Maryland Community Newspapers Online
Donna Dorman now knows the feeling of a musician who wins a Grammy.
Dorman, marketing manager of Dorman Builders in Mount Airy, compared that feat to her company winning multiple Contractor of the Year awards last month from the Mid-Maryland Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
"This is something remodelers aspire for and to be judged by our peers is incredibly exciting," Dorman said, adding that her company was "ecstatic" to receive the awards.
Ninety percent of Dorman Builders' sales are from remodeling jobs, according to project coordinator Brian K. Price. The company is preparing to perform a full addition to a house in Chevy Chase that will cost $124,000, he said, which falls in line with the other services Dorman Builders provides, including remodeling services for basements, bathrooms and kitchens.
"We can provide a whole new look," Price said.
The company reported 2009 revenues of up to $2 million through last month, a 20 percent increase from the same time last year. Prices range from $20,000 for remodeling basements, bathrooms and kitchens to $150,000 for additions.
The recession took its toll initially on Dorman Builders and other local companies, Price said, but added that the company's location has helped it recover compared with companies in other areas.
Price's company has also taken the "extra step" in offering services to homeowners, he said.
"We help pick out small fixtures for them and talk them through their wants and needs," Price said.
Dorman Builders has seven employees, including three certified lead carpenters. No layoffs have been made at the company and "we always try to find the truest competitor we can without trading in our level of quality," Price said.
The awards represent a "really big step" for Dorman Builders, Price said.
"It is a great acknowledgment to be judged by our peers and we are proud to display these awards" through the association, he said.
The local chapter is relatively young, having started about six years ago as a spinoff of the association's [Washington] D.C. Metro chapter, said Steven Klitsch, president of the local chapter.
The awards presentation is an annual event for other association chapters, Klitsch said, and because the local chapter has 50 members, having an awards ceremony seemed like a "timely thing to do," he said.
Members of the local chapter have had a rough year, with some laying off workers and changing their business model, Klitsch said.
However, "things are looking up" because of the enthusiasm of homeowners, he said.
Homeowners "are looking to spend money on improvements," Klitsch said.
Although Frederick County remodelers are getting work in the county, there is a little more activity in neighboring counties such as Montgomery, according to Denise Jacoby, executive officer of the Frederick County Builders Association.
Although consumer confidence is low, she said, this is a good time for the remodeling industry because of the competitive environment.
"It is a good time to shop around ... remodelers say it is highly competitive," Jacoby said.
Price said the awards help keep Dorman Builders and its competitors close.
"It shows true unity and that we are true professionals who are there for each other," he said.
Other award recipients included Tomlinson Builders of Damascus; D.G. Liu Contractor of Dickerson; Frederick companies Carriage Hill Cabinet and Millwork, Majestic Wood Floors and M.V. Pelletier Inc.; Creative Concepts Remodeling of Germantown; and Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling, which has multiple locations across Maryland.
