Pflugerville - Hutto Edition | March 2025

Business

BY DACIA GARCIA

Greg Ray, owner of Set in Stone Statuary, began making hippo statues after moving to the Hutto area in 2016.

PHOTOS COURTESY SET IN STONE STATUARY

Ray works directly with customers on custom paint and designs for the various sculptures he makes.

Set in Stone Statuary reinforces community pride Greg Ray, local resident and owner of Set in Stone Statuary, helps Hutto and neighboring communities bond by serving as a supplier of many hippo statues around the city. How it started After moving to the Hutto area in 2016, Ray decided to invest in 3D printers and worked with a sculptor to create his own designs. “Everything you see online that we sell you won’t nd anywhere else, because that’s how unique our business is,” Ray said. The business can custom paint sculptures, add 3D accessories such as hats and bows, and work directly with customers to create a specic vision, if

wanted to connect with the community by adding a statue of a hippo, the city’s mascot, to his front yard. Ray decided to build one himself, and after his wife posted the nished product on local Facebook groups, the pair was met with requests throughout the neighborhood for statues. The small project has since turned into a part-time business for Ray. Diving deeper After gaining experience in the business, Ray

they aren’t interested in a pre-designed statue. Ray estimates the business has sold approxi- mately 2,000 hippo statues. Despite the long nights he experiences to work on the statues, Ray said the customer experience makes it worth it. “I really enjoy seeing the customer reactions and bringing what they envision to life,” Ray said. “I’ve always liked being creative. That’s kind of what keeps me driven to keep doing this.”

The business also makes personalized memorial statues.

www.setinstonestatuary.com

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(512) 543-1363

jared@pickleballkingdompflugerville.com

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