Archive for HAGARTY TALES
Boots ‘n Beer: Rescuing overworked men one hike at a time
Twice a month the hard-charging owner of a Warrenton land-use consulting firm takes to the mountains with a bunch of guys in tow.
“A few hours of walking in the woods are the greatest form of stress relief I know of. It’s therapeutic and the quickest way to get out of your own head and relax,” said Jim Carson, owner of Carson/Ashley. The firm specializes in land planning, civil engineering and land surveying.
Given the moribund economy of the last several years, stress relief is in high demand among working men in Fauquier County. The proof? The five-year-old club has over 100 members. A typical hike will see 10 to 20 men navigating the trails of the Shenandoah National Park and other mountain venues.
But is it all heart pounding, sweat inducing physical labor that eases a worried mind? Not at all. Each hike is followed by a rehydration stop at a local tavern for a burger and beer. The club frequently descends on Griffin Tavern in Flint Hill to enjoy its varied selection of microbrews and tasty menu offerings.
The club’s motto states its charter succinctly: “A drinking club with a hiking problem”. Its whimsical logo depicts a pair of hiking boots, one with a mug handle and foaming beer head, and the other lying on its side in dreamy beer-induced repose.
Nobody’s taking anything serious here; except physical and mental health.
In the beginning
So how did it all start? “Over 15 years ago, my wife Kim and I would go out on mountain hikes. We laughed about how out of shape I was. I don’t think I would have gotten out on my own and started this journey if she wasn’t the type of person who loves being out in the woods,” said Carson.
Carson, 52, further explains that for years he was just, “grinding it out, building my business, paying the bills and tending to all the responsibilities and obligations of life”. He realized he wasn’t taking time out for himself. He thought lots of other men might be in the same trap.
And he was right.
After a few years of the idea incubating in his head, Carson gathered his first 10 club members and headed out to climb Mary’s Rock in the Shenandoah National Park in December 2009. Word soon spread that anyone could join the club. The only criteria? You had to be male.
In the politically correct world of today, a male-only anything tends to bring cries of outrage. But Carson stands firm. “The club allows men the freedom to be men. Guys being guys are not always what the ladies enjoy. But a non-judgmental environment builds esprit de corps and is unifying.” It’s also lots of fun.
“Truth be told, the wives are the best endorser of our club. They see their husbands more relaxed and healthy and they appreciate it,” he explains.
The ladies are welcomed participants at the club’s annual dinner held at a local restaurant or club.
Any “well-oiled” organization needs a set of by-laws to operate by. In keeping with the simple Boots ‘n Beer philosophy, there are only two:
- No business can be conducted on an outing. Men can share what they do but no actual work is permitted.
- All hikes must end with a post-hydration stop.
That’s it. In fact, no club-wide meetings have been conducted since its creation. Simple is as simple does.
The club conducts two hikes a month; always on a weekday to assure members book time off from work. One hike is dubbed “Pilsner” and is an easy five to seven mile jaunt. The second is called “Stout” and involves higher climbs and longer distances of eight to 12 miles.
Another key person who has contributed to club’s success is Andreas Keller, a reverse mortgage specialist based in Warrenton. Keller is the group’s official photographer and publishes a glossy, picture-filled yearbook replete with landscape views, trails scenes, and smiling men carrying day packs and hiking poles.
Keller also worked with Bob Moe, owner of Moetec, a Warrenton website design firm and a fellow club member, to fund and build the club’s website and create its Meetup page.
The enthusiastic Keller is a charter member of the club and has been on 55 of the club’s 60 hikes. “We have at our doorstep beautiful mountains, forests, streams and prepared trails. We can connect with nature while working up a good sweat. In the process you can resolve problems and come home tired and happy,” said a smiling Keller.
So it’s decision time guys. Interested in free emotional and physical therapy while having a great time? Oh, and tasting craft beers? Then visit boots ‘n beer.com and sign up today.
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Jim Carson: Man on the move
Jim Carson smiles. A lot. And it’s not the thoughtless smile of a man covering up a lack of interest in the person at hand.
It’s a smile—often a heartfelt laugh—that connects directly to the person he is talking to. The man has charisma but would be first to disclaim such a trait. It’s his ability “to connect” that has enhanced his professional and personal success.
But for all of his sincerity and interest in others, it belies the heartache he has experienced in life. Within the last several years, Carson lost his six-year-old son, Devin, to leukemia; his business development manager, Les Nichols, to pancreatic cancer; and his planning department manager, Bob Counts, to a massive stroke.
And yet he still smiles. And still seeks to serve. Within a few years of his son’s death he joined Team In Training, a national fundraising organization dedicated to finding a cure for blood cancers. The organization sponsors hikes, marathons and century bike rides that task participants to raise money for cancer cures.
In the last few years, Carson has personally raised $50,390 for the organization.
He is now expanding Boots ‘n Beer to embrace charitable causes. A blood drive has already been held and other charity events will follow, perhaps Habit for Humanity, Rappahannock Rough Ride (helps fund the Fauquier and Rappahannock County free clinics) and more.
“We have a resource of over a 100 men in the club. We can use that resource for good. I would like to see a Boots ‘n Beer chapter in every city in the country. My goal is to keep spreading the word and changing lives,” said Carson.
And there’s no doubt Mr. Can Do will work hard to make it happen.
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Clymb and Wyne answers Boots ‘n Beer
So is it only the guys that have fun roaming the Blue Ridge Mountains? Of course not. A group of Fauquier County ladies got wind of what Boots ‘n Beer had created and launched their own hiking club for gals in January 2014.
It’s a diverse group of women focused on healthy living and camaraderie. The group was inspired by the men’s club but established a bit different model. The ladies hike the second Sunday of the month starting in the morning and conclude with a stop at a local winery or restaurant to rehydrate.
Leslie Keller said, “I recently joined Clymb and Wyne and have gone on the last two hikes, which were beautiful ones along rushing spring waters in the Shenandoah National Park.
“We all enjoyed hiking the trail, chatting with new friends and then wrapping up the hike with a glass of wine and a bite to eat. It was fun, happy and healthy!”
A late spring Facebook post read: “Beautiful Morning for a hike in White Oak; the falls were gorgeous! Shelly, Leslie, Gloria and Marianne enjoyed the day and topped it off with brunch at Griffin Tavern!”
Interested ladies need only visit their Facebook page Clymb and Wyne and post a message to join the club.
Published in the Fall 2014 edition of inFauquier magazine.
Bealeton firm emphasizes “feel good” performance
“I’m a people person. Home remodeling and restoration demands close interface with your clients and I enjoy that. You become part of a client’s life when you take on a project. In this business a couple’s home comes in second only behind their family.”
Tom & Dawn Wotton
While that’s not a mission statement, it could pass for one coming from Tom Wotton, who along with his wife Dawn, are owners of Home Sweet Home Improvements. “We develop a personal relationship with each client. We are not just a builder or contractor,” said Wotton.
Founded in 1991, the custom remodeling and restoration firm has steadily grown in good times and bad. Today, the firm averages 25 projects a year, ranging in cost from several hundred dollars for a simple design fee up to a $2 million dollar restoration effort.
The company focuses on construction management, additions, whole home remodels and historic renovations throughout the Northern Piedmont area. Typical of most businesses in the last seven years, the recession has had its impact. “We see a ‘pumping’ effect in the industry. At times business surges and then it drops off.”
While the recession officially ended in June, 2009 that has not been the Wottons experience. “The recession hit us really hard but 2008 was one of our best years; by 2010 business had dropped by 50 percent. Today, we are back to where we were 15 years ago,” said Wotton explaining the slowly improving economic conditions.
An important benchmark for projecting industry trends is Harvard’s Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity, or LIRA. The model is designed to estimate national homeowner spending on improvements for the current and subsequent three quarters.
The LIRA projects a strong growth in 2014, with gains in home improvement spending projected to be in the double digits for the first half of the year and just under 10 percent by the third quarter. Wotton’s firm is well positioned to take advantage of the favorable forecast.
In the beginning
Tom Wotton grew up in a military family and experienced numerous moves as a youth, much of it in Europe. When he was 15, he landed a job as a laborer for a historic restoration project and became fascinated with the construction industry. That early job led to his earning a degree in Construction Management and later obtaining a Class A Contractor License.
He is also a certified Master Plumber and Graduate Remodeler with the National Association of Home Builders. The man has his bona fides.
His early career was spent working for a residential home builder. As is often the case, the builder was not interested in pursuing remodeling work and handed off such projects to the up and coming Wotton.
Twenty-three years ago, he had sufficient remodeling experience and business leads to justify creating his own company. In 2004, his wife Dawn joined the firm bringing her degree in Business Administration and nine years experience as a senior budget analyst for a U.S. Government contractor to bear on the company’s success.
Dawn Wotton serves as the firm’s Office and Business Manager and oversees marketing, payroll, bookkeeping and finances. The firm has five full-time employees.
Company culture
As the company’s business grew, the essence of what they wanted to provide to clients crystallized. Today, it’s embodied in the “feel good” relationship they seek to establish with every customer.
“When we chose the name of the firm, we did not want to use the word ‘contractor’ or ‘builder’ because we felt we were more than that. We wanted our projects to make a customer feel good. We work harder at that than we do pounding nails, cleaning up and providing safety on the job,” says Wotton.
He shares a story that embodies his firm’s vision: “Recently, we received a phone call from a former client from a year ago. She said she was sitting in her kitchen and wanted us to know, ‘She still loved it!’ and that she missed our crew and wanted to know how everyone was doing. That’s the kind of experience we want to create for every customer.
“It was also a feel good moment for us,” said Wotton smiling.
To reinforce the success they have achieved, a visit to the firm’s website is revealing. Under the testimonial link are several comments on past projects:
“Your work at Boxwood Winery over the past few years has always been excellent. You are knowledgeable, prompt and always reasonable in your charges. We have never been disappointed and will rely on you in the future.” J.K. Cooke (Middleburg)
“Excellent! I felt that you guys care about all of your projects. You are prompt to answer/return calls and deal with any issues that arise. I have never seen such care taken to where the nails were placed in the trim. It was very nice to work with you all.” Shana S. (Warrenton)
“Polite, qualified workers, willing to listen, change, and come up with ideas to have a great outcome! Thank you for taking so much time to help me work through so many ideas and red tape. It was so worth the wait, what a beautiful job!” L. Jones (Marshall)
“Very good! The employees of HSH are exceptionally nice to work with. There was never any question that you cared about us and our project. There is a sense that this house was built with loving hands!” Cammie F. (Jeffersonton)
When former customers freely share their experiences about job performance, it employs the most traditional way of building new business.
Marketing
While a valued reputation and word of mouth advertising are proven ways to build revenues, it often is not sufficient to advance growth. The Wottons generate about 60 percent of their business from repeat customers and referrals. To augment that trade they have undertaken other strategies.
One technique is seminars. Tom Wotton has held two of these in the past year and plans to continue the practice. He assembled six cabinet companies to sponsor the presentations that are held at a vendor’s office. Potential customers are registered for the seminar and Wotton covers the ins and outs of kitchen and bathroom remodeling, both from a do-it-yourself perspective to hiring a professional.
Another promising avenue for lead generation is the website “Houzz”. Houzz is a clever child of the digital age. It provides people with information they need to improve their homes; from decorating a room to building a McMansion.
The site offers builders the opportunity to upload photos of their work and showcase past projects to potential new buyers. “We posted photos of two of our projects and use the site to create ideas for prospects before we meet with them. It’s also a good sales tool. We recently had 800 views within a week,” says Wotton.
Print advertising rounds out their marketing efforts.
In discussing the scope and timeframes for completing specific jobs, Wotton emphasizes he doesn’t use high pressure sale pitches. “”It’s their home and it’s done their way.” Projects are often segmented into the three stages: material selection, purchase of supplies and final installation. “We must be flexible. Typically projects last from three weeks to several months, depending on the scope of the work to be done.”
One interesting segment of the business is people who have recently purchased a new home but want to make changes or additions. “Buyers tell us they were only able to get so many options with their new home and want to further customize it. That’s where our conversation with them begins,” says Wotton.
Historical renovations and restorations take remodeling to another level. Often such projects are tied to a family’s needs. The projects can be sensitive since older homes embody memories of times and people from yesteryear. The Piedmont area has a substantial number of these homes given its rich history dating to the founding of the country. “Family ties to the past and nostalgia are important considerations when undertaking such projects,” said Wotton.
A critical marker of success for Home Sweet Home Improvements is the cadre of trade partners it has developed. “Our partners are important and have been with us a long time. Our plumbers, electricians, designers, architects, and material suppliers share our culture.
“All of us want to provide a project that is on time and on budget and deliver a safe, clean, worry-free home investment. At the end of the day we want it to be a good experience for our customers,” emphasizes Wotton.
In the age of mass production, it’s reassuring to know homeowners in the Piedmont region have a local firm that is committed to providing hand-crafted home remodeling in the best sense of the tradition.
For a full description of the firm’s services, estimates, financing and more visit http://www.homesweethomeimprovements.com/
Published in the 2014 Summer edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.
In June, the Laurel Mills Store in Castleton reopened its doors after a four month hiatus between ownerships. Local residents couldn’t be happier.
Pete & Brenda MacMurray
The new owners, Pete and Brenda MacMurray, are familiar with the Piedmont region having renovated and reinvigorated the Orlean Market in Fauquier County in 2008. The serial entrepreneurs are pleased to be back in Virginia after operating a B&B and gift shop in New Bern, N.C. for the last three years.
Pete McMurray is a creative businessman with a host of successful companies on his resume’. Among his more unique ventures was the development of one of the first eCommerce businesses in the country, called PC Flowers. Created in 1989, the business sold flowers nationwide via the embryonic Internet.
Later, he shifted gears and purchased and operated a major marina located near the Outer Banks in North Carolina. His early career involved stints with IBM and Boeing Computer Services. His wife, Brenda, operated a grocery store in Manassas in the 1990s.
The energetic couple has breathed life back into the historical village store that was built in 1877. An old woolen mill next to the store manufactured confederate uniforms during the Civil War.
The MacMurrays restored the pine flooring and exposed the original brick walls to showcase goods typically found in a small grocery store. And more.
By the end of July, wine—both Virginia and international—and several craft and popular beers will be featured along with fresh sandwiches, soups and salads.
Former longtime co-owner of the store, Mary Frances Fannon, says, “I am thrilled to death to have the store back in operation.”
As are a host of unique customers.
“All the kids from Castleton Festival come in. They are really, really nice kids; musicians, singers, costume designers, and more. Who would have thought we’d have an internationally acclaimed music festival in Rappahannock County? We have people from all over the world come in the store now,” says Pete MacMurray.
And that includes local residents, many who have enjoyed successful careers elsewhere and seek the beauty and quiet of Rappahannock County as counterpoint to their busy lives.
One such legendary cohort is the “Sunday Morning Front Porch Group” that has been meeting for years at the store for coffee, pastries and banter. If one was to stumble onto this crowd, they’d be chatting with consultants, political figures, high-priced lawyers, former CEOs, and judges just to mention a few of the diverse occupations.
Long time Front Porch member Richard Viguerie says, “The Laurel Mills Store has changed but it hasn’t. You’ll find the same warm smile and friendly greeting from Brenda and Pete that we’ve grown accustomed to over the years from Mary Frances Fannon, then Marion Sharp.”
Viguerie explains that as one walks onto the front porch and up to the heavy wooden door, it looks like the mom and pop store he’s known for decades. “But when you step inside—wow—you feel as if you’ve been transported to a charming boutique shop in Greenwich Village.
“Brenda and Pete have clearly made a long term commitment to our part of beautiful Rappahannock County. I, and the other front porch regulars, welcome and thank them.”
Brenda MacMurray is doubly pleased to be co-managing the store since she is again able to visit nearby family members.
The Laurel Mills Store is opened seven days a week in the summer from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays 8 to 5 p.m.
But locals know that if an item is needed during off-hours they can, “Simply knock on the front door and we’ll let them in since we live on the second floor,” says a smiling Pete MacMurray.
Rappahannock hospitality continues in fine form with the rebirth of the Laurel Mills Store.
Published in the July 10, 2014 edition of the Rappahannock News.
Laurel Mills Store
Local legend dedicated to improving lives
Since 1990, clinical psychologist Dr. Robert B. Iadeluca has seen thousands of patients seeking solutions to life’s vexing problems. His career spans over seven decades across a number of fields. Today, at the age of 93, he still sees as many as ten patients a day in his Warrenton office.
Dr. Robert B. Iadeluca
The man embodies Shakespeake’s “seven ages of man” but with a notable exception: He has never advanced to the final two ages but serves at the Justice level, where he has acquired wisdom through life experiences.
Wisdom used in the service to others.
But who is this man who is recognized daily by residents as he moves purposefully about town working as hard as ever? And how does he do it?
A storied life
Iadeluca was born in 1920 and his mother died when he was nine years old. Those limited early years with her were formative. “She was a strong guiding light; very encouraging to me in everything. I could read at the age of two-and-a-half and was playing the violin at age seven, and the trumpet at age nine on local radio shows.
“When I was 5 years old she took me to the library to get a library card,” he recalls. When the librarian declined to issue him one until he could read, his mother told him to pull any book off a nearby shelf. He did and read the first paragraph aloud. He got his card.
The story is emblematic of the “can do” attitude the good doctor would exhibit throughout his life. Upon his Mother’s death he was largely responsible for running the household since his father was a disabled World War I veteran. “Her early training enabled me to carry on when she was gone,” he states.
His father was a practical man and expected him to achieve whatever his goals were. “Among the many things he taught me was Morse code since he had served in the Signal Corps during the war.” The recollections of life with his parents drives home a truism that Iadeluca firmly believes in; early childhood experiences shape people—for better or worst—for the rest of their lives.
As a young man he did not attend college since graduation from high school was viewed as a good start in those days. After serving in some odds jobs he secured a position with an advertising agency in New York City starting as a delivery boy. His innate intelligence and drive soon brought him to the cusp of a promotion to account executive. Then, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and his life took a new direction.
The war years
“When news of the bombing hit, my reaction was the same as everybody else’s; ‘Where’s Pearl Harbor?’ Nobody had ever heard of it.”
Not waiting to be drafted, the future doctor enlisted in the Army. In talking about his life experiences he frequently cites the month and day an event occurred. Total recall might be pushing it but the man’s memory is impressive. “I clearly remember being sworn into the Army, raising my right hand and taking the pledge. It was June 10, 1942.”
Soon after his induction, his intelligence was again quickly recognized and he was promoted to First Sergeant, the heart and soul of military rank. He was twenty-one years old.
After serving stateside helping a team create the 100th Division, at his request, he was sent overseas. He landed in England and was assigned to the 29th Division—the unit that landed at Normandy—and fought with the 29th in France, Belgium, Holland and finally, Germany.
“To repeat an often used description about combat, it was 90 percent boredom and 10 percent terror,” he says. It also bestowed on him membership in the historically important cohort called “The Greatest Generation”.
As part of his overseas experiences, he met a beautiful French girl. The couple stayed in touch after the war and subsequently married stateside when he realized “she was the one.” They had two sons, one who is still living. She has since died.
Career days
Following his military experience, he accepted a position as a career scout executive with the Boy Scouts of America. He held the position for thirteen years at offices in New York State, New Jersey, Long Island and New York City.
Seeking new challenges, he left his scouting job and became the assistant public relations director with the New York State Department of Education. Within two years, a severe recession led to his loss of the position.
Seeing unemployment as an opportunity—and in concert with his lifelong search for knowledge—at age 52, Iadeluca went back to school and received a PhD in Life Span Developmental Psychology. It took seven years to secure the degree and a few years later he went to work as a research psychologist with the Federal Government.
“When I joined the federal workforce I was sixty years old. Most government workers were retiring by then,” he says. It was also when he moved to Warrenton and for ten years commuted to D.C.
It was a valuable decade of professional experience. He worked at the Army Research Institute on issues involving military families and substance abuse. The expertise he gained would later be brought to bear in his Warrenton practice.
At the age 70, he succumbed to the lure of retirement but quickly realized he was bored. He knew a physiatrist at the University of Virginia. “I contacted him and asked if he’d be interested in having an intern at no charge. He said ‘great!’ so I began commuting to Charlottesville five days a week for a year and a half. I learned even more about substance abuse during the internship.”
Sage advice
In 1990, Iadeluca opened his office on Hospital Hill and began seeing patients daily. Seven years ago he began writing for the The Warrenton Lifestyle magazine. Each month he pens an article on some aspect of mental health and well being.
“It’s almost impossible for a day to go by without somebody stopping me on the street or in the grocery store and commenting on one of the articles. Often they have never met me and only recognize me from my photograph.”
The articles are incisively written and provide advice on emotional issues facing the average person. They are, in fact, a direct extension of his work and an opportunity to sit down with the doctor without making an appointment.
And what are the central issues he hears in his practice? “One of the things I encounter often is the failure of people to communicate with each other. Be it either in a family or employment situation. People do not listen or they assume others know what is going on with them. Frequently, I see patients who are not opening up to the other person.
“I also see substance abuse issues in about fifty percent of my patients. My doctorate centered on the study of the human brain from conception to death,” he says. To that end this past winter he held a seminar for parents that focused on keeping children from becoming addicted to drugs by taking preventive measures in their early childhood.
So does he see retirement in his future? “The interaction with my patients is what keeps me alive,” he says emphatically and he has no plans to take down his shingle.
“I’m not here because I’m healthy. I’m healthy because I’m here.
Substance Abuse
“There is most definitely an epidemic of substance abuse in Fauquier County,” says Dr. Iadeluca. “And there is a denial by the general public that the problem exists. But if you talk with law enforcement and social services personnel, they’ll agree.”
Strong words from the psychologist who estimates more than fifty percent of his patients suffer from some form of substance abuse. “People say ‘Yes, I hear about the problem but it’s not in my family, it’s not my child’ but often it is. Over fifty percent of my patients suffer from substance abuse and twenty percent are teenagers.”
The 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health report estimated 23.9 million Americans aged 12 or older were current illicit drug users, reinforcing Iadeluca’s observations.
Prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Overdose rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990. Most abusers get the pills from a friend or family member who had the initial prescription.
The doctor says school administrators, teachers and parents need to learn more about the subject and be alert to warning signs of abuse among young people. Such signs can include loss of interest in family activities, disrespect for family rules, withdrawal from responsibilities, being verbally or physically abusive and taking valuable items or money from the home.
Iadeluca says the human brain does not become fully developed until age twenty-five, making young people particularly susceptible to abuse issues. “They simply don’t have the strength to inhibit such behavior, especially if they have been traumatized in early childhood.”
Dr. Iadeluca says…
What drives a nonagenarian to still work 40 hours a week? Is there a secret to a long and active life or is it just plain luck?
Here are a few observations from the good doctor’s philosophy. You decide.
Responsibility builds knowledge: “When I was a youngster and asked my mother a question, she always said, ‘Look it up!’ And I did.”
Health is paramount: “When I was studying for my doctorate I read research that said not eating red meat leads to a longer life. So in my late fifties, I decided not to eat meat and gradually tapered off. I’m not a Vegan. I just don’t eat red meat.”
Don’t retire: “Last year I considered retiring. I thought maybe I was ready. But I went shopping that day and engaged two or three people in conversation. It re-energized me and I realized I had to maintain my practice to stay healthy.”
Express gratitude: “I’ve had a good life but the last twenty years has been the happiest. When I get up in the morning I look forward to going to work.”
An abridged version of this article appeared in the 2014 summer 2014 edition of inFauquier magazine.
The Spring 2014 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal highlighted the role of print advertising in today’s business environment. It’s conclusion was that print—as opposed to conventional wisdom—is alive and well. The following are three pieces I contributed to the magazine.
Dr. Lawrence J. Finkel Dermatology
In 2002, Dr. Lawrence J. Finkel opened his medical practice in Warrenton. Since then, he has seen almost 45,000 patients. To paraphrase the moniker of the late recording artist James Brown, the doctor is the hardest working man in dermatology.
His office is located at 360 Church St. and “sees patients from infants to the elderly”, providing medical, surgical, pediatric and cosmetic services.
“The best advertising, far and away, is word of mouth. It’s very gratifying when people come in who were referred by neighbors and friends,” says Finkel. “As a result, we continue to grow. Some days we see 15 to 20 new patients. That’s good for growth.”
An adjunct to word of mouth advertising is the collateral benefits of providing a good office experience. His phone service, reception room, attentive nurses, and prompt check outs all factor into satisfied patients who return again and again.
Indeed, the hallmark of an office visit is the friendly greeting from the reception desk followed by “the doctor will see you shortly.” Long waits don’t happen on Finkel’s watch.
Central to the practice’s growth is that he accepts most insurance plans. There is a shortage of dermatologists who do. Except for the 20 percent of his practice that is cosmetic services—which is cash based—the business primarily involves insurance billing.
Notwithstanding the success of providing a professional experience in building a medical practice, paid advertising plays a role. “It’s important to advertise. We are listed on all the insurance carrier websites that we are affiliated with. Many of our patients come here because they go to their carrier’s website and see I am someone who takes their insurance,” explains Finkel.
Print advertising focuses on magazines and newspapers. “We advertise in ten to twelve publications, including homeowner newsletters. We also place ads in one time event publications such as concert and football programs. Print is the most expensive form of advertising we do and I say no to lots of print ad requests.”
When print is chosen, one criteria considered is the shelf life of the publication. If a magazine is published on a monthly or quarterly basis, it increases the amount of time it may sit on coffee tables or in reception rooms multiplying the number of impressions the ad scores over time.
A particularly useful application of print advertising is when the practice purchases a new piece of medical equipment. “We need to market any new devices since patients do not know about them,” states Finkel.
Yellow Page placements are used to draw older patients who may not have access to the internet. Conversely, online search engine optimization is continually updated with key words to stimulate business from younger patients who live in the digital world. “We get twenty-five percent of our new patients from website searches.”
Social media is limited to Facebook and is primarily directed toward building the cosmetic side of the business, called MedSpa 360. Electronic ads include a once a month email newsletter highlighting cosmetic specials. Conventional direct mail rounds out the media budget but is used on a limited basis.
One future possibility for internet advertising is the use of smartphone promotions. Finkel knows today’s teenagers rely on devices to manage their lives and sees that placing pop-up and banner advertising on them could reap dividends. “They’re on their phones all day,” he correctly observes.
One final form of no cost advertising is the fact that the doctor lives in the Warrenton area. “Because I live and work in the community, it provides a good source of advertising. My kids are in the local school system. People may see me in the grocery store and elsewhere and say, ’Oh, I need to come and see you’. I get patient visits because I don’t live an hour away but am in the community daily.”
The good doctor closes with the observation, “I hope to practice for a long time. At some point I may cut back but have no imminent plans to retire.”
It sounds like the industrious Dr. Finkel may double his patient files over the second decade of his practice. Better make that appointment today.
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Stonewall Golf Club at Lake Manassas
“Advertising is very important to the club,” says Jeanna Hilton, director of sales and marketing, at the Stonewall Golf Club at Lake Manassas.
It’s important because it pays. But it must be targeted to score the type of business the club seeks
At Stonewall, a total of $50,000 a year is spent helping to generate revenues of over a million dollars. The ad budget is down from a high of $75 thousand annually when the club first opened in 2001. Back then, the money was apportioned across the three segments of the business: the golf course, the restaurant, and special events.
Today, the golf business receives only a minimal amount of ad dollars because the reputation for a quality golfing experience has been established and precludes the need to extensively promote it. The number of new and repeat golfers keeps the tee time sheet full.
“We used to do local radio and TV advertising to promote the golf side of the business. We no longer find that necessary,” says Hilton.
Wedding at Old House Vineyards
Not so the case with trade shows, weddings and banquets. “We host an annual bridal showcase each year. I charge the thirty participating vendors $300 each to set up a table. That’s money they need to recoup in sales and they expect to see brides at the show.
“And they do, some forty to fifty brides have been at each showcase,” Hilton says. As a result, the vendors know their investment pays off and they return each year.
“Fifty percent of our overall ad budget goes into print; specifically local magazine and newspapers. $6 thousand of that amount is dedicated to the bridal show alone.” The strategy reinforces the fact successful advertising needs be targeted to reap the expected dividends.
Other revenue streams come from the fifty weddings the club hosts annually, private parties, bridal showers and restaurant dinners; both for groups and public dining.
“We also advertise in a local wedding magazine. The editor has a great website and blog so we advertise with her and get the benefit of her website and email blasts.”
Another reason for advertising special events is that many customers who have only been to the restaurant once are often unaware the club hosts group affairs.
The digital world plays an increasing important role at Stonewall. “We have a twenty thousand email database and send out an online newsletter twice a month. It promotes everything the club offers, from golf tournaments to special dining events.
Rounding out the media tool kit is the popular Money Mailer direct mail program. The co-op mailer is a hyper-local approach to direct mail using coupons and individual ad inserts. It is delivered to eighteen thousand homes and has proven its return on investment over the years.
In addition to conventional advertising, the club is a member of both the Prince William and Fauquier Chambers of Commerce. Hilton regularly attends chamber meetings. She also belongs to business networking organizations, including a wedding network group that she created five years ago.
Networking is a lower cost way to build awareness of the Stonewall Club and promote its event schedule. “That’s a huge part of how I do business,” Hilton emphasizes.
In partly describing her role at the club the energetic Hilton says, “I decide what media to use, including social media such as Facebook. I love my job and like interacting with the community.”
The financial performance of the Stonewall Club confirms her success in managing the company’s advertising budget. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Moving business forward with reverse mortgages
Andreas Keller may be a reverse mortgage specialist, but to bring home the bacon networking is his forte. “The best advertising for me is networking. My experience with print advertising has not been as good,” says Keller.
His observation underscores that a business person needs to know both his product and potential clients before creating a successful media budget. It’s a lesson typically learned through experience.
Reverse mortgages are increasing in popularity with seniors who have equity in their homes and may want—or often need—to supplement their income. Participating homeowners normally defer payment of the loan until they die, sell or move out of the home.
Given the rocky economic landscape many older citizens have been moving across over the last decade, increasing cash flow through their declining years can enhance peace of mind.
Keller works for Southern Trust Mortgage in Warrenton. The firm does not provide advertising dollars to generate reverse mortgage business. Promotional efforts are out-of-pocket expenses of the broker. Finding the best avenue to the settlement table at the least cost is paramount when your own wallet is in play.
But lead generation absent splashy print ads and colorful direct mail means work. “Networking is the number one way I generate business”. He devotes a lot of hours to “giving presentations to senior groups, civic clubs, churches, financial advisors, wealth counselors, realtors, insurance agents, attorneys and more.”
And yes, Keller is an articulate and enthusiastic person so networking perfectly fits his personality.
There is, however, one advertising technique that reaps fruit and doesn’t cost Keller a cent. Since reverse mortgages have gained the attention of major lenders, many use national TV and print advertising. Often people come to him because of an initial interest created by a national campaign.
“I always ask people how they got referred to me, how did they find me. One of the frequent ways is they have read one of my articles or heard my presentation and wanted to learn more.
“But, I also have people say they’ve responded to a national TV or print ad and either got a pressured sales pitch or didn’t like the company’s responses to their questions. So they wanted to talk to me. I don’t use pressure. I am an educator,” says Keller.
That might be dubbed lead generation by “drafting”. But if it places a NASCAR driver in the winner’s circle, it’s a sound strategy for Keller.
The second successful promotional effort is social media, specifically, one called Constant Contact. The marketing website permits users to communicate with current and future customers.
“Whenever I do a presentation or make contact with a potential client, I ask them if I can add them to my email address list. It’s not spam. I get their permission. Then every four to six weeks, I send out information and updates on reverse mortgages. I’m getting a lot of good comments from the use of Constant Contact. It costs $35 a month,” Keller says.
As a further on to social media, Keller employs a panoply of sites including, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and Goggle Plus. “They all generate leads.”
And finally, print ads are not totally ignored. “I spend about $5,000 a year on magazine advertising, including the Guide to Retirement Living Source Book. I submit articles for publication in the magazines. It’s not the ads alone generating business. It’s the ads along with my articles,” emphasizes Keller.
So how does the hard working mortgage specialist relax? He is a member of the Warrenton hiking club called Boots ‘n Beer. “Our motto is a drinking club with a hiking problem!”
Two to three times a month you can find him leading hikes in the Piedmont region followed by a burger and brew at a local pub. Keller is a reverse mortgage specialist with his boots firmly planted in the mountains.
Grandson joins ranks of fabled fighting force
The United States Marine Corps was created in 1775 and for more than two hundred years has served as the world’s elite fighting force. Marines are First to Fight; warriors in the truest sense. To be a member is an honor earned, not given.
Preston and his mother Diane
“Every Marine a rifleman” is the axiom that embodies the strength of the Corps. Each Marine learns the basics of being an infantryman regardless of what role they may later assume in the organization.
The training enables Marines to deploy to any location in the world on a 24 hour notice. All troops under a Marine commander are capable of front line combat.
The graduates
On March 7, our oldest grandson, Preston Scott Hagarty, graduated as private first class from the legendary Parris Island, SC Marine boot camp. Jean and I witnessed the ceremony along with his family, his other grandparents and several of his friends.
All of us could not be more proud of Preston’s achievement.
Boot camp
Recruits receive an intensive 13 weeks of training that is demanding and rigorous. It includes physical conditioning, marksmanship, hand to hand combat—and perhaps most importantly—the ability to operate as a cohesive unit, a team.
During his ten day leave after graduation, I spent some time talking with Preston about his experience. It was instructive to learn why this 18 year old young man chose the Marines and what he has learned in the process.
“What prompted me to join the Corps was doing something most civilians will never do. Not many people can say they’ve served in the Marines. It fits my personality. I’ve always wanted to serve in the military. At first I considered the Army, but I wanted to be the best of the best. It was the challenge,” he explains.
Drill Sargent & Preston
When he arrived at Parris Island, he was a full-fledged civilian and found his first test was taking orders from fierce drill instructors that were never far from his face shouting commands at full voice.
“My worst experience was the first two weeks. You had no idea what you were doing. No idea why you were there. I asked myself, ‘Why did I come here?’ ” he recalls.
For those who knew Preston as a high school student, taking orders was not easy for him. But his transformation at boot camp was swift.
Early on, a drill instructor said to think of the training as an initiation process. “I thought, well that makes sense. It’s their Corps and they were going to make us the best Marines. We are the future. We will fight the next war,” he says matter-of- factly.
He also began to change when other recruits he admired became squad leaders. He was dissatisfied he was not advancing. “Who you hang out with is who you are going to be.
“I got with my buddies around week three and said I would show my leadership skills.” Soon afterward, he was assigned squad leader with 12 men reporting to him. He was also promoted to private first class, an honor not bestowed on all recruits.
“I was the second squad leader. I took care of them. I think we had the best squad in the platoon. We were really close to each other,” Preston says.
To underscore the change he underwent, the day before graduation we met one of his drill instructors. The sergeant came up to me and said, “This man has made more progress than any other recruit in the platoon.”
The observation highlights the natural leadership skills our grandson possesses and speaks well for his military future. Receiving and executing orders has become second nature to the young warrior and reinforces the Parris Island slogan “We Make Marines”.
Next chapter
When he returns to duty after home leave, he will undergo Marine Combat Training, or MCT, at Camp LeJune, NC. This will in essence be a graduate course in combat training. The majority of the 27 day exercise will be spent in the field.
“From day one I go straight to the field. We will learn everything about becoming a combat survivor,” he says.
Following MCT, he will be sent directly to Ft. Benning, GA to train in his Military Occupational Specialty; likely artillery or tanks. As expected from a young man looking for adventure Preston says, “I want to do tanks. It’s more fun; more exciting.”
Indeed, it can be both. But most importantly, it will be providing our Nation with the ability to defend itself in a world replete with aggression and terror.
As for the future? Our young soldier looks forward to traveling the world and contributing to freedom’s defense wherever he may be assigned. After his four year enlistment he will decide on his next career.
“If the economy is good, I will leave the Corps and go into to real estate with my Dad. But if the Marines are looking good, I will probably re-enlist,” says Preston.
We salute Pfc. Preston Scott Hagarty for the courage to pursue his dreams and thank him for his service to our country. Semper Fi.
Brian, Diane and the family
Amissville firm caught wall-to-wall trend early on
In 1951, when the post-World War II housing explosion was beginning to surge, the carpet industry sold six million square yards of wall-to-wall. Seventeen years later, almost 400 million yards adorned homes nationwide.
Among the first businesses to spot the consumer trend from hardwood floors and area rugs to foot comfy wall-to-wall was John Early. Forty-seven years later, the thriving family business is an icon in Culpeper, Rappahannock and Fauquier counties.
In 1954, Early began his career as a flooring installer and commuted daily to jobs in Northern Virginia to make a living. Even back then, the traffic was bad. He eventually decided to work out of his home in Amissville and spend less time on the road. At the time, there were only two furniture stores and one lumber company in the tri-country area selling carpeting.
Early began working for them. But he soon realized those businesses did not see the rising popularity of wall-to-wall. He quit the job and opened Early’s Carpets. “When we started out, everyone thought we were crazy because there was nothing out here but those three firms,” recalls his wife, Lorraine, who provided a succinct history of the company. “John couldn’t make a living on that income and in less than two years on our own we had our building up and grew from there.”
Three years later, the store was expanded to include a warehouse. In 2014, there are plans to expand again with a 3,500 square foot facility dedicated to its rug cleaning business. Starting a business from scratch in the rural Piedmont region—and consider how rural it was forty-seven years ago—had its challenges.
“Back then, we hand addressed and mailed 42,000 flyers twice a year” to help build the business, says Lorraine Early. Hand cramps must have been a common aliment during those early marketing efforts. Today, the successful business generates $2.5 million in sales annually, employing twelve people, including five family members and a fleet of a dozen vehicles.
Local touch
As the company grew, it became evident that John Early’s take on changing consumer demand was not his only ace on building the business. “Both John and I attended local high schools. We grew up with our customers. It was an asset to personally know a lot of them, including our teachers, friends and people in the banking business,” says Lorraine Early.
“It was a nice experience to go into the homes of these people. It was fun decorating and seeing the finished product. “When we started we didn’t have but seventeen dollars and some change in our savings. It was all done by hard work and faith in our local banks,” she says, explaining how bank financing worked in a gentler time.
As the business succeeded, carpet installation grew along with sales of oriental and area rugs, hardwood and ceramic flooring, window treatments, and carpet cleaning services. “Anything to do with flooring,” says Early. Trends tend to be cyclical, and today home decorating is moving back to hardwood floors and area rugs. Early’s is again well-positioned to capitalize on the shift.
Over time, it became obvious carpet cleaning could also generate additional income. For years, it was performed with small machines carried into the home. With the emphasis on today’s “Green Scene”, the Early’s purchased “mounted trucks”; a vehicle with high-power, environmentally friendly cleaning motors. Sucking up dirt and odors with these mechanical stallions made for happy homeowners. 
Remodeling does not readily come to mind with carpet installation, but when water damaged is encountered, Early’s will tear out and replace floors, walls, door jams and ceilings. However, getting homes dried quickly is critical to avoiding such expensive restoration work.
“Our technicians go to school in Georgia to learn how to completely dry out a home. During training, the company floods an entire house and the students learn how to dry it out. If you don’t get to it quick, mold will set in. We have even refinished guns that were water damaged,” she says.
When hiring a new employee, the Early’s emphasize they are embarking on a career, not just a job. “We tell them it’s like going to college, but longer. There is a lot of product knowledge and studying to do. A person needs to stay up with it. “John and I use to do all the training ourselves but now we depend on our daughter and son-in-law to do it. Once trained, we want our employees to stay in the business. It takes five years of on-the-job training to become proficient in the flooring business,” Early explains.
Growth
When the company was in its early years, it was typical to get just two or three customers a week. “We’d have customers push the buzzer on the store front door. My children were just a few months old and people would have to wait till I got there from our home out back,” she remembers. Today, those few of customers have grown to several hundred visits a week.
The clientele is still primarily local people, but increasingly the Early’s are seeing buyers from the Gainesville and Hay Market area. “While we do some commercial work—mostly local churches, banks and other businesses—the bulk of our business is still centered on residential.” The firm does not pursue track housing contracts.
One couple who are relatively new to Culpeper County heard about Early’s reputation and chose them to install hardwood flooring and carpeting. “Oh, we were very happy with them. The workmanship was great and we were very satisfied with the product,” the homeowner commented.
The Early’s could, no doubt, fill several volumes with similar testimonials. While the internet is changing how business is generated these days, Lorraine Early doesn’t see it as a growing force in the family shop. “Yes, we do have some online sales but in this business you still have to measure and touch things. For the most part, our customers want to see us,” before making a buying decision.
“This type of business requires a lot of personal attention. You need to stay on top of things. Everybody wants to do computers but our work is a little different. It’s hands on but rewarding. The personal touch is important to our success.”
What has also helped the small firm grow is its depth of inventory. The warehouse has over 75 large rolls of carpet, 400 area rugs, 100 rolls of vinyl, and selections of hardwood and ceramic flooring to chose from. “When customers are working on a project and want to complete it, they can come in and often find what they need without having to order it.”
Recession’s impact 
In reflecting on the last six years, Lorraine Early says. “It’s been hard. There hasn’t been much improvement. I feel very fortunate our buildings are paid for but young people need to be trained and they need the jobs. Business comes in spurts and you get excited but then it drops back.
“We’ve had to do away with a lot of our employee benefits, except health insurance. We have kept it for all our employees. But paid holidays and vacations have had to go in order to afford the insurance.” While remodeling is often viewed as a bright side to a depressed economy, the Early’s don’t see it.
They do more advertising to keep their name in the market place. The benefits of growing a business when you are young and living in a rural area is the ability to attract customers you grew up with. Today, both the owners and their faithful customers are aging and younger newcomers moving into the area. “We need to keep our name our there so people know who we are.
There has been influx of new people and they don’t always know us.” One benchmark of the quality work provided by Early’s is repeat business. It’s not unusual for them to perform work on floorings that were installed thirty or forty years ago. “The quality of our work has really held up,” Lorraine Early says.
The family
At this stage of his career, one might call John Early, Installer Emeritus. He acts as the public face of the company, handling public relations and work site visitations, while monitoring customer satisfaction and quality control. At 79, is well positioned to know when a project needs a bit of fine tuning. His depth of experience also serves to train and mentor his younger employees.
Lorraine Early speaks with respect when she shares that her husband is a two time cancer survivor. “He’s had health issues that he shares it with people who are going through a lot of turmoil. He is still active and is a very determined man,” she says with pride.
Lorraine Early managed the sales force and the decorating side of the business for decades and still oversees it. However, back in 2000 she turned much of the daily in-store work over to her daughter, Sonja, who is the store manager and project scheduler.
Sonja’s husband, Solon Betts, is head installer. Son John handles in-home measuring assignments, and grandson, Ted, heads up cleaning and restoration. Grandson Cody, attends the itt Technical Institute in Chantilly, preparing for a career in computers. Meanwhile, he oversees the company’s computer applications. The Early’s have no plans to sell their business but if they ever did, the buyers would be family members. What they have built together will stay together as the family flagship.
For hours of operation and a full description of the company’s product line and services, visit http://earlyscarpetinc.com/ 
Published in the Winter 2014 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.
Heating and air conditioning firm building on 78 year legacy
FDR was re-elected in a landslide. Gone with the Wind first hit the bookstores. And the cost to mail a letter was three cents. It was 1936, the year McCrea Equipment Company was founded.
To place that success in perspective, the average lifespan of leading U.S. companies has decreased from 67 years in the 1920s to just 15 years today. The Fauquier County firm is bucking the trend by building business the “McCrea Way. Quality service the first time, every time”.
“Mack” McCrea created the then heating and air conditioning wholesaler in the harsh economic environment of the mid-1930s, when unemployment raged at 16.9%; over twice what the US is experiencing today. When he died in 1965, three of his employees purchased the company’s stock.
One of those employees was George Lanhardt, who subsequently bought out the other partners in the early 80s. Since then, it’s been a family run business with Lanhardt’s son, Wayne, forging the company’s growth for nearly three decades.
Today, the firm has 215 employees—63 at the Warrenton location—and operates six companies in VA, MD, and PA. Wayne Lanhardt’s sons, Shane and Seth, are the firm’s next generation of leaders who are continuing the company’s performance by building a young, success-driven corps of managers. Their accomplishment is reflected in increased revenues generated during a depressed economy.
“We have a very strong team with a lot of guys in their 30s and 40s in management positions. The team is very forward thinking. We’ve made a successful transition from an older company. A lot of older companies stumble. In the end, it’s really about your people. That’s the strength of our organization,” says 36-year-old Shane Lanhardt, who runs the Virginia business and spent time sharing the firm’s story with the Piedmont Business Journal.
Unique business plan
Unlike many HVAC businesses, McCrea sets itself apart by being involved in all aspects of heating and air conditioning services. This includes new home installations, service and replacement, manufacturing of sheet metal, duct and piping materials, and providing energy analysis and audits. The firm is among the largest HVAC firms in the DC metro area.
In addition to the scope of the business enterprises, the firm had the prescient to see what was unfolding in the red-hot real estate market of a decade ago. “The housing market was booming during the nineties. It was almost uncontrollable growth. We were installing 10,000 units a year in new homes. But we knew the bubble was going to have to burst,” recalls Lanhardt.
And burst it did. But McCrea had positioned itself to survive the collapse. “We decided to create service and replacement companies and augment new home construction sales with more service and replacement work. In 2000, 95% of our business was in new home construction. Last year, that figure dropped to 60% with 40% service and replacement picking up the difference.”
Lanhardt goes on to say, “The housing market has recovered some but I don’t think we’ll ever see what it was doing back in the nineties. While we have done 40% more new work this year than last, I don’t think that pace will continue.”
The DC metro real estate market is among the most stable in the Nation but Lanhardt opines there is still “a lot of instability in the market. If you know your job is stable, then a decision to replace a $6,000 unit becomes easier. If not, you might pay $500 for a repair. There is a little trend of more people repairing and not buying the best systems because of instability,” Lanhartdt says.
One of the hallmarks of McCrea is not trying to sell customers something they don’t need or can’t afford. The business is based on volume sales and “we don’t want to make the most amount of money off each customer. Our philosophy is to provide good service, do a great job and provide value to people for their money,” emphasizes Lanhardt.
Building market share
One obvious advantage of building sales with a decades old business is a large customer base to draw upon. The firm has a 200,000 person customer file that receives a quarterly newsletter providing information on new developments in the industry, tips on reducing heating and cooling costs, special promotional offerings on service and installations and more.
“We keep in touch with our customers through our newsletter, Facebook and Twitter. Our industry is reactive so customers don’t normally plan to buy new. Their purchase is often dictated by the immediate need of a failed unit. Building brand so that former customers think of McCrea when facing an HVAC need is critical. There is no cold calling in this business. Word of mouth and branding are important,” says Lanhardt.
As in every industry, technological advancements have been dramatic in the last few decades. Today, an increasing source of new business is geothermal. It provides the highest energy efficiency but is expensive.
Lanhardt says, “The federal government gives a 30% tax credit back to dollar one on the installation costs on these systems. And there is no cap on that number. It is the most efficient unit you can buy. A geothermal unit can reduce utility costs by 70% to 80% a year.”
Significant savings are not limited to premier systems such as geothermal. Propane or oil systems that are upgraded to heat pumps with oil backup can generate 50% to 60% savings in utility costs from systems installed just a decade ago. Science and technology strikes again.
Nonetheless, technical advancements can possibly be trumped by commonsense. Lanhardt underscores old fashioned strategies such as raising window shades and pulling curtains back during the winter months will allow solar energy to hold heating costs down. Reverse actions in the summer permits a darken house to retain air conditioned cool air.
“Our newsletter regularly includes cost saving recommendations,” says Lanhardt.
Community involvement
The importance of giving back to the community that helped fuel its growth is evident in McCrea’s work with Fauquier Habitat for Humanity. Last January, the firm provided discounted HVAC units and no cost installation for two duplexes Habitat built.
The duplexes are a collective effort between Habitat and the Fauquier Family Shelter. The Shelter provides transitional housing for families in need. If they subsequently qualify, they are eligible in securing mortgages as permanent residents of the newly constructed duplexes.
Brenda Drerenberger, Executive Director of Fauquier Habit for Humanity, explains, “Shane is great to work with. He arranged for the manufacturer, Trane, to provide the deeply discounted units to Habitat and then donated McCrea’s labor costs to install them.
“The program is a hand up not a hand out. Each family must be employed and quality for a mortgage. They are also required to provide 400 hours of sweat equity. The program gives them an opportunity to step up in life and improve their future possibilities. But the lower we can keep construction costs the lower the family’s mortgage.”
Habitat has 200 volunteers that provide much of the construction labor but, by law, cannot install heating and air conditioning units. McCrea fulfills that need.
“I went to them this year and was not expecting them to be able to help again but they did,” says Drerenberger.
The firm also supports Habitat’s annual golf tournament and other Habitat projects in Virginia.
Given the business and community philosophy that drives McCrea Heating and Air conditioning, celebrating 100 years in business appears to be just a matter of time—2036 to be exact.
Published in the Winter 2014 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.
Experiencing the shiver of delight, not chill
I’m a man for all seasons. No, not a Thomas More challenging King Henry VIII and his propensity for divorce in the classic 1966 movie. I doubt I have the moral strength to lose my head for my principles.
But rather, I am a man for all of nature’s seasons; spring, summer, fall and winter. This love dates to my early days of scouting when I cared less about earning merit badges but simply wanted to go camping. Anytime.
My affection for the out-of-doors is reinforced when winter settles on our bucolic Piedmont countryside. Winters here are ephemeral. Out of an entire season, we might only have a few weeks of really cold weather before March blows the frosty days away in a whirlwind.
And lest I get side tracked, the subject of global warming is being left on the shelf for now. The last word I read is that global temperatures have not changed in the last fifteen years, regardless of rising greenhouse gases.
In Virginia, the average winter temperature is 39 degrees. Sounds chilly but that’s the average. There are plenty of mid-40 degree days or higher. But this winter is off to a grand start from my perspective. As I type, it’s 36 degrees outside at two o’clock in the afternoon with a light blanket of snow draping the forest surrounding our home.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac makes this 2014 prediction for our region: Winter will be colder and drier than normal, with the coldest periods in early and late December, early January, and early February. Snowfall will be near normal in the north and above normal in the south, with the snowiest periods in early November and in mid- and late February.
Ahhh…a delightful prognostication; let’s hope it’s accurate. A cold winter warms the heart and turns one inward to home and hearth. During the rest of the year, my restless nature has me pursuing all manner of activity. Once the sun is up in the summer, I’m off to engage in yard work, golf, trail maintenance in the Shenandoah National Park, hiking, volunteer work and more. Balmy weather compels one to activity. Yes, retirement gifts me much free time.
During a cold winter, I venture outside less but when I do, it’s into a more peaceful world. Daily walks on my community trails are solitary excursions. No one is about; the crunch of snow on the trails is the only sound I hear. Rambling through a snow covered forest is an invitation to open a conversation with myself on all manner of weighty issues—or not. I return home a calmer man than when I left.
When the temperatures begin to drop in November, it’s time to pull the comforters out of storage and prepare the beds for long winter sleeps in snugly comfort. Firing up my beloved wood burning stove is a hallmark of winter’s descent.
Bringing fire into a home has its environmental critics and is attendant with a wee bit of a safety issue. But to sit in my living room in the evening, transfixed on a soft burning fire, creates a sense of security and peace.
No heat pump, propane tank or electric heating can match the deep warmth—both physical and emotional—conveyed by a wood burning stove. It is a presence almost as real as a person; a living entity shielding one from the harsh reality of cold air, while providing warming comfort to those gazing into its magical flames.
A dram of single malt scotch enjoyed in the company of both a softly crackling fire and my bride of forty-eight years, is like roaming the Elysian Fields here on Earth.
As a writer, dropping temperatures stirs creative urges. Since there is less life outside, the thought process turns inward and appears upon paper in a gentle, unrushed march of words on subjects untouched in a warmer clime.
Among the highlights of an award-winning winter is a heavy snowfall. Time seemingly stops as the snow piles up, traffic remains captive in blocked driveways and scenes evocative of a century ago appear as an artist’s rendering. It is the ultimate solitary confinement in the best sense of that normally dreaded term.
Another delight is my escape to the mountains for both downhill and cross-country skiing. Downhill is often a family adventure while cross-country finds me heading into West Virginia with the guys to work hard, gliding over forest trails and relaxing in the evenings with libations and stogies.
The end of the day assessments includes how skillfully we managed the icy descents on free-heel skis. Truth is neither sought nor expected in these performance reviews.
I look forward to this winter, hopeful its auspicious start is not melted in a January thaw.
Quotation anthologist, Terri Guillements, frames the quiet season best by saying, “The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.”
So while others wait the eventual return of warm breezes, I will revel in the imagination of the chill.
Firm serves 1,200 clients in first three years
Sensing a need and fulfilling it is Business 101. Creating and delivering the product is a challenge. Achieving both in a 36-month period is impressive.
Welcome to Culpeper Premier Fitness; two women who are on the move literally and figuratively. Both Bridget Scarbrough and Susan Huff are as in shape as their successful fitness centers.
And not surprisingly, the secret to their success is—get this—experience coupled with hard work. Sound familiar? Hearing them share their backgrounds and how they’ve used their talents to build a thriving small business one realizes being in shape is de rigueur.
Although operating in two different but related realms the fitness mavens combined forces three years ago to offer area residents a unique and holistic approach to wellness. Huff is a former school teacher who specialized in teaching children with disabilities in southwest Virginia. Earning her PhD in Special Education Administration she went on to become a public school administrator and later served as an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Tech for four years. On the side, she taught cycling, fitness and yoga classes.
Moving to Culpeper in 2008, she could not secure employment in her chosen field given the tough job market and went to work for Gold’s Gym teaching yoga, weight resistance training and indoor cycling for two years, later moving on to the Powell Wellness Center.
Her first love was yoga but she realized, “I could starve to death teaching only yoga. There is so much competition out there and much of it is offered at a flat fee. I knew I had the skill set to start my own business.”
In 2010, she opened The Second Floor Studio at 120 West Culpeper Street. During her years in the local fitness scene she met Bridget Scarbrough who also worked at both Gold’s and Powell Wellness. Scarbrough says, “I was an unlikely candidate to become a personal trainer because I never played sports or did anything like that all my life. But I got out of shape and started exercising and things clicked with it,” she recalls.
Scarbrough earned her certification as a personal trainer and specialized in fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle training. After having helped open Gold’s she later moved to Powell Fitness because, “It better suited my interests. I was able to work with seniors and families there,” she says.
Scarbrough also worked as an in-home personal trainer traveling throughout the Piedmont region. The two motivated women were building a working relationship and it was a natural fit when Huff asked Scarbrough to join her studio and forge a business together.
Two into one
As Huff was growing her business she knew her first love was yoga but a variety of other fitness regimes were well-suited for her studio environment. Scarbrough had logged 27,000 miles on her vehicle in the first year of her in-home personal training program called It’s Up To You Fitness.
Scarbrough had left Powell Wellness Center but serving her in-home clients was becoming too demanding. “I’m a little hyper and like to try different things. I teach kick boxing, indoor cycling, TRX and boot camp style classes. After a year with Susan, I decided to move all my personal training to the studio. My clients are happy to come to the studio so it has worked out well for everyone,” says Scarbrough.
“With my interest in yoga and Bridget’s training in fitness and nutrition we realized by joining forces we’d have a lot offer clients. Our business together has taken off beautifully,” says Huff. It became apparent that the double business structure needed to be streamlined to maximize profits. “We combined our websites and created an umbrella entity called Culpeper Premier Fitness. We still have our two separate businesses but now operate under one name. People began leaving other gyms because we offer a beautiful studio experience plus one-on-one client attention,” says Huff.
Scarbrough says, “Most gym fitness programs are choreographed and don’t easily allow personal advice and attention to be incorporated into a training program. Working out in a studio environment permits us to customize routines to meet an individual’s physical needs and abilities.”
Scarbrough’s emphasis is on her program called “It’s Up To You Fitness.” She created a challenge for participants to realize their weight and fitness goals over an extended period saying, “Many people spend a lot of money at gyms but are not getting the results they want. There is an ‘all or nothing attitude’ that develops. I realized I needed to teach people how to take small baby steps in the right direction.
“From August 2012 to May 2013, my clients lost a combined total of 800 pounds. One woman dropped 85 pounds and ran a 5K race for the first time, although that was not typical. There was even an article in the local paper about her. She was a fitness rock star.”
To achieve such results Scarbrough encourages her charges to skip soft drinks and avoid other unhealthy food choices but not to give up with a failure to do so. “If they fail one day we say ‘Don’t worry’ get back on your routine and diet. It’s a change in lifestyle and that’s why it’s so successful.
“It was a conscious decision not to have mirrors in the studio. Anybody can walk in here and feel comfortable,” she says. She also sends text messages daily to her students asking questions like, “What are you going to do today to meet your goal?” The classes have been so popular Scarbrough had to hire another trainer to assist with the growing number of attendees, especially the evening classes.
“I was at the Montpelier wine festival last year and I had three husbands offer to buy me a glass of wine because the self-confidence their wives had gotten by taking just one four-week class,” says a smiling Scarbrough. 
Another popular program is known as Total body Resistance exercise, or TRX. “It’s body weight suspension training,” says Scarbrough created by a former Navy Seal.
The system leverages gravity and your bodyweight to perform hundreds of exercises by simply adjusting your body position to add or decrease resistance. It employs two straps with loop hand holds suspended from a ceiling or door jam that allows a person to do sit ups, pull ups, and multiple core body exercises with no equipment other than the straps. Body weight alone is employed to exercise all major muscle groups. The system has roared across the physical fitness landscape since being introduced in 2005 and shows no signs of abating. “I even have two eighty-year-olds who use the TRX,” say Scarbrough.
The cost their classes are reasonable. A new student pays $80 for a four-week program and $40 each month thereafter. “Once you’re in the program its $10 a week to continue. And that includes training videos for at-home work outs, discussions on healthy eating, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, stretching, cardiovascular and more. It’s an extremely holistic approach to wellness. No one else offers quite the program we do,” says Scarbrough.
On the quieter side
As Scarbrough’s classes grew in popularity, Huff saw an opportunity to expand her love of yoga training. Her pursuit of a quieter lifestyle led her to purchase the iconic Stonewall Abbey church in Sperryville last year and launch a second studio devoted only to yoga.
“The classes in Sperryville are different than at the Culpeper studio. They emphasize the meditative, spiritual, and chanting aspects of yoga. Recently I had seventeen people in one of my morning classes. We serve walk-ins and have relationships with local bed and breakfasts that send their guests over. We offer classes seven days a week.
“The Sperryville location has become so popular next year I’ll be offering a yoga teacher training program. A lot of people are not certified in the best manner and you can hurt people in yoga if you are not mindful,” she says. An interesting aspect of the women’s business it’s that 95% of their clients are women. “A lot men view physical fitness as building bulk and strength. But yoga can be demanding. I’ve had men clients’ teasingly tell me ‘you killed me’ so yoga can produce a good workout,” states Huff.
Huff points out men are underserved in yoga instruction and she will soon begin offering a men-only program in Sperryville. “It can be intimidating for a man to walk into a class full of women. Often men can’t touch their toes because they are classically tighter than women. It’s just the way men are wired. If it works out, we will offer the same class in Culpeper,” says Huff.
Scarbrough underscores the male perception to fitness when discussing her volunteer work with the Culpeper Police Department. “It’s a trust thing. It took a year to build up the men’s trust that I knew what I was talking about and that I could help them—and kick their butt—without using a machine, she says laughing. Culpeper Premier Fitness is emblematic of a well-executed business plan.
The young firm’s success is due to its laser-like focus on fulfilling a need. Huff and Scarbrough do not see a physical expansion of the business since both locations can accommodate their growing client base. The firm has a total of seven employees.
We’ve done pretty well after three years,” understates Huff. We are really happy with our success and look forward to increasing the personal training we do.”
For information on classes and rates at both the Culpeper and Sperryville locations call 540.250.3828 or visit http://www.culpeperpremierfitness.com/
Published in the Fall 2013 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.
Marriage is seemingly under a lot of pressure these days. While divorce rates in the US have fallen somewhat in the last decade, it is still around 40% of all couples who pledge “till death do us part.” The commitment to a lifelong marital bond has lessened but its value to the Nation is self-evident to many.
The 1865 paean to motherhood, “The hand that Rocks the Cradle is the Hand That Rules The World” holds true for many couples today. Here is my tribute to my brother Bill and his wife Jan as they celebrate their golden anniversary. The piece appeared in the August 3 edition of the Inter-Mountain, Elkins, WV.
Bill and Jan Hagarty of Elkins celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 27. The Hagarty’s renewed their wedding vows at home in a ceremony officiated by their brother-in-law, Jack Etzel, a deacon in the Catholic Church.
The Hagarty’s have three sons, Sean, Kevin and Marvin and three grandchildren. Over the course of their marriage they have provided a home to twenty-one foster children, ranging from stays of a few weeks to over two years.
Bill graduated from St. John Bosco High School in Huttonsville. The school taught theoretical and practical agriculture on a 500 acre dairy farm. Today the facility is a youth and retreat center. He is a Member of St. Brendan’s Catholic Church where he volunteers his services.
Bill retired from the Federal Government after 38 years of service, including an assignment in Iwo Jima with the Air Force.
For the past five years he had been a car host on the Cheat Mountain Salamander train. His love of history was on display with his fact-filled commentary on trains and the West Virginia countryside. It was the highlight of the excursions and popular with passengers.
Jan volunteers at Davis Memorial Hospital and is a volunteer at the reception desk at First United Methodist Church where she is a member.
The Hagartys are well-known throughout Elkins for their volunteer services and love of the Mountain State. Their family and friends wish them continued happiness.
Restored art deco playhouse launches next generation of entertainment
From the late 1930s on, the Culpeper State Theatre was the place to see and be seen. Memories abound from yesteryears patrons of Saturday matinees, Sunday concerts and movie classics such a Gone with the Wind, Casablanca and On the Waterfront showing weekly.
“It was also the only place on Main Street that had lots of lights,” says one resident fondly recalling his childhood.
Today, the 560 seat theatre has been restored and expanded at a cost of $9.2 million. The work includes a ground up reconstruction of the building with an impressive new lobby, state of the art stage, $1 million surround sound and lighting system, 100 percent wool reproduction of the original carpet woven by an English mill, a new wing housing meeting rooms and a small 50 seat theatre located on the second level.
The chairs in the main auditorium were donated by the Kennedy Center and refurbished in an art deco theme. A single original wall sconce was used by the firm Bingham & Taylor to replicate and then donate the remaining wall lighting fixtures.
But the crown jewel is the $100,000 restoration of the original marquee with its “air conditioned” neon lettering displayed front and center for the 24,000 cars that drive past the theatre daily.
An air conditioned building was so unique in the theatre’s earlier days local doctors were known to write prescriptions for pregnant women so they could seek refuge in the cool, dark theater during the humid summer months.
On May 4, Bruce Hornsby—a virtuoso widely known for his creative performances in a variety of musical genres—appeared before a sold-out house at the restored theatre’s grand opening on its 75th anniversary.
Hornsby is the caliber of performer rarely seen in Culpeper and the theatre will showcase similar regional and nationally known acts in the years to come.
An agreement with Audio-Visual Conservation at The Library of Congress, located just east of town, will permit the showing of classic 35 mm and digital movies and represent fifteen percent of the theatre’s programming. The library has a collection of over a million films, television and video items.
The original theatre was opened in 1938, one of thirty owned by Virginia Senator Benjamin Pitts. There are only three remaining in operation today. The theatre was closed in 1993 and sat vacant until 2004 when local residents Greg and Liz Yates purchased it.
Envisioning a rebirth of the theatre as a performing arts center, the Yates’ created the State Theatre Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and donated the building to the foundation. Their gift is one that will keep on giving for the next 75 years and beyond.
Executing a vision
The dream of creating a community stage with exceptional talent appearing from near and far is laudatory; making such a dream financially sustainable is hard reality. Enter Ed Bednarczyk, stage right.
Executive Director Ed Bednarczyk
Bednarczyk and his wife Nancy were decade-long residents of Culpeper until their move to Washington State in 1999, relocating to his wife’s home town of Seattle. When the couple returned to Culpeper, he assumed the position of Executive Director of the State Theatre Foundation. A 17 member Board of Directors, which includes the Yates’, oversees theatre operations.
Original plans called for restoration to begin shortly after the Foundation was created. Unfortunately, the recession put the dream on ice as it did for millions of businesses nationwide.
In 2011, sufficient funding was secured and the two-year restoration and expansion project commenced. The funding of $9.2 million was achieved in three distinct segments; $3.2 million from new market and historic tax credits; $3 million from individual donations and pledges, and a $3 million unfunded nut to crack. It’s the third leg of the funding stool that is the primary focus of Bednarczyk’s job.
Achieving the tax credit funding was a major step in advancing the project. The credits were purchased by a third party who assumed the tax benefits over a seven year period while providing the Foundation an immediate infusion of cash.
Successful private donations of an additional $3 million instill confidence in Bednarczyk that the final $3 million funding is clearly achievable. Nonetheless, it’s a goal requiring a full time commitment to pursue private and corporate donations.
“I encourage anyone interested in supporting the local performing arts scene to consider a donation,” says Bednarczyk. A central component of the funding effort is the “Light Up the Marquee” campaign. Monetary gifts ranging from $350 to $5,000 earn the donor the right to have their name appear on a designed sculpture of the Marquee that will be displayed in the theatre lobby.
A broader based fundraising effort is embedded in the Membership Benefits program that offers a host of benefits to theatergoers who contribute from $50 up to $2,500.
One can fully appreciate the budget required to run a first tier arts center when considering Bednarczyk’s management responsibilities. In addition to his primary fundraising efforts, he manages a staff of six professionals: operations & programming, marketing, box office, technical director, financial director, and house manager. Three part-time box office assistants and several volunteers round out his staffing duties.
But any extended conversation with Bednarczyk tends to drift back to fundraising, especially corporate sponsorships.
“There’s not a better opportunity in the region for a corporation to step forward and place their name on some part of this building; from the highly visible front of the theatre right above the marquee to the main auditorium, the new annex, the fifty- seat Black Box Theater, the concession area and more. All of these venues offer a wonderful opportunity for local, regional and even national firms to embrace its customer base while supporting the performing arts,” states Bednarczyk.
The challenge becomes clear given the cost of such sponsorships. Various inside the building marketing opportunities start around $10,000 and range upwards to the premier front of the building commitment of a half a million dollars. Yet the executive director is quick to point out the advantages of such an investment.
“Given the traffic count on Main Street averaging two persons per car, nearly 50,000 people a day could be viewing a company’s name and logo and be linked with an icon of the community. And the marketing of all the shows would include the name of a major sponsor,” underscores Bednarczyk.
Another vision of the foundation is to embrace the youth of the region, including youth concerts. One specific $75,000 sponsorship is called the “Big, Yellow Bus Campaign”.
“I tell school administrators, ‘get’em on the bus and leave the rest to us’. It’s a great program. It takes some of the burden off the schools that have had to cut programs due to budgetary restrictions and helps create great field trips for the children.
“Another source of funding is applying for grants from private foundations who are interested in supporting the arts. “I would love to talk with any of them,” says Bednarczyk.
Local economy impact
A recent study conducted by Americans for the Arts, a National organization that supports the arts and culture through private and public resource development, showed that for every ticket sold at a performing arts theatre an additional $27 was spent in the local community. Shopping, dining and lodging establishments are beneficiaries in addition to the concertgoers.
Bednarczyk underscores that message with a story. “During the Lyle Lovett performance I met a gentleman from Seattle who was on travel. He read that Lovett was appearing at the theatre. Being a fan, he purchased a ticket, booked a hotel room and had dinner at one of our local restaurants. This is the kind of ripple effect the theatre will have on the ten surrounding counties in our region. A venue such as ours does not have to have 2,000 seats or more to have a serious economic impact.”
John Yarnall, owner of It’s about Thyme and two other restaurants and a lodging establishment in town reinforces the economic benefits of the theatre, saying, “I think the theatre is a great asset for the whole community. My restaurants and other local retail businesses will benefit because the theatre is bringing new people to Culpeper and they are staying at local inns and hotels. After their visit they go home and tell others about what’s happening in Culpeper.
“Short term the impact is nice. Long term the impact will be tremendous. And the staff at the theatre are wonderful people to work with.”
Playbill
“Knowing and learning our audience is how we will attract people to the theatre,” says Bednarczyk. The goal is to offer a blend of regional and big name acts coupled with free concerts performed by local groups. Cinema will round out the playbill.
While acts like Hornsby and Lovett sell out almost immediately, on average about sixty percent of the seats are currently filled for other concerts.
“Our goal is to reach all audiences. It’s much like when a new store opens and it takes time to build awareness; that’s the stage we are in now. We are essentially telling people ‘we are open for business’. We opened at a difficult time for a theatre. Spring and summer are historically slow times for art centers. Our big season will start in September,” explains Bednarczyk.
He also emphasizes the theatre cannot rely solely on big names. “We would go out of business if we only booked expensive acts. Our formula is to seek sponsors for individual shows who can help offset our costs. This is another opportunity for businesses that don’t want to buy a building name or room yet want recognition. Their name is announced at the show and appears in our playbill and advertising. The cost of a show sponsorship starts at $1,500 and ranges upwards,” says Bednarczyk.
Ticket pricing reflects the cost of performers. Typically a show costs $20-$25. For major acts it jumps to $40-$50, still a bargain given most attendees do not have to travel long distances to see such performers. But tickets for many quality local acts fall in the $10 to $12 range. Free programming completes the schedule.
“Once word gets out about the theatre I think we’ll have an amazing response. We will be selling out shows quite a bit. There are millions of people within forty minutes of this location. We need to let them know we are here and provide them another entertainment option. I’m confident this theatre will celebrate its next 75th anniversary.
“I tell people the theatre is the ‘missing link’ in this community. We have connectivity to Amtrak, local tourism offices and more. I have lived all over the country and most towns would love to have just twenty-five percent of what Culpeper has to offer,” states Bednarczyk.
When asked what his greatest frustration and greatest fun is in running the playhouse, Bednarczyk responded:
“I guess my frustration is finding the patience to have every one of those seats filled at every performance as quickly as possible. I want it now. It makes for a better show when both the audience and the performers see a full house. It will happen but it takes time.
“My greatest fun is inspiring people. At just about every performance I see an elderly lady sitting across the aisle from a ten year child and it may be the first time either of them have seen a talent-filled live show. We have an awesome opportunity to both entertain and inspire those individuals and have them tell others about their experience and then come back. My fun is to win them over and show them what live theater is all about.”
Bednarczyk’s enthusiasm bodes well for the future of the State Theatre. Get your tickets now before the next show is sold out.
The State Theatre is located at 604 South Main Street, Culpeper, VA. Information on shows is available by calling 540.825.4611 or visiting http://www.culpepertheatre.org/
Schedule of upcoming events
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes Rhythm and blues
Friday, July 12 at 8:00 pm
ROUTE 66: Finding Nat King Cole Bringing Nat King Cole to life
Friday, September 6 at 8:00 pm
Second City Comedy
Friday, September 20 at 8:00 pm
Blues Brothers Revue Jake & Elwood Blues come to life
Thursday, September 26 at 8:00 pm
Special Blues and Brews
Movie Celebration! The Blues Brothers
Saturday, September 28 at 7:00 pm. Movie with favorite ice cold micro-brewed beer
Dolly Parton’s IMAGINATION LIBRARY Improving children’s literacy
Saturday, October 5 at 2:00 pm
Charles Lindbergh: The lone Eagle One man show by veteran actor Steve Carroll
Saturday, October 12 at 8:00 pm
An Evening with Julie Fowlis Music of the Scottish Isles
Sunday, October 27 at 8:00 pm
David Payne in an Evening with CS Lewis
Friday, November 1 at 8:00 pm
The Chronicles of Narnia
Saturday, November 2 at 7:00 pm
Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Sunday, November 3 at 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm
Special Military Appreciation Day Film Presentation: Taking Chance
Sunday, November 10 at 2:00 pm. Free and open to all military personnel and families
Letters Home
A Special Veterans Day Honor Performance
Monday, November 11 at 8:00 pm
The Hot Club of San Francisco
Cinema Vivant – Special Gypsy Jazz Workshop
Saturday, November 16 2 pm Workshop. 8 pm Concert Performance
A Christmas Carol 45th Anniversary Production
Nebraska Theatre Caravan
Wednesday, December 18 at 7:30 pm
Published in the Summer 2013 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.
On occasion, I write on subjects far afield from my typical interests. The following is a comprehensive look at the future of smaller housing as the economy shifts into recovery mode. The article was published in the spring edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.
Beginning in 2007, the U.S. experienced the greatest housing collapse since the Great Depression, posting a nationwide 30 percent drop in housing prices. After six years under that shadow, it now appears there is light at the end the tunnel – and it’s not a freight train.
Last month, the Fiserv Case-Shiller index projected home prices to grow 3.7 percent between the third quarter of this year and the third quarter of 2014. Further, the firm said the trends point to a return to a normal housing market over the next five years, with prices projected to grow at an annualized rate of 3.3 percent from the third quarter of 2012 to the third quarter of 2017. That’s bright news, given the wrenching six years of withered home sales nationally.
Assuming a sustained housing recovery continues, will the industry leap back into the construction of large homes? Or will the rebound signal a reset of the type and location of the next generation’s housing needs?
Preliminary signals are mixed, but buyers might want to adjust their view of what constitutes the American Dream. And builders need to be prepared to respond to an emerging market if demand for smaller homes on smaller lots, in fact, materializes.
Historically, small houses have been the norm in the Unites States. In 1950, the average home was 983 square feet. But as prosperity accelerated in the latter half of the 20th century, homes grew.
The Census Bureau reports the average U.S. home rose to 2,480 square feet in 2011, up from 2,392 square feet the previous year and seemed to defy the inherent economies of owing a smaller home in a tough economy.
One industry observer, Jack McCabe, CEO of Florida-based McCabe Research and Consulting, told Bloomberg last July that large home sales were rebounding. “It’s about opportunity, it’s about interest rates. And it’s about short memories,” he said.
A similar market reaction occurs when gas prices drop for an extended period; sales of larger vehicles begin to accelerate. Pain, indeed, has no memory.
What housing patterns are emerging in Prince William, Fauquier and Culpeper counties? And, as importantly, should local governments be developing policies that drive the recovering market toward smaller residential dwellings for the overall benefits of their residents?
Industry analysis
Concerned Culpeper Citizens was formed in 2001 to assess county growth planning. CCC publishes its findings and opinions for public information and testifies before public boards and commissions.
Perry Cabot, director of operations for the organization, sees a changing mentality in home buyers. “Today’s fluctuating fuel costs, younger couples opting to live closer to work, boomerang children moving in with parents for extended periods and older parents opting to live with their children, are driving demand for different housing options,” he said.
“In some cases, these forces are changing the demand from larger homes to smaller ones and to condos, townhouses and multi-family construction in our region. Even a shift of 10 percent can affect tens of thousands of units. Distance, location and density are driving this new demand. But I would not yet call the movement a surge.”
His observations mirror the reports of other experts. The real estate research firm Trulia found that in 2010 the median “ideal home size” for Americans had declined to 2,100 square feet. More than a third of its survey respondents said their ideal preference was below 2,000 square feet.
Yet a sustained pattern of building homes of this size is not easily discernible in the Piedmont. Even a modest economic recovery in the years ahead could stall any significant shift to smaller housing.
Keller Williams real estate agent Brian Hagarty (Disclaimer: Brian is my son) agrees that buyers are downsizing, but that price is the No. 1 motivator. Older, smaller homes, even those in need of some renovations, are attracting buyers.
“It’s driven by economics,” he said. “I don’t see the market wanting smaller homes per se, but [buyers] do want to reduce mortgages and taxes. A secondary driver is the desire to shorten commuting time.
“The combined benefits of smaller mortgage payments, taxes and faster commutes are the motivators we are seeing a lot in Prince William County,” he said. “We’re hearing a lot of people say, ‘We don’t want to struggle with our payments.’”
Tom Campbell with Long & Foster in Fauquier County agrees. “People are downsizing for multiple reasons, including first-time buyers who do not want to mortgage their lifestyle for a large home,” Campbell said. “Buyers are foregoing formal living rooms and extra bedrooms when their salaries are better spent on more modest dwellings that offer a better lifestyle.”
It’s not just young home buyers. As the Baby Boom generation — people born between 1946 and 1964 — heads into its later years, there will be an avalanche of older Americans seeking smaller homes and alternatives to conventional assisted-living facilities .
The economic impact from the wave of retirees will put pressure on entitlement programs and health care, to be sure, but housing will also be affected. Consider that the first baby boomers reached retirement age in 2011. There are about 76 million adults in this cohort representing 29 percent of the U.S. population.
The movement
The dialogue on smaller homes began in earnest in 1997 with publication of “The Not So Big House” by Sarah Susanka. The book sold nearly half a million copies and is widely recognized as the essential treatise on home design emphasizing “build-better-not-bigger.” Susanka, an architect, believes today’s homes place far too much emphasis on square footage rather than lifestyle needs.
She wrote on making the kitchen the focal point of a home and creating the illusion of space through the creative use of storage, lighting and furniture arrangement. The objective of such design is to make a smaller living space a comfortable and inviting alternative to large and often under-utilized conventional homes.
Another important book, “Pocket Neighborhoods: Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World,” written by Ross Chapin and published in 2011, highlights the move toward smaller homes gathered around common, park-like settings.
Buyers of such homes are often young families, empty-nesters and single homeowners — major population segments inclined to seek homes on a scale that matches their needs.
Such living arrangements foster closer social bonding among residents, their adherents say, enhancing a sense of community.
After decades of suburban sprawl, there is an emerging demographic which is ready to turn elsewhere for its housing needs. With natural resources shrinking, the green movement on the ascent and people feeling increasingly isolated from one another, the smaller-home movement offers a more rewarding, budget-conscious lifestyle enhanced by deeper connections with neighbors.
Jim Carson, president of Carson/Ashley, a land-use consulting and engineering firm located in Warrenton, agrees with the need for a new paradigm in housing. “Natural land-planning standards for the last 50 years have been that we segregate uses,” he said in the January 2013 issue of a local lifestyle magazine. “We live here, we work there, we shop over there, so we’re always in our cars and there’s no community. Mixed-use communities are walkable, live-work type of environments which is what most land planners these days are saying is ideal.”
Builders’ perspective
Just as fine dining blossoms when an experienced chef is in the kitchen, so smaller housing becomes a reality when home builders are incentivized to build them. For builders, finding the profit in smaller structures has been the challenge. “The last two years have been as tough as I’ve seen it in home construction,” said Larry Aylor, a custom home builder in Culpeper.
Aylor’s 39-year career has included construction of very large homes, and he said that while he’s “been labeled as ‘he only does the big ones’, today I’m into remodeling, repairs, and whatever business I can get. I’ll even remodel your garage.”
From his perspective, building smaller homes is clearly profitable. There are many elements to making money in homes with shrunken floor space. One key is getting buyers qualified for a loan by reining in their desire for more living space.
“I do think the market is pushing smaller homes, but it’s all about affordability and price point,” Aylor said. “In Culpeper, the housing market is starting to clear of foreclosures, and it’s getting better every day.”
Retirees are a customer segment Aylor sees as holding great promise. “They are moving down from their 3,500-square-foot-plus homes and looking for little jewels that are one level, on smaller lots and easy to care for,” he said. “But I do not carry an inventory of building lots to always meet that need.”
Finding land is a challenge for small-home builders. Moreover, deed restrictions and covenants in existing subdivisions can prohibit smaller homes because of minimum square foot requirements.
Local governments’ role
Given the mixed demand for smaller housing, local governments play an important role in either fostering or discouraging the trend, particularly in view of the housing industry’s modest interest in building such units.
Kim Johnson, zoning administrator for Fauquier County, underscores builders’ general lack of interest, saying, “We haven’t seen developers coming in wanting to build smaller homes. Typically, it’s the individual property owner who is seeking a special exception, such as an auxiliary dwelling unit up to 800 square feet for an aging parent or in-law.”
With respect to pocket neighborhoods — homes fronting on a common area without street frontage — Johnson said county zoning does permit such dwellings when clustered on smaller sites in some planned residential districts. But there are still no recognizable pocket neighborhoods in Fauquier County.
Where an applicant wanting to build such a neighborhood runs into problems is with regulations that “require homes to have frontage on a public street,” Johnson said — a costly expense for builders considering such an option, and one that likely makes building a community of smaller homes economically unattractive, perhaps even economically unfeasible.
“We are editing our Transportation Design Manual and asking ourselves do we always need frontage on a public street?” Johnson noted when she was interviewed last year. Amending the current regulation might open the opportunity for builders to build smaller homes and still make sufficient profit to make the project attractive.
In summing up the slow pace of small housing projects in the county, Johnson said that “Part of the reason people move to Fauquier is the idea of owning a nice piece of land with a house. I know the smaller home movement is happening around the country, but I don’t know if it’s come to Fauquier County yet.
“But certain segments of our population would be well served if smaller homes were available,” she mused. “Young people who grew up here and who’d like to stay but can’t afford the bigger homes are a good example of one of those groups.”
Prince William Zoning Administrator Nick Evers said “Generally, I think there is an interest in smaller homes here. People are downsizing. I’m not sure what percentage overall. But homes are getting smaller and developers are looking to put as many homes as they can on a development parcel.”
Perhaps one reason for the interest is population density. While Prince William County is slightly smaller than Culpeper County and only about half as big as Fauquier, its population is nearly nine times that of Culpeper and seven times Fauquier’s population.
The shrinking availability of land close to work centers and arterial highways may be driving greater housing density in Prince William.
Concerning Pocket Neighborhoods, Evers said, “We have cluster development standards. We have what we call ‘pipestem lots’ that allow a builder to place homes off private drives, enabling builders to maximize the number of building sites in a given subdivision.”
However, Ray Utz, the county’s long-range division chief, cautions that any such development as a pocket neighborhood would have to meet zoning requirements. Those requirements often include the deal killer – minimum road frontage. “My perception is everyone needs to get a driveway to their house,” Utz said.
“Generally, there is some sort of vehicular access to the front of a residence. Prince William offers quite a bit of flexibility in allowing private road access to some, or in certain cases, all of the homes in a development. We usually encourage and support a range of housing types.”
From here to where?
In assessing the movement toward smaller housing in the tri-county area, a mixed picture emerges. While demand exists, it does not appear to have reached the critical mass that would drive builders to respond.
Until they can discern a sustained movement away from the traditional-size single-family home and townhouse, they are likely to pursue business as usual.
It can be argued that local government policy could be the strongest catalyst for such change, and that government should take the lead — especially to the benefit of those who are ill-equipped to buy or don’t need or want a traditional-sized home.
Additional benefits include housing that helps preserve open space and the natural beauty of a region, does not place undue demands on taxpayers for infrastructure, and enhances community and overall lifestyle. Increasingly, that includes people who cannot find affordable housing, such as middle-income families, individuals and retirees.
Except for the retired, these are people who often hold jobs in local essential services – trade, manufacturing and government — and are forced into long commutes.
While local government often has little control over many factors that affect housing cost and size, that does not mean it is powerless.
In setting local land-use and development regulations, specifically in the areas of land acquisition, site development and location, local planning commissions and boards of supervisors hold the key to change.
It’s not the purpose of this review to address in-depth actions local governing bodies might undertake. Nonetheless, there are some ideas on how local leaders could respond to the movement for smaller housing that needs its support and regulatory action.
• Comprehensive Plan. The comprehensive plan sets out the broad outlines of the community’s plans and goals governing land use. While comprehensive plans establish the broad policies and goals which guide the land development process, a community’s zoning and subdivision regulations provide the detailed means for achieving those goals.
• Zoning regulations. Zoning ordinances govern such matters as density — the number of housing units per acre of land — lot sizes, setbacks, frontage requirements, and the placement and mix of residential, commercial, and industrial uses.
Density standards in particular have been identified as having a direct relationship to land values. Land values, in turn, are a central component of housing costs.
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the cost of raw land can range from 8 to 25 percent of the cost of a new housing unit, depending upon the local market.
Where density standards are unduly restrictive, land prices per housing unit are likely to be high.
Reducing land costs through increased density is generally the largest single factor in achieving smaller and more affordable homes.
• Subdivision Regulations. Subdivision regulations set standards for street widths and construction, sidewalks, parking, drainage and other site-development requirements.
Site planning and development represent major areas of potential cost savings for housing developers. These costs may make up 10 to 20 percent of the cost of a new single-family home.
A number of communities are reviewing the development standards in their subdivision ordinances to determine where they can be modified to enhance housing affordability.
Successful approaches to affordable housing require more efficient utilization of land than has often characterized American home-building practices in the past.
Many towns and cities are employing new approaches to encourage development of smaller housing, either by providing incentives to developers to include such housing in new developments, or by giving developers greater flexibility in design and site development, or a combination of both.
Other approaches seek to make more efficient use of existing housing resources by removing regulatory barriers or by encouraging the adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
Upzoning, or higher use application, is a basic and effective strategy for promoting rational house size and affordability.
It involves the selective rezoning of residential land to allow greater density, as measured by the number of housing units that can be placed on a parcel of land. Higher density can include both multi-family and single-family housing.
Municipalities that allow higher densities may also enact special design requirements to ensure that new higher-density developments are compatible with existing housing in the community.
A single-family home on a half-acre lot uses 12.5 times as much land per household as a garden apartment of 25 units per acre.
At the extreme, a steel-and-concrete high-rise of 80 units per acre holds 400 times as many households per acre as a five-acre lot development of single-family homes.
Many communities have developed programs that offer developers “density bonuses” in exchange for the inclusion of smaller units within a proposed residential project. A density bonus allows a developer to build more units within a project than would otherwise be permitted under normal density limits. Both zoning and subdivision regulations can be modified to allow density bonuses.
Density bonus programs must be designed on the basis of a thorough understanding of the real estate market to determine feasibility and to develop appropriate regulations. If current zoning allows enough density to satisfy current market demand, developers may have no interest in using a density bonus.
Additional strategies include, performance/impact zoning, planned unit development, cluster subdivisions, small-lot subdivisions, infill development, adaptive reuse, mixed-use development, office-housing linkage, impact fee exceptions and a host of other approaches.
Perhaps none other than the 14th-century Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci summed up the ultimate marker of smaller housing: ”Small rooms or dwellings discipline the mind, large ones weaken it.”
It will be interesting to see what size homes Americans will embrace as the economy strengthens over the next few years.
Not so fast
Not everyone is sold on the idea that smaller homes are the wave of the future.
Warrenton Long & Foster Realtor Charles Ebbets, who works closely with builders of larger homes in FauquierCounty, sees little indication the housing industry will scale back the size of units it intends to build as the economy picks up steam.
“There is pent-up demand for housing in the 2,500- to 3,500-square-foot range,” he said. “There is almost no inventory of these existing homes. The demand for housing this year — both old and new — will go crazy, but it will be for the conventional-sized single-family home that we’ve seen in the past.”
To underscore his point, Ebbets lamented his lack of progress in launching a development in Warrenton within walking distance of the Warrenton Aquatic and Recreation Facility (WARF) that would feature seventeen 2,000-square-foot homes for buyers over 55 years old.
His market research demonstrated the demand was strong, but he could not find a single builder who was interested in the project. “One of the reasons the builders cited was the lengthy time it takes to get a site plan approved by the county,” Ebbets said.
But builders and Realtors should do well this year, Ebbets predicts. “This year and next will be a slam dunk,” he said. “The housing industry is going to go crazy; prices will jump 25 percent to 35 percent over today’s prices. No spec houses have been built in the last three years. Demand will be great. The young married couple with an infant six years ago now has two growing children. They will be looking to move further out to a larger home, especially with the attractive interest rates available.”
The larger builders are still focused on the conventional size family home. The $325,000 to $400,000 homes are their bread and butter, Ebbets said. “What I don’t see is much interest in the McMansions with more than 4,500 square feet,” he said.
Last August, Toll Brothers, the No. 1 luxury home builder in the U.S., reported its highest revenue since the recession, sending its shares to a five-year high. In Prince William County, Toll Brothers Group President for Virginia John Elcano confirmed the market for larger homes in his Dominion Valley project is making a strong comeback.
“We think the American Dream is still the American Dream and buyers want large, luxury homes,” Elcano said. “Now that interest rates are at an all-time low, people can afford a lot more house. Around the Beltway, we are seeing prices growing 5 percent to 11 percent this year, and that creates equity sellers can use to move up.”
He cites Toll Brothers experience with its Villages Collection of homes that are 2,500 square feet. “When we first introduced that collection, they were smaller homes, but we found buyers wanted more space, so we made them larger.”
As a result, Elcano does not think there is a growing market for smaller homes and reinforces the premise that as the economy grows, the memory of hard times will fade.
“Buyers have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for the equity in their homes to rebound,” he said. “In December, we had one of our best months in years selling our estate homes that range in size from 4,000 square feet to 6,000 square feet. When people are starting their families, they want room; a bedroom for every child, and, hopefully, a bathroom for every one of their children. The market for large homes seems to have returned.”
Jim Epstein is chairman of his family’s investment firm based in D.C. and has been involved in a number of diverse ventures, including a project called Blue Ridge Produce that markets locally grown produce from artesinal farms. That venture, still being planned at the time, was featured in Piedmont Business Journal in the Winter 2011 issue.
In 1978, his father purchased 125 acres in northern Culpeper County known as Clevenger’s Corner. Epstein saw an opportunity to develop the property using “new urbanism,” design concepts that came to the fore in the 1980s and which promote mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly communities containing a range of housing and business options. “I made an effort to use those concepts at Clevenger’s Corner,” he said. “My efforts didn’t get very far. There were all kinds of issues. Then and now, people aren’t ready for something new and different.”
Last July, Epstein pulled his application for Clevenger’s Corner, saying he would return to the project in six months. As this was being written in January, the county had not heard from the applicant. It could well be he’s waiting for a stronger housing market to emerge in Culpeper County before proceeding. Epstein successfully developed BelmontBay in Woodbridge, a 325-acre community that will ultimately have 1,600 homes.
The town center is 80 acres of condos and businesses built by Epstein and embodying the principles of new urbanism. Other builders constructed the community’s remaining conventional single-family homes. “People love living there,” he said.
His project reinforces the idea there are successful alternatives to sprawling subdivisions with large homes where the automobile rules. “There is definitely a growing interest in smaller, more compact houses,” Epstein said.
Growing interest…maybe.
In Prince William, long-range planning chief Ray Utz cited “two over two” housing as an example, perhaps, of a contrary signal for the housing market. These are four-story townhouses with two separate entrances. One of the residents would access his or her home by climbing two flights of stairs.
“While we have such homes in the county, some builders who thought it was a good product later found out the market had moved away from the concept,” Utz said. “Those builders came back asking for modifications to allow other types of housing.”
Other alternatives
Last November, The Washington Post wrote about a high-tech cottage dubbed the “Granny Pod” and marketed by a Blacksburg company called MedCottage that could revolutionize the way Americans take care of mom and dad in the later stages of their lives. Several other companies sell similar “auxiliary dwelling units.”
The prefabricated mini-homes are placed on existing home sites by crane; utilities are connected directly to the primary residence. The Pods are designed with a kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom and monitor the inhabitant’s vital signs, filter contaminants from the air and permit communication with the main house.
The average cost of an assisted-living facility is about $45,000 a year, and full nursing-home care costs more than $83,000 annually; prefabricated Pod housing, ranging in size from 288 to 605 square feet and costing up to $125,000, including installation, is an attractive option to a traditional elder-care facility.
Three years ago, Virginia passed legislation requiring all localities to allow auxiliary dwelling units for relatives requiring temporary assistance. However, the units cannot remain in place after that family no longer needs the dwelling.
And that, some observers believe, kills any chance that such structures will make many inroads. It is, they say, simply too expensive to bring in the small structures, then take them out. If they could stay in for other family members, perhaps….
At the extreme end of small housing concepts is the tiny house. One firm marketing such building plans is the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company based in Santa Rosa, CA. It exemplifies the smallest of small homes that are available.
The firm sells design plans for homes ranging in size from 50 square feet – -that’s not a typo — up to 847 square feet. It does not offer turnkey finished dwellings, but rather a host of plans a construction firm or individual would use to build a house, typically for $20,000 to $50,000.
The smallest of the houses are crafted to look like traditional homes but Lilliputian in size and built on a trailer bed similar to a mobile home. They range in size up to 150 square feet. The plans are sold under its “House To Go” category.
The next level of homes is dubbed “Cottages” and offers floor plans up to 847 square feet. They are not mobile and a typical reaction on seeing such a home is, “How cute!” The exterior designs mimic classic home styles, including front porches.
Jay Shafer founded Tumbleweed in 2000 and has sold more than 1,500 sets of plans so don’t look for subdivisions of his tiny homes sprouting up anytime soon.
While these are radical living options for singles and adventuresome couples, such micro-housing offers relatively low-cost home ownership in lieu of renting.
A group of tiny home advocates calling themselves Boneyard Studios erected three tiny homes in an empty lot off an alley in Washington, D.C. late last year to demonstrate an urban affordable housing alternative.
“Although the diminutive homes are made of high-quality materials, they are priced for a flagging economy,” The Washington Post reported. “They sell for…less than the down payment on a two-bedroom condo in a trendy D.C. neighborhood.”
As with more traditional smaller homes, local government has a role to play if these housing options are going to get a foothold in the Piedmont.
Divide and conquer
Piedmont Business Journal interviewed Crissy and Daniel Southard of J&D Handyman Services for another article in this issue. More than handy, both Southards have Class A building licenses and do, indeed, build some homes from the ground up.
During our interview, the Southards noted, in passing, that McMansions are still popular in the Piedmont, though oftentimes for reasons that have changed substantially since their original construction.
“McMansions are holding their own because parents are now living with the kids,” Crissy Southard said. “Five, six bedrooms is not uncommon – people need them because so many more of these homes are housing multiple generations.”
Many of those families, likely, would consider making changes to the structures themselves to make living together more comfortable. Many, likely, would like to divide their McMansion, to duplex or even triplex the building. If so, they better be prepared to hoe a long, tough row.
In Fauquier, that would “typically require a special exception and the home needs to be on a larger site,” Zoning Administrator Kim Johnson said. The general consensus is that builders don’t want to get involved in such projects because at least some of them perceive it’s a lengthy process to get special exceptions approved in the county.
“Over the last five years, we have had two or three controversial applications that took a very long time,” Johnson said. “But, on average, they don’t take long at all. The majority of applications hit the mark within the 90-day process. It may be the perception that the process in lengthy, but the record doesn’t reflect it.”
In Prince William, Ray Utz, the county’s long-range division chief, also views duplexing as problematic.
“We don’t allow more than one dwelling unit per lot,” he said. “To turn a single-family home into a duplex, you would need to subdivide the property. You would have to be in a situation that allowed land subdividing and that would be unlikely. It would also involve creating multiple drain fields and other issues,” he said.
Another alternative which doesn’t seem to be moving forward in the PBJ readership counties has to do with allowing the construction of “backyard cottages” in already existing neighborhoods. “In many cities, growing populations are putting a stress on existing housing options,” apartment therapy.com noted in an article two years ago.
“Instead of building new condos and apartments, one creative solution is to increase the density of existing single-family neighborhoods by allowing ‘backyard cottages.’ These small dwelling units can be rented out for supplemental income or serve as a living space for extended family. (Some homeowners are even deciding to downsize to the cottage and rent out the primary home).
“Cities like Seattle have recently changed their zoning code to allow these detached accessory dwelling units (nicknamed “DADU’s”) and local architects and homeowners have been eager to explore the possibilities.
“In addition to the their small size and urban settings,” the article pointed out, “many of these examples also boast sustainable features like rainwater catchment, super insulation and the use of simple and durable materials.”
It is interesting to note that some of the most fashionable streets in Warrenton and Culpeper feature large, older homes, many of which have “backyard cottages” that do nothing if not increase the appeal of the property.
“We really have extremely liberal accessory dwelling unit [regulations],” Fauquier Zoning Administrator Kim Johnson told Piedmont Business Journal last year, though liberal is in the eyes of the beholder.
“Almost anybody can put a second house, for family members, or even an apartment, a small apartment up to 600 square feet, or even a larger apartment in some cases, on their property,” she said, “if they have the room for it and they can meet setbacks and can get the sewer and water and all those issues resolved.”
There are opportunities, she noted. There are also a lot of restrictions.
Build an efficiency apartment in your home, for instance, and “you can have only two people living in it, and it can only be so big, and, in the case of an efficiency apartment that’s open to anybody, not just family, it has to be incorporated above a garage or other existing building, or it could be in a basement or be part of the house,” Johnson said.A free-standing backyard cottage must be occupied by a family member.
And if that family member should die or move away? “The planning commission is looking at that,” Johnson said.
As winter draws to a close its farewell to a loving friend
Gazing into her magical depths transfixes me. Night after cold and dreary night she comforts me. Her warmth and charm infuse our living room with a presence. She never speaks accept to murmur assurances that peace prevails. And now, she begins to fade as the days grow longer and the sun gains strength.
Until we meet again next fall, I will soon bid farewell to my beloved wood burning fireplace.
Fire. Perhaps only the sound of a gurgling creek holds such hypnotic power over man. The fossil record dates fire to 470 million years ago; well before man appeared on the planet. Archaeological evidence points to man’s mastery over fire some 400,000 years ago. Capturing and controlling fire enabled man to assume his position as the dominate force among all living things.
Through the centuries fire embedded itself in our psyche. Our Stone Age ancestors’ greatest fear was the loss of its fire source. Earliest man captured a flickering flame thrown down by a bolt of lighting. Cradling and lovingly protecting this miracle from the heavens was central to his survival. The warmth and protection afforded by the flame is seemingly hard wired into our DNA.
But today, man’s proximity to fire is far removed. Fossil fuels provide most of the energy needed to drive the modern world. Direct connection to fire is remote for most of us; more often associated with pollution and burning buildings than comfort.
And yet the lure remains. As I sit in my living room and watch my newly lit wood fire gain strength, it generates a feeling of security and peace. I have often reflected that fire is a real presence, as if an old friend were joining our company and comforting us with her warmth and ever changing landscape of hot coals and burning logs. I cast back 400,000 years and understand the powerful link between the dependence on light and heat to man’s existence in a harsh world.
When we first purchased our home twelve years ago, we had a faux gas burning fireplace installed. It bore a close resemblance to the real thing but was a cold and indifferent companion. Hour after hour it burned with the boring sameness of a rotating drum-like photograph. All glitz but no character. Monotonous.
Fortunately, six years ago we discovered an out of work master bricklayer who offered to build the real deal at an attractive price. It was designed to accept a wood burning insert stove with a variable speed blower fan, maximizing the heat produced to reduce our propane furnace fuel costs.
Securing a local wood cutter to keep us supplied with split wood was later augmented by white oak slab wood delivered from a nearby mill. It made the entire unit a cost saving proposition; not dramatic, but nonetheless cheaper that our previous heating costs.
So it is with mixed feelings I embrace the coming spring. The winter has been long and dreary and the brown-drab forests and fields a one dimensional landscape. Spring with its lush greens, yellows and purples will soon be upon us.
But my old flame will steal away with the coming warmth and vivid colors.
Till next fall, adieu.
Moon shining brightly on legal & illegal distilling
In 2005, there were some 50 craft distilleries in the US. Today, 250 are in operation and ten years hence it’s projected there will be over 1,000 nationwide.
Craft distilleries generally produce less than 100,000 gallons a year; often much less. By comparison, the handful of major distilleries can distill 100,000 gallons a day. The $63 billion distilled spirits industry is dominated by the major producers. Small distilleries generate less than 1 percent of sales.
Home pot still
On the amateur side, some industry observers believe there are over 50,000 home nano-distillers who are operating without a license; not a risk-free endeavor for scoring a few bottles of liquor considering the severe penalties for firing up an unregistered still.
Here in Virginia, there are seventeen holders of distilling licenses, eleven of which are operating craft distilleries with more on the way. In 2012 alone, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control issued 12 new distillery licenses; eleven of them for manufacturers seeking to produce less than 5,000 gallons.
So what’s driving the resurgence in booze?
The demand for hand-crafted, artisanal beverages and the creative urge to produce such libations, coupled with the reduction of licensing fees to operate smaller distilleries. The cost of obtaining a legal license in Virginia is modest; $450 for producing less than 5,000 gallons annually.
The days of moonshining in mountain hideaways may be fading just as urban hobbyists and professional distillers are gaining traction in the world of upscale liquid refreshments.
In the beginning
The distillation of beer and wine dates to the 8th century when a Muslim alchemist named Geber developed the alembic still and observed that heated wine from the vessel released a flammable vapor that he described as “of little use, but of great importance to science.” Little did he know of its future employment as a libation.
Then again, his religion would ultimately forbid the consumption of alcohol even if he had been aware of its “medicinal” qualities. But mankind soon learned of alcohol’s use as an inebriate. Less than a century later, the poet Abu Nuwas observed a wine that “has the color of rain-water but is as hot inside the ribs as a burning firebrand.”
Moonshine had arrived. And with it a host of descriptive monikers such as white lighting, ruckus juice, hillbilly pop, panther’s breath, jump steady, mule kick and more.
The process of distillation migrated to America when the Scotch-Irish began arriving around 1717, driven by their thirst for freedom, land ownership, and the making and drinking of whiskey.
Distilling also was an economic necessity, enabling a farmer to convert any surplus corn crop into a lighter weight liquid easily deliverable to market via mule trains. Twenty-four bushels of corn could be converted into two eight-gallon kegs of whiskey. Whiskey farming enabled the backwoods men to buy nails, sugar, coffee and other much needed necessities.
These hardy pioneers peacefully distilled until 1791 when the Federal government implemented an excise tax on whiskey. The frontiersmen wrath erupted in the form of the Whiskey Rebellion as 5,000 hot-tempered home distillers descended on Pittsburgh to torch the town. The city fathers dissuaded the violence with wagon loads of whiskey, dried venison, bear meat, hams and poultry. In 1794, George Washington in command of 13,000 troops persuaded the rebels to forgo their cause without any loss of life.
Moonshiners
With implementation of the excise tax, thousands of men and their families began migrating deeper into the mountainous regions of Virginia, the Carolinas, Kentucky and Georgia to escape the prying eyes of the revenue men. The stereotypical legend of the mountain moonshiner was born.
On the homefront
The growth of professional distilling can be understood in the context of creating a business and lifestyle centered on the production of an artisanal product. But why would home distillers risk the penalties of the law to make hard alcohol?
It’s useful to consider the background of making alcoholic drinks hearthside. When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the law permitted the making of up to 200 gallons of wine per household. Home winemaking has a long and peaceful track record.
Home brewing was not legalized until 1979. Since the law’s passage, the hobby has exploded. Today, there’s an estimated one million beer lovers who brew at least once a year. The essence of beer making is the mashing of grain, brewing the wort and fermenting the liquid into beer. Forty years ago, there were only a small number of craft breweries. As home brewers learned the art, it was inevitable some of them would consider doing it professionally.
As a result, there are currently 2,200 craft breweries in the US. The legalization of the hobby gave birth to a new industry. A similar situation is unfolding as home and craft brewers pursue both illegal and legal distilling; the important difference is individually the former is typically producing five gallons or less and the latter 3,000 gallons or more.
Malting grain prior to mashing
An integral part of brewing is mashing—steeping crushed grain in hot water to release fermentable sugars. It’s also a necessary process in distilling. To a degree, the home—and more importantly the craft brewery phenomenon—is driving an increase in hard alcohol production.
Nano-distillers are able to fly under the radar because selling their product is not in their “business plan”. Home distillers often eschew the moonshiner tag, largely considering it an insult. Their only goal is to enjoy crafting a beverage in extremely limited qualities, often as few as 3 or 4 bottles at a time.
As one home distiller of wine explained, “I purchased a small stove top distiller in Portugal 15 years ago. Since then, I’ve distilled wine into brandy more than fifty times and aged it in a 5 liter oak cask. As it’s consumed, I distill a new batch. And truthfully, while my brandy is good I can buy higher quality stuff. The fun is in the doing.”
The fun may also be in the romance of breaking the law, if only on a modest scale.
Constabulary viewpoint
While home distillation of a bottle of alcohol seems innocent enough, both federal law and the Virginia ABC takes a decidedly different view. In response to an inquiry to the ABC, their response read:
Producing ANY amount of a distilled spirit (even a single bottle for one’s own consumption) is a Class 6 felony with a penalty of 1-5 years imprisonment or jail up to 12 months and up to a $2500 fine, either or both. Simply possessing a still or distilling apparatus without a license from the ABC is a Class 1 misdemeanor, if convicted.
The penalties are clear so caution is advised. But in reality, budgetary constraints and the priority on more serious offenses likely keeps the ABC focused on more pressing concerns. It reports it has not received complaints involving nano-distilling but if made aware of such a violation it would investigate and determine if prosecution was necessary.
Revenuers at a bust
The ABC also posits that illegal alcohol manufacturing is a public safety issue. One can’t quibble with that view given the tales of rotgut whiskey poisoning consumers. On the production side, exploding stills can have lethal consequences.
However, New Zealand legalized home distilling in 1996 and research indicates minimal negative impact from the law’s passage. On the positive side, sales of legal liquor actually rose, apparently due in part to the hobbyists taking a greater interest in commercial distilling versus their amateur endeavors.
As for the traditional moonshine trade in Virginia, in 1941, the ABC Division of Enforcement seized an all-time high of 1,771 illegal stills. In 2011, a collaborative four-day air and ground operation between the ABC and Virginia State Police resulted in the discovery and destruction of just 25 inactive but operational stills in Franklin, Pittsylvania and Carroll counties. Clearly things have settled down since the heyday of the moonshiners.
Franklin County is legendary for its moonshining industry. The 2012 movie Lawless was based on a book called The Wettest County in the World and takes place in Franklin. The Discovery Channel reality show Moonshiners is also filmed somewhere in the region. The ABC states no booze is actually being made during the show’s filming and if it was attempted, they would take action to shut it down.
Surfing the internet is a quick way to get the pulse on any endeavor. Google “moonshine” and you’ll get over 16 million results. Sites will include equipment sales, recipes, books, videos and yes, even sources for purchasing legal shine. Anyone tempted to engage in the pursuit will have no trouble finding out how to do so.
What you won’t find are sites selling illegal liquor. Commercial moonshining may be fading but the elusive practioners are not resorting to marketing to boost sales. They don’t have to.
Since Prohibition, moonshine has declined in quality in pursuit of the fast buck. Grain is seldom used to create the potions. Sugar and water are often the majority ingredients employed and result in an inferior drink frequently sold to suppliers of “nip houses”. These establishments are located in poorer neighborhoods where patrons can buy a nip for a dollar or two.
Old Dominion shines
Virginia is home to eleven distilleries; six of which are located in the Virginia Piedmont.
Critics’ reviews of the libations have generally been positive. One assessment of Wasmund’s Single Malt Whiskey reads: Very complex fruit, smoke and barley notes. Imagine a young Islay whisky with apple, cherry and hardwood smoke. Finish is warm and bracing.
Or, a review of the Catoctin Creek Distilling Company enthused: The result is a collection of high quality, handcrafted, small-batch spirits, including the poplar Rye, a four-month aged 100 percent rye whiskey.
Mark Twain
Acclaim will accelerate as more Virginia distilleries open their doors and its distillers’ craftsmanship grows. For as Mark Twain said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.”
For additional information on the state’s distilleries, visit these establishments online:
1. A Smith Bowman Distillery
Fredericksburg
2. Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
Purcellville
3. Chesapeake Bay Distillery
Virginia Beach, VA
4. Cirrus Vodka
Richmond
5. Copper Fox Distillery
Sperryville
6. George Washington’s Distillery
Mt. Vernon
7. Great Dismal Distillery
Virgilina
8. Laird & Company
North Garden
9. Reservior Distillery
Richmond
10. Stillhouse
Culpeper
11. The Virginia Distillery
Eads Holllow
Wasmund’s Pot Still
Sperryville
