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Community Profiles

Karen and Joe Beitzell are owners of Beitzell Fence, which has been in operation for 27 years. With an office in Manassas, they offer backstops and tennis court fencing, as well many other types: chain link, PVC, wood, security, ornamental, rental and construction.

As the proud parents of Scott, 18, Patrick, 17, Amy, 14 and Emily, 6 they continue to be very active members of the Catharpin, Va. community in which they’ve lived for the last 13 years, sponsoring baseball and other high school and youth sports. They also enjoy tennis and golf.

Their professional memberships include Northern Virginia Building Industry Association (NVBIA) and both Fairfax and Prince William counties Chambers of Commerce and the American Fence Association.

At this company founded by her grandfather more than 40 years ago, co-owner Renate Eschmann, pictured here with her husband Mark and son Carson, works alongside interior decorators, designers and certified coatings consultants. Color Wheel carries paint and offers complete home decorating services and products including window treatments, wall coverings, decorative finishes, fabrics and custom picture framing. Renate gives her time and business acumen to Five Talents International, an organization that provides micro-enterprise loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries, helping people in the world’s poorest countries start businesses.

Ken Fraine has owned Soil and Structure since 1998 and Drainage and Erosion Solutions LLC since 2003. He lives in Leesburg with his wife Melissa and their son Tyler. Ken volunteers with Virginia Tech Rugby, NOVA Rugby and coaches Gonzaga High School Rugby. He also enjoys golf, soccer and traveling with his family.


Owner of Wood Acres Tree Service, Jim Harris has more than 25 years of experience in tree care and works actively in the movement to preserve urban forests. A graduate of the University of Maryland and a seventh generation resident of Montgomery County, Jim spends most of his free time with his wife Katie and their two children. Forest Bowen and Riley Smith are licensed tree experts, certified arborists and licensed pest control operators.

Hawkins Signature Landscapes owner Bob Hawkins has been landscaping since he was in high school. He holds a Horticultural degree from Cornell and a Masters in Landscape Design. His wife Suzanne, an interior designer, partnered with her sisters to form a mixed media interior design company, Sisters on Style. Suzanne and Bob, married for more than 30 years, are lifelong Washingtonians and have three children, Justin, Brianna, and Daniel and their cherished golden retriever Bailey.


Julie Hendrickson is a kitchen designer at the Kleppinger Design Group in Fairfax. Her specialty is cabinetry and space planning that satisfies each homeowner’s needs. Traffic flow, retrieval of goods, meal preparation and clean up drive the plan. Each client is unique, and she spends a lot of time at the beginning of the design process asking questions.

Her husband Ralph is a remodeling contractor in Annandale who owns his own business called Heritage Home Improvement Inc. He builds additions and decks, and remodels basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.

Julie and Ralph enjoy working together on kitchens for his clients and helping those less fortunate by working with the Christmas in April program sponsored by their church. It helps the local needy with remodeling and home repairs.

Rick & Bernita Leonard started Heritage Building & Renovation Inc. in Takoma Park in 1984, specializing in the complexities of renovating older homes. Familiar with local real estate and the expectations of the office of Historic Preservation, they excel at helping clients select the most appropriate projects for their homes. They are active members of NARI, BBB, Historic Takoma Inc. and Montgomery Preservation Inc.

Together with their three children, Katie, 21, Nicholas, 15, and Elinora, 11, they enjoy archery, skiing, family trips and working on their house. All three children work with Heritage part-time: Katie does accounting, filing and typing; Nora does data entry; and Nick repairs and upgrades computers and helps deliver materials.

They are in the process of renovating their own home in which they have resided for the past 20 years.

David and Louise MacKenzie have owned and operated Capital Fence for more than 15 years. Their children Megan and Sean also help with the family business. The MacKenzies are involved in the 4-H club and raise cattle and buffalo on their farm. David and Louise assist with Habitat for Humanity projects, and their other interests include boating and going to the beach.


Brian McGrath started his business just seven years ago, and in the first year it became a million-dollar company. It’s more than double that now, and McGrath plans to expand into new areas given his success in Leesburg, Va., the fastest growing county in the country. An emphasis on customer service and on-going training for the staff of eight form the basis for the business’s achievements.

The 1,600-square-foot showroom benefits homeowners and decorators alike by offering samples of everything from hard and soft treatments, including full draperies. The Blind, Shade & Shutter Co. offers motorized shutters and “remote everything.” Since McGrath’s focus is on service, he doesn’t use subcontractors.

McGrath grew up across the river in Md. and lives now in Lovettsville, Va. with his wife Audra. They have two children; Gwyneth, 2 1/2 and Cadence, 7 months. He’s a member of the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce and Knights of Columbus. In his spare time Brian enjoys golf, boating and sailing.

Tony Paulos a native Washingtonian, founded Block Builders in 1990. He is a residential custom builder that works in Maryland, Virginia and D.C., and has been honored with many local, regional and national awards for his projects. Block Builders is a member of the National Association of Home Builders and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and the firm specializes in building custom homes, major additions and whole house renovations. His company hallmark is providing his clients with complete hands on personal service throughout the building process.

Tony lives in Bethesda with his wife and two children.

Wade C. Pryor, Jr., founder of Pryor’s Nursery in Damascus, Maryland, knew that many people would like an aesthetically pleasing wall of evergreens as an alternative to traditional fencing. So, in 1990 the Living Fence was born. Wade is pictured here with a Leyland cypress, one of the most popular evergreens that Pryor’s Nursery uses to create a Living Fence. Wade grows all of his ornamental evergreens locally on his tree farm using drip and ferti-irrigation to insure their hardiness in the metro climate. Customers can buy and install the plants themselves or have Pryor’s install them.

Wade graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Conservation and Resource Management and has been in the landscape business since 1981.


Rockville Interiors & Fabrics is one of Washington’s finest sources for designer fabrics, tailored custom draperies, reupholstery, slipcovers, bed ensembles, blinds, shades, shutters, trims and wallpapers.

Located in Rockville Town Center, the business has grown into a leading source of in-home interior design resources for Washington D.C.’s most discerning clientele. The on-site workroom is open to the public.

Interior design professionals Esther Pollack, Brenda Bennaim, Eugenia Krasner, Mario Weiss and Debbie Whalen work on staff. They will bring a wide variety of fabrics to your home, help with your selection and design and follow you right through to the delivery and/or installation of your choice.

Tom Fulop founded the business in 1975 with the goal of making home decorating easy and enjoyable. He is pictured with Esther Pollack and son Ilan, who manages the daily operation.

Scott Rogers, a native Washingtonian, founded Cambridge DesignBuild in 2003. He is a residential custom remodeler with a focus on whole house renovations in Maryland. Scott limits the number of projects his company does so that he personally can provide customer service throughout the building process. Scott measures success one family at time, one project at a time. A member of NARI and NAHB, he and his team have more than 35 years combined experience in home remodeling.

Scott is a graduate of James Madison University and has held management positions in the field of public accounting, finance and residential construction. He and his wife Cheri have one daughter Carly, who’s 5-years-old. When he’s not building and remodeling, he enjoys spending time with his family at home.

Mark Simpson has owned East Coast Landscape Inc. for nearly 30 years and has served on the board of the Landscape Contractor’s Association. He specializes in updating residences with creative, low maintenance landscaping. Mark values spending time with his wife and two children and enjoys skiing, hiking and an occasional game of golf.


Since 1986, Guy Stefanelli and his brother Andy have owned Autobahn Motor Works, which services Mercedes, BMWs and Porsches. Pictured with his wife Mary and their sons Vince and Guy Michael, Guy coaches his son’s basketball team and enjoys spending time with his family at the beach.


Tom Rother has owned Lawn and Leisure for nearly 25 years. Originally in the landscaping business, he expanded the company to include patio furniture and spas. Personal service is their top priority. He and his wife Jane enjoy traveling and attending local high school theatre. Their daughter Michelle is a critic for the Cappy awards for high school theatre held annually at the Kennedy Center.


President of Nancy Thornett Associates, Tracy Thornett has been in business in Bethesda for 23 years, the last three and a half at their Bethesda Avenue location. Tracy’s mom Nancy Thornett is a full-time designer. A top selling dealer for manufacturers and member of NKBA, the company is licensed as a Maryland Home Improvement Contractor. Tracy says that the energetic, caring and talented staff work extremely well together as a team.

Tracy is married to Andrew McCann, Vice President of Global Sales at EDS. These Washington natives have two children, Christopher, 7, and Nicholas, 9. The family is active in sports, school and their parish. Tracy supported Katrina Relief and supports the Lymphoma Society.


Don Yentzer, Jr. has owned his residential cleaning franchise of The Maids Home Services for 14 years. The Maids Home Services has been in business for 25 years.

Don feels fortunate to have as his operations manager, Maria Garcia, who has had extensive experience with housekeeping departments in major hotels.

He has served on the Executive Advisory Counsel for the corporation for three years and was the chairman last year. This advisory board aids communication between franchise owners and the corporation.

A North Potomac resident for over 30 years, Don and his wife Mary, like to travel and recently returned from Mexico. They have one daughter, Laura, who lives in Charlotte, N.C. with her husband.

Ten years ago, Ali Yilmaz started GraniTech Inc., which sells and installs granite and exotic stone countertops, floors and wall tiles for homeowners and builders. Because the company stands behind every job, referrals provide GraniTech with most of its business. Ali is active in NARI, NVBIA, MNCBIA, NAHB and BBB. An avid hunter and fisherman, Ali also enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters.


The ABCs of Home Restoration


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