinstonestatuary.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/setinstonestatuary
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/setinstonestatuary
