Spring PBJ 2016

SPRING 2016PIEDMONT BUSINESS JOURNAL2

SPRING 2016 PIEDMONT BUSINESS JOURNAL 3

PHOTO BY ADAM GOINGS

10 under 40: Sam Cooper of Oak Grove Tree Experts, seen here scaling a tree, isone of 10 Fauquier and Prince William county business leaders under the age of 40profiled in this issue of Piedmont Business Journal. Page 53

SPRING 2016

ContentsIN THIS ISSUE

4 First Word

6 Take AwaysTop 5 vacation spots

Too good to be true

Freshen your home environment

Mid-Atlantic region out performs

17 Hitting a 40th anniversaryAppleton Campbell plans for expanded future

22 Rankin’s marks 50 yearsFamily-owned hardware chain unveils new look

28 Power LunchFinding healthy alternatives during the work day

32 Housing marketThe Piedmont real estate market appears poised for a good year

38 Home FinanceWhat you need to know when buying a home in today’s market

46 Eyes in the skyTiny unmanned aircraft are revolutionizing the way we look at things

53 10 Under 40“It’s the closet thingto flying like a bird.

It allows us to experience flight

without ever leaving the ground.”

–DAVID PREZNUK,AERIAL STRATEGIES

PAGE 46

FEATURE17 40 and Growing – After four decades inbusiness, Warrenton-based Appleton Campbellcharts a path to the future with plans to expandwhile maintaining quality customer service.

22 Rankin’s Renovates – Family-ownedRankin’s Hardware in Warrenton greets its half-century mark with a complete store renovation.

ON THE COVERClockwise from top left areMatthew Fusaro, StephanieHodges, Nathan Gilbert,Jennifer Puffenbarger, SyedSalman, William Landay,Aaron Lynch, Anthony Pal-ladino, Sam Cooper andColleen Shumaker.

32 Spring Real Estate – The outlook for thespring real estate market in Virginia’s Piedmont showsearly signs of strong sales, but challenges remain.


Home-for-sale signsare once more returningto Piedmont area yardslike spring flowers thisseason.

This spring the Pied-mont Business Journaltakes a different direc-tion with our annual real

state outlook. In this issue you’ll find George

Rowand’s outlook on the real estatemarket which brings a mixed bag ofmostly good news, albeit with somewarnings.

He talks with Realtors in our area toget their perspectives on what potentialhome buyers and sellers can expect asthey shop for that dream home.

With signs pointing to a strongspring, headwinds in the form of ashortage of home inventory — goodnews for sellers — as well as starterhomes — bad news for first-time buy-ers, threaten to put a damper on anotherwise robust market.

The National Association of Real-tors says 2015 ended strong withfourth quarter sales of 5.44 millionhomes, compared to fourth quarter2014 sales of 5.2 million, a 4.6 percentincrease year over year.

The trade group expects secondquarter 2016 home sales to reach 5.55million homes. Not a bad start to theyear.

The time is right to buy with inter-est rates on home loans at historiclows, according to most Realtors.

Mortgage expert David Coukagrees and sets forth some common-sense guidelines for home buyers

looking for a mortgage.A National Association of Home

Builders’ survey shines a light onhome preference of Gen X and Millen-nial generation buyers. Hint: they’renot a lot different from Baby Boomers.

Betsy Burke Parker talks withDavid Preznuk of Aerial Strategiesabout how drones have gone from ahobbyist toy to an essential tool withmany uses, especially in real estate.

Also in this issue, we take a look attwo family-owned businesses, eachmarking a significant milestone.

Rankin’s True Value Hardware, along-time fixture in Warrenton, cele-brates 50 years in business with abrand spanking new store interior.Owner Glenn Rankin and staff areproud to show off the newly renovatedstore in the Warrenton Village Center.

A decade younger, HVAC com-pany, Appleton Campbell hits its 40thanniversary this year. The company,headquartered in Old Town Warren-ton, is in the planning stages of abrand new location across town.

Finally, our cover features RobinEarl’s profiles of 10 business men andwomen from Fauquier and PrinceWilliam counties, all of whom areunder the age of 40.

They represent the future of Pied-mont business and have already begunmaking their mark, both in their cho-sen fields and in our community.

As always we welcome your feed-back and story ideas. You can contactme, Steve Campbell, at [email protected].

Steve Campbell, Executive Editor

FIRST WORD

Spring is in the air Piedmont Business JournalPublished quarterly by Virginia News Group39 Culpeper St. Warrenton, VA 20186540-347-4222 Fauquier.comNorthernVaTimes.com

PUBLISHER & CEOPETER ARUNDEL

EXECUTIVE EDITORSTEVE CAMPBELL

PHOTO EDITORRANDY LITZINGER

DESIGNSTACY TAYLOR, MELISSA JANACK, COVER

ADVERTISING DIRECTORPAM SYMINGTON

ADVERTISING CONSULTANTSKATHY GODFREY,MARIE ROSSI, SYLVIA MCDEVITT, LAURA REHALUK, EVELYN COBERT, JEANNE COBERT

ADVERTISING ASSISTANTSCARMEN SCHABEL,

FOLLOW US


Sarah Kelly of Travel Place in Manassas and LoriPower of Power Trips in Haymarket work with NorthernVirginians looking for a great vacation at a great price.

For inspiration, here are the Top 5 destinations re-quested by their clients.

■ Cancun, MexicoCancun is a popular destination for a summer beach

vacation. One price includes hotel, meals and watersports. Daily non-stops out of Dulles International Air-port mean it’s only three-and-a-half hours to a family-friendly or adults-only resort.

■ Cruises to the CaribbeanThese trips remain popular for families. The Oasis,

by Royal Caribbean, for instance, features a rock-climb-ing wall and dozens of children’s activities. Or for aquick, five-day trip to Bermuda, depart from Baltimore,Md, an easy drive from Northern Virginia.

■ Disney World, Fla.As they have for decades, kids, parents and grand-

parents still enjoy a trip to Disney World. Packages can include hotels, meals and park passes.

Disney World includes: Animal Kingdom, Magic King-dom, Hollywood Studios and Epcot. Universal Studios –including Harry Potter World — is nearby. For thosewho want a trip sans amusement parks, Ft. Lauderdaleor Miami are an easy non-stop flight away — offeringbeaches, boating, shopping, restaurants and night life.

■ River cruises in EuropeA popular choice for older residents, small cruise

ships travel along European rivers, making stops alongthe way.

For instance, a cruise might begin in Nuremburg,Germany, stop at several places in that country, thencontinue to Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary.This option is a little pricier, but unlike some Caribbeancruises, all tours are part of the all-inclusive price.

■ Williamsburg, Va.For those who want to stay in the no-fly zone, Williams-

burg is only two-and-a-half hours away and has somethingfor everyone. You’ll find Busch Gardens and Great WolfLodge for families, great restaurants and B&Bs, lots ofshopping and of course, historic Willliamburg.

And Virginia Beach, with its legendary boardwalkand fun beachcomber atmosphere, is right on the way.

—By Robin Earl

Top 5 Vacations Destinations

Cancun, Mexico Caribbean cruises

Disney World European river cruise Williamsburg, Va.


TAKE AWAYS


A perfect 5-star review ofyour product or service mayactually scare off potentialcustomers.

That’s because most con-sumers (82 percent) considera perfect score “too good tobe true,” according to re-search by the Spiegel Re-search Center atNorthwestern University.

“The likelihood of a prod-uct being purchased doesn’tnecessarily increase as itsstar rating increases,” the2015 study says.

Ratings of 1 to 3 starshave little effect on pur-chases. However, ratingshigher than 3 are likely in-

duce a shopper to buy.“A customer is more

likely to purchase a productwith a 4 star rating than onewith 3 stars,” according to thecenter’s “From Ratings toRevenue” study.

Purchase likelihoodpeaks between 4.2 and 4.5stars and starts to drop as thestar rating approaches a per-fect 5.

Consumers perceive rat-ings closer to a perfect 5 as“too good to be true.”

“As counter intuitive as itmay seem, negative reviewshave a positive impact be-cause they help establish

trust and authenticity,” thestudy says.

Consumers instinctivelyknow that no product is per-fect and seem to appreciatethe honesty reflected in nega-tive reviews.


TAKE AWAYS

5-star ratings are too good to be true

4.2-4.5 Ideal star rating forpurchase probability



Spring is in the air, and thatmeans tackling home improvementprojects you’ve been putting off allwinter long.

As you plan for these projectsover the warmer months, includesteps to improve your family’s homeenvironment, both inside and out.

Here are six ideas to make yourhome a more comfortable place tolive.

■ Conserve waterConserve preserve water by re-

placing any leaky indoor faucets inyour kitchen, laundry and bathroom.Also, think about replacing yourshower head with a low-flow model.

Outdoors, check the wateringhose faucet for leaks and replace it ifneeded.

■ Reduce indoor pollutantsEPA studies indicate indoor air

may be 25 times, and occasionally

more than 100 times, more pollutedthan outdoor air. A whole-house aircleaner, such as Trane CleanEffects,can remove up to 99.98 percent ofairborne particles and allergensfrom the filtered air, such as dust,pollen, bacteria, pet dander, moldspores and smoke.

■ Seal air leaksKeep cool air in and hot air out

by sealing leaks and adding insula-tion. Check the attic, garage and un-finished basement. Throughout thehouse, ensure that all cooling andheating vents and registers meet thefloors, walls and ceilings and arewell sealed.

■ Cool more efficientlyUpgrading to a more efficient

cooling system can save home en-ergy consumption and save youmoney. For example, a TruComfortVariable Speed Air Conditioner is one

of the industry’s most efficient sys-tems, delivering precise cooling byrunning at the exact speed needed tokeep a home constantly comfortable.

■ Block the sunSeasonal heat comes indoors

from windows, too, so closedraperies and shades, or install themin rooms that don’t already havethem. Outside, create natural shadenear windows by planting a tree, tallbushes or adding awnings on thesunniest side of the house.

■ Control indoor tempsEnsure a more comfortable

home environment by adding a pro-grammable HVAC control. Trane’sprogrammable smart controls areeasy to use and, when paired withthe Nexia smart home system, letyou remotely monitor and control in-door temperatures.

—BPT

Give your home a breath of fresh air

TAKE AWAYS



The Mid-Atlantic regionposted above average eco-nomic performance in 2015,according to a report by Dav-enport & Co.

The Richmond, Va.-basedfinancial services firm tookan in-depth look at 52 pub-licly traded companies in Vir-ginia and North Carolina andbased on that analysis foundthat region outperformed thenational economy.

The company’s report, “AView from the Mid-Atlantic,”found that:

• The Mid-Atlantic re-gion posted positive growthin 2015 with employment ris-ing broadly while overall eco-nomic conditions remainedstable, in spite of mixed hous-ing indicators.

• Both wages and infla-tion rates rose modestly witha 4.44 percent gain in real per-sonal income, which trackedclosely to national trends.

• Employers addednearly 257,800 jobs regionally

with the strongest gains com-ing in service sector.

• Virginia was more sta-ble than neighboring statesand the nation overall buthousing appreciation contin-ues to lag behind the nationalaverage.

• While Virginia laggednational averages in jobgains, unemployment hasconsistently run below the re-gional and national averageand stood at 4.2 percent atyear-end 2015 (regional aver-age 5.2 percent).

• In the Commonwealth,job creation in construction,professional services and thefinance sectors grew whilepositions in natural re-sources, IT and governmentdeclined.

• New vehicle sales wereup 4.4 percent according tothe Virginia Auto Dealers As-sociation.

To view the full report,visit the company’s website:www.investdavenport.com.

Virginia posted positive gains in 2015

Mid-Atlantic out performsnational economy

TAKE AWAYS





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BY BETSY BURKE PARKER

Not many business own-ers bank on the fact most oftheir callers won’t be happy.

But, Appleton Campbellowner Mike Appleton saysthe more frustrated a cus-tomer is contacting his War-renton-based firm, thehappier they’ll be when hiscrew is done.

On that simple premiseAppleton’s grandfather Jimfounded the family businessexactly 40 years ago.

Owners and employees ofthe Old Town Warrentonfirm have focused on homesystems troubleshooting andrepair since 1976, when JimAppleton created AppletonPlumbing and Heating with asingle work truck and a bagfull of tools.

This year, Mike Appletonand partner Scott Waylandpromise to stay true to the

business model that’s earnedthem acclaim from area com-munity groups as they movefrom their longtime home inthe iconic Ice House buildingon Franklin Street to newcustom quarters on the Ar-rington property behindHome Depot.

The one-mile move willnot affect the commitment tocustomer service, Waylandstresses.

“It’s almost like we forgetwhat good service is,” saysWayland, part-owner of Ap-

pleton Campbell since 1997. “You go for car repair, to a

movie theater, to a big-boxstore, and sometimes you justget terrible service,” he says.“When you get good service,really good service, it comesas a shock.”

Both graduates ofFauquier High, Mike Apple-ton and Scott Wayland haveworked together since 1993.Wayland’s grandfatherowned and operated Way-land Ford Tractor on the

New location on theway for family ownedWarrenton firm.

PHOTO BY DOUG STROUD

Appleton Campbell HVAC Installer Mike Loy retrieves parts from his work truck.


Appleton Campbell plans for expanded futureHitting a 40th anniversary

continued on page 18

PHOTOS BY DOUG STROUD

Above, Bookeeper June Wagner, Dispatcher Eva Arnell, Controller Betsy James, Assistant Sales Manager Renee Davisand Installation Manager Dave Elthee keep operations running smoothly for Warrenton-based Appleton Campbell.Below, Appleton Campbell co-owner Scott Wayland says the company's goal is ‘not to have happy customers,’ but in-stead his crews strive to create ‘amazed customers.’


APPLETON CAMPBELL

Warrenton bypass near Giantfor decades, Scott helping outin the shop when he could.

When Wayland tractorclosed in 1990, Scott Waylandapproached Mike Appletonabout joining forces.

Appleton merged withCampbell Heating and Plumb-ing in 1997. Though the lastremaining Campbell steppedaway in 2007, Mike Appletonsays the name just stuck.

Until that year, AppletonCampbell focused on newconstruction, but in 2007, Ap-pleton and Wayland reinedback to working direct withhomeowners.

“There’s a subtle differ-ence working for a builderand a homeowner,” Waylandsays. The builder tells us

what to do, the homeownerasks us what to do.”

Nuts and boltsThe company employs 62

— including nine masterplumbers and 15 certified

HVAC — technicians, andholds a Class A License withmasters in plumbing, heatingand air conditioning and gasfitter. They added an electri-cal division in 2011.

“We’re not looking to

grow too much” when theymove quarters, Appleton says,but the new facility allows ex-pansion. “Like always, the ideais still that our techs listen to[a customer’s] problem andcreate a workable solution.

“Our address is changing,but our business remains thesame,” he says.

Appleton Campbell serv-ices Fauquier, Culpeper,Stafford and Rappahannockcounties, and parts of North-ern Virginia.

The “trickle-down” modelmakes the word-of-mouth ad-vertising work, Wayland says.“The classic model is takingcare of [our] employees,” hesays, “something that paysout by employees taking careof customers.”

Service starts on the firstring when a customer calls. Atech talks over the problemto assess which specialisttakes the call, and what toolsand supplies are required.

It doesn’t stop, Waylandsays, until techs leave thehome “cleaner and betterthan it was before. Sometimesour guys will take out thetrash or put mail in the mail-box on their way out. Just tobe nice. It’s the little things.”

Appleton says employeesreceive regular training whereinstructors throw out all sortsof “practice scenarios.”

Wayland tosses somezingers from past sessions: Atoilet backs up during a wed-ding reception, the powergoes off during a Super Bowldinner party. Instructors tape-record employee responsesto train everybody from re-ceptionists to techs. Appletonand Wayland often take part.

“This is the best way for[us] to understand whatcalm, competent help lookslike,” Wayland says. “Learn todiffuse the situation, to beempathetic, and most impor-tant, figure out how to get itfixed,” Appleton says.

New eraNew custom headquar-

ters are in the planning stagesright now, Wayland says.

“We’ll be building it howwe need it, not how we can‘make it work,’” like at the Ice


APPLETON CAMPBELL

“Our goal is not to have happy

customers, our goalis to have amazed

customers.”Scott Wayland


House, known to some as Warrenton’sold power plant. Architectural plans aren’tcomplete, but he expects the new build-ing will be part masonry, part steel.There will be room for the 50-plus servicevehicles, employee and customer park-ing — neither of which were available inOld Town, plus indoor bays for offloadingmaterials and on-loading service trucks.

The partners considered moving —they looked in Marshall, Gainesville,Opal — but when they learned a cornerof the Arrington property was zoned cor-rectly, it was a no-brainer.

“Mike and I are both from Warren-ton. We started here. We wanted to stayhere,” Wayland says.

A steady increase in business — al-most solely from word of mouth — hasmarked their past 10 years. “Controlled,continued growth,” Wayland calls it.“We’re 7 percent up this year from last.”

Frantic callsTraditional home systems repair, Ap-

pleton says, is their signature and theirselling point.

A vacation eve home emergency

prompted Therese Crowther of Warren-ton to call the company.

“The night before we were leavingon vacation our furnace broke and weneeded a new one,” Crowther says.

One frantic emergency call later,same-day service had her home heatingreplaced within hours. Crowther appreci-

ated that Appleton Campbell “went theextra mile...when we needed them.”

Appleton was named Business Per-son of the year by the Fauquier Chamberof Commerce. The company is in theBetter Business Bureau and Fauquier,Warrenton, Culpeper and Prince WilliamChambers of Commerce.

They earned Best of Warrenton rat-ing by Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine in2008, ’09, ’10, ’11 and ’12 and Best ofCulpeper in 2011 and ‘12.

Community outreach, Wayland says,is another way they give back to theirhome community. They work directlywith the Fauquier County Fair, Warren-ton Spring Festival, CulpeperFest,Evening Under the Stars, PiedmontSymphony Orchestra, Boys and GirlsClub, Fauquier SPCA and numerousyouth sports leagues.

“We believe in giving back and sup-porting the community that has sup-ported [us] over the years,”says Appleton.

Wayland says, “Our goal is not tohave happy customers, our goal is tohave amazed customers.”


APPLETON CAMPBELL


Mike Wright, with Appleton Campbell,works on an HVAC installation.

BY JAMES IVANCIC

Appleton Campbell will bemoving but not very far andby an adjustment of bound-aries the company will still bein the town of Warrenton.

Officials of Warrentonand Fauquier County havebeen working with the heat-ing, electrical, plumbing andair conditioning company tomove the border so that thecompany will be on the townwater and sewer system.

The property consists of5.6 acres adjacent to Alwing-ton Boulevard. The parcel isa portion of a propertyowned by Alwington FarmLLC, developers of a residen-tial development planned on439 acres located betweenBrumfield Elementary

School and The HomeDepot.

A separate parcel of 1.61acres owned by the FauquierCounty School Divisionacross Alwington Boulevardis being considered forboundary adjustment too.

The adjustment was thesubject of a public hearing onApril 12. No one spoke on theissue. Town Manager Bran-non Godfrey recommendedthat Council put off any ac-tion because a final design ofthe building isn’t ready to besubmitted for approval. Thematter was tabled for amonth.

No one spoke at the publichearing held in March by thecounty supervisors afterwhich the board took no ac-

tion until a site application isfinished.

“We’ve kind of outgrownthe area,” said owner MikeAppleton about why his com-pany will move from its spaceat 100 E. Franklin St. near theWarrenton Greenway.

Parking is a big issue. “Wehave more employees thanever before.” about 60, hesaid.. “That’s a big part of it.”

Space to pull trucks insidefor inventory is needed. “If it’sa nice day, it’s not a problem”doing inventory outdoors, butthat’s not always the case.”

The building will house of-fice space and a training room.

He looked at space in Opaland New Baltimore but theland off Alwington near an in-tersection fit the needs better.

Appleton Campbell will beconstructing a new building“We’re getting it priced andsized. We’ve got a budget rangeand we’re going to stick withthat range,” he said in decliningto name a specific figure.

He said the goal is to beunder roof by the end of theyear while construction con-tinues and then move into thenew building in about a year.

Appleton began working atage 16 in 1976 at the companyhis grandfather founded, at firstpart time (“My mom wouldn’tlet me quit high school,” hesaid), then full time.

He said Warrenton’s townmanager and Vice MayorSunny Reynolds “have been abig help” with the boundaryadjustment.


APPLETON CAMPBELL

Moving to a new home with room to grow

BY MATT WINGFIELD

A lot has happened in thelast 50 years.

The first Star Wars pre-miered. Martin Luther King,Jr. had a dream and Neil Arm-strong walked on the moon.America entered (and left)Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

But one thing has stayedthe same, Rankin’s True ValueHardware in Warrenton.

Rankin’s celebrated its50th anniversary on May 6.The family-owned hardwarestore opened in its current lo-cation in 1977, owner GlennRankin says.

“We were probably one ofthe original True Value deal-ers,” Rankin says. (At the

time the store opened, it costonly $10,000 to buy into theTrue Value franchise.)

The store was originally asmaller, one-section building,but quickly expanded and re-quired a new, bigger location —as well as an accompanying lo-cation in Winchester.

The expansions haven’tstopped since.

Though the Winchesterlocation was eventually soldin 2001, Rankin has openedtwo other stores — one inColonial Beach in 2005, theother in King George in 2009.

And just as Rankin tookover from his father, Alvin, at19, he’s kept the other storesin the family as well. His

brother, James, manages theKing George store, while hisbrother-in-law LloydAlspaugh manages the Colo-nial Beach location.

Though he’s been manag-ing the store for more than 40years, Rankin admits it wasn’this first career choice.

“I went to community col-lege for electronics,” Rankinsays, “but only for half a year.”

His intended degree re-quired a working knowledgeof computers, Rankin says,and he admits he “didn’t pre-pare well for it.”

And so he returned to hischildhood haunt— the samehardware store he’d beenworking in since he was 10

years old.“My daddy had a saying –

we had to work for our moneyor we didn’t get paid,” Rankinsays. “No work, no money.We didn’t get an allowance.”

At 12, he experienced hisself-described “worst memory”of his store career. It was a rela-tively quiet weekend day, andRankin was trying to help acustomer make a copy of a key.

Unfortunately, he misscut the original copy anddamaged the man’s key. Thecustomer, who, Rankin re-members, was a good sportabout it, had to get an entirelynew key cut.

As for his happiest memory?“Golly, that’s a tough


RENOVATION MARKSRANKIN’S 50 YEARS

Family-owned hardware chain unveils new look

TIMES STAFF PHOTO/

RANDY LITZINGER

one,” Rankin admits, pausingfor a moment to think. “I’dhave to say it’s moving backhere [to Warrenton] andopening this location.”

Surviving as a family-owned small business in thedays of big chain stores hasn’tbeen easy, Rankin admits.

He watched over theyears as big box stores likeHome Depot and Lowe’sswallowed up smaller stores,but credits his father and thelocal banks for keeping theTrue Value-affiliated storeopen for half a century.

“My father was hard-headed,” Rankin says with alaugh. “He was not a quitter.It seemed like the more boxstores that opened up, themore determined he was tokeep this open.”

And, of course, Rankin isthankful for the customersupport.

“I gotta thank the immedi-

ate public for backing us aslong as they have,” Rankinsays. “And I just think we’remore welcoming than a boxstore.”

“The Rankin family repre-sents the best of True Value,”says True Value senior vicepresident of growth Tim Mills.

“For over 50 years,they’ve kept the Americandream alive by providing su-perior customer service tothe communities in whichthey live and work,” he says.“In a retail landscape markedby big boxes, it’s great to seethat multi-generational familybusinesses continue to be val-ued by customers.”

The store plans tomarked its anniversary with aribbon-cutting ceremony. Inpreparation for the reopen-ing, the store has gotten apretty major facelift.


RANKIN’S HARDWARE


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After nine weeks and$238,000, the store nowsports all new carpet, fixturesand floors, Rankin says. Thewalls have been painted, thelighting has been changedand some of the shelving hasbeen reorganized.

“It’s something we’ve al-ways wanted to do,” Rankinsays, though he admits the an-niversary celebration provedas good an excuse as any.

“We needed to upgradethe atmosphere,” he says.“And we’ve gotten a lot ofgood comments on it. I thinkit looks more customer-friendly now.”

The store celebrationhosted alpacas and, poten-tially, a fire truck and a crewover the May 6 weekend.(The appearance of a firetruck, Rankin notes, is com-plicated by the fact that theGold Cup horse races werethat same weekend.)

The Warrenton Police De-partment held a gun safetycourse on Saturday, and thestore offered a number ofdeals, including door prizesand 25 percent off whateveritems customers can fit in afree five-gallon bucket.

And while Rankin is tak-ing some time to reflect onthe last 50 years, he’s notplanning to rest on his laurels.

“We’re already planning

for the next 10 years,” hesays proudly.

To that end, Rankin re-cently signed a 10-year leaseto stay in the store’s currentbuilding. Previously he hadbeen leasing the building ona month-to-month basis, butas the stores around Rankin’sclosed up, the pressure torenegotiate a lease grew.

“Retail in general haschanged 100 percent,”Rankin says.

The store’s profits seem

to fluctuate on a four-year bellcurve, Rankin notes — some-thing he attributes to electionyears and the transition be-tween Republican and Demo-cratic administrations.

And while Rankin still hasplenty of repeat customers,he also admits he has a highemployee turnover rate.“We’ve been lucky enough tohold onto a few,” he added.

All of which is to say thatthe store isn’t going any-where anytime soon, though

Rankin admits he’s slightlyworried about who will suc-ceed him.

“There’s no generation tofollow us,” he says, sadly. “Thegrand kids — they don’t seemto have any interest in it.”

There is, he notes opti-mistically, a cousin whoseems interested, whichwould allow the store to stayunder its current banner.

In his free time, the 59-year-old Rankin enjoys bowhunting — he’s been an avidhunter for 12 years — andwatching the Washington Red-skins – though it’s been “a try-ing time” to be a fan, he laughs.

And while he’s thinking10 years ahead instead of 50,Rankin doesn’t plan to retirefor the foreseeable future.

He admits he’s thoughtabout cutting back his ownhours and only working part-time, but no time soon.

“Unless I play the lotteryand hit it,” he say.

TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/RANDY LITZINGER

Rankin's Hardware’s Kent Rankin helps customer Neil Payne. Below, customers enjoy thenewly renovated Warrenton store.


RANKIN’S HARDWARE

“My father was hard-headed. He was nota quitter. It seemedlike the more boxstores that openedup, the more deter-

mined he was tokeep this open.”

Glenn Rankin


Nathan Gilbert and Sarah Yakel




Regardless of where you go for lunch, there’s always a healthy alternative available on most restaurant menus, says dieti-tian and nutritionist Jessica Bettick.

TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/RANDY LITZINGER

Black Bear Bistro in Warrenton offers peanut crusted trout with asparagus and rice (left) and raspberry red wine mari-naded duck over garden salad, while Hidden Jules, also in Warrenton, offers Frenchman soup with a toasted baguetteand baked brie and fruit.

BY MICHAEL MELKONIAN

Worried about super siz-ing your summer beach bodwith too many spring powerlunches? A Warrenton nutri-tionist says eating a healthylunch is easier than you imag-ined, no matter where yournext networking event leads.

“Go and have fun, don’tover-think it,” says JessicaBettick, registered dietitiannutritionist with Dominion In-ternal Medicine and BlueRidge Orthopaedics.

One thing to remember isthat there are no foods to“avoid at all costs” or other

hard and fast rules you mighthave read, she says. Instead,balanced meals and portioncontrol will help you stayhealth-focused while diningout.

BalanceIf you do get anxious, look

at the menus ahead of timeand anticipate the environ-ment, she says. Don’t obsessover calorie counting, insteadrely on common sense.

“People fixate on num-bers,” Bettick says. “Foodshould be about having fun.”

We all kind of know whenwe are eating bad food and

then feel guilty later, she says.So splurge on the burgeryou’re craving but balance itwith vegetables, like a nicegreen salad, she suggested.

“Figure out where you’regoing to compromise,”Bettick says.

For example, leave halfthe fries on the plate or trysubstitutions like sweet pota-toes to add variety and colorto your diet.

You can always ask yourserver about substitution op-tions, she says. And for officepals, splitting a meal with afriend is a good way to keepportion sizes in check.

Portion control“Human nature is to clear

your plate — which is totallywrong,” Bettick says.

Hunger clues are oftenneglected and many issuescan be solved by eating moreslowly. People always seem tobe in a rush around lunch, shesays, but we need at least 20minutes for our bodies to startsending the “full” signals.

The best way to eat less isto slow down, Bettick says.But if you’re still hungry,drink lots of water for a calo-rie-free fill-up.

We’ve lost sight of how toproperly construct our plates,


POWER LUNCH:Healthy eating opportunities abound in unlikeliest places

she says, but the FDA exam-ples found online are a fantas-tic start.

“It’s pretty simple, it reallyis,” Bettick says.

It’s not about starvingyourself and it’s not about pun-ishment, according to Bettick.

“Most disease can be pre-vented by proper diet,” she says.

Warrenton menusWhile Bettick’s favorite ex-

ample for patients is Seasons52, a chain restaurant with 43locations that offers fresh in-gredients for “naturallylighter” menu items, the clos-est one is in Tysons Corner.

Their menu is great forexactly this scenario becauseit’s sophisticated but offersproper portions which leadsto lower calorie meals, ac-cording to Bettick.

“Even the desserts arereasonable,” she says.

But even around Old

Town Warrenton, their are lotsof great choices to make —and slight tweaks will make ahuge difference, she says.

The same fundamentalsapply: there is nothing to totallyavoid, but balance is the key.

Claire’s featured one ofher favorite menus aroundtown because of the abun-dance of fresh vegetables onthe dishes.

“Fresh is always best,”Bettick says. “With Claire’s,you could pick anything onthis menu.”

Even the roast beef, some-thing that dieters might craveand fear all at once, providesgreat protein. Add a side ofvegetables or a salad andyou’ve picked a winner youcan feel good about, she says.

On Main Street, she no-ticed Molly’s and BlackBear had a lot of typical barfare like hot wings, burgersand pizza, but she still didn’t

shy away. Get the burger if you’ve

been craving it, she says, butadd the salad to balance it out.

“It’s healthy to be happy,”she says, reminding eaters thatfresh pizza toppings can still becelebrated as nutritional.

Enjoying these casualmeals with friends andcoworkers can help protectyou from looking at the worldthrough “orthorexic eyes,”Bettick says. Orthorexia is aneating disorder causing suf-ferers to build unhealthy ob-sessions with what they thinkare healthy foods and com-pletely avoiding others theydeem harmful.

Check your insuranceBettick is building a new

practice in town and thoughtsome people might be nerv-ous about seeing a dietitian forthe first time. But she says it’sa judgment-free visit that won’t

end with drastic life changesor unrealistic goals and idealspropagated by pop culture.

And though it often goesunnoticed, most health insur-ance plans cover RDN con-sultations. The healthcaregiants realized how muchmoney they can save by pro-viding preventative treatmentbefore patients end up in theemergency room, she says.

Bettick encouraged any-one with more questions toseek professional help in-stead of trying to tackle themonstrous topic alone.

“There’s nothing to lose,”Bettick says. “I love food andwant to help people.”

Bettick lives in Warrentonwith her husband and comes toFauquier by way of a CentralMichigan University graduateprogram. She is a member ofboth the Academy of Nutritionand Dietetics and the VirginiaDietetic Association.


HEALTHY LUNCHES



BY GEORGE ROWAND

The real estate market inthe area seems to be poisedto have a good year in 2016.Early signs are very positive.

“The spring market is ro-bust,” says Linda Martin, cur-rent president of the GreaterPiedmont Area Association ofRealtors (GPAAR). “We’re allvery busy across the board.”

GPAAR serves realtors inFauquier, Culpeper, Rappa-hannock, Madison and Or-

ange counties. Martin’s senti-ments were endorsed byChuck Cornwell, who is abroker/co-owner of Re/MaxRegency in Warrenton.

“We’ve seen the springmarket hitting early already,which is very unusual,” Corn-well says. “Usually we don’thave the real estate marketmoving as briskly as it has inFebruary, but we had a lot ofbuyers running around inFebruary, multiple offers com-

ing in on properties, that sortof thing, so we were seeing avery good real estate market.”

According to a report fromthe Virginia Association of Re-altors (VAR), January and Feb-ruary are the slowest monthsof the year for the residentialreal estate market. In the area,median sales price for thefourth quarter of 2015 rose 4.6percent year-over-year fromthe fourth quarter of 2014.

In January, median sales

price was 3.26 percent higherthan in January, 2015. Salesvolume for January also wasup by 0.58 percent over theprior year, and average dayson the market decreased 6.6percent, year-over-year.

“I attribute a lot of that tothe fact that interest rates bot-tomed again,” Cornwell says.“Interest rates are very low, somortgage payments for peopleare extremely good. And we’vegot a number of programs —

Home inventory and move up borrowers still in scarce supply.


Piedmont housing market on rebound

100 percent programs out there for peo-ple — that help put people into homes.”

The VAR report also suggeststhat — based on historic trends — themedian price of houses sold will in-crease steadily through June. The me-dian price of houses sold in Januaryand February this year in FauquierCounty was $360,000, a 10.7 percent in-crease over 2015.

What’s available?The biggest issue that the local

market seems to be facing is inventory.There are not enough houses on themarket in the area in the price rangethat is most in demand.

“In and around Fauquier County,the $500,000-$600,000 level is kind ofthe cutoff point,” Cornwell says. “Whenyou get above that, there is not as muchactivity, but you get below that, andyou’ve got multiple offers, you’ve got alot of people out looking at houses.

“The Prince William market isrolling,” Cornwell continued. “You getup into Northern Virginia and D.C.,

and it’s going crazy. Where you kind ofhit the ceiling at $500,000 and $600,000in Fauquier, you’re just getting startedup there at those prices.”

“The reality is that there are plentyof buyers out there looking for goodhouses,” Martin said. “We are seeingmultiple offers on transactions. It’sgood for sellers, and there is morecompetition for buyers, which is not al-ways a happy situation for them. Whatit does is make very clear that buyershave to do the things that are in front ofthem...get pre-qualified, get pre-ap-proved for a loan, do the things theyneed to do in order to compete.”

After the market downturn fromthe Great Recession, residential real es-tate seems to have rebounded. Buyersare coming from several backgroundsand interests.

“Many of the people coming to usare people who lost their homes in theGreat Recession, and they understandwhat home ownership is, and they wantto get back into it,” Cornwell says. “We


Average Mortgage Rates3.83%: Average contract interest ratefor 30-year fixed-rate mortgages withconforming loan balances of$417,000 or less for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio loans.

3.77%: Average contract interestrate for 30-year fixed-rate jumbomortgages, greater than $417,000for 80 percent LTV loans.

3.64 %: Average contract interestrate for 30-year fixed-rate FHAmortgages for 80 percent LTV loans.

3.06%: Average contract interestrate for 15-year fixed-rate mort-gages for 80 percent LTV loans.

2.91%: Average contract interestrate for 5/1 adjustable-rate mort-gages for 80 percent LTV loans.

Source: Mortgage Bankers Associa-tion Weekly Application Survey forweek ending April 20, 2016.

PIEDMONT REAL ESTATE



PIEDMONT REAL ESTATE

still see some investor activ-ity, but not like over the lastfew years. When the marketwas at its bottom, there werea lot of investors out lookingat properties.”

Cornwell pointed to anarea of the market that hasnot rebounded.

“The move-up market hasnot really taken off like itshould,” he said. “We don’tsee as many people sellingtheir smaller properties andbuying the bigger house. It’sjust beginning to comearound, but it really hasn’ttaken off.”

Anne Michael Greene,principal broker for MarshallReal Estate, said that some in-ventory help might be on theway in the next year in Mar-shall from two new develop-ments.

“Around 300 units arecoming next year in the twoVan Metre projects in Mar-shall,” Greene stated.

Commercial real estateactivity is increasing as well.

“We’re seeing an uptick incommercial — for leasingand sales,” Greene says.“We’re seeing actual closedsales that are up, and we’reseeing interest in some prop-

erties that have been on themarket for some time.”

Greene recently leased aspace for a company whosepresident wanted it to becloser to his home.

“The president lived inFront Royal, and their leasewas up in Herndon, so weplaced them in Manassas,which was a happy mediumbecause some of their em-ployees were from D.C.,” shesays. “They were initiallythinking Marshall, but com-ing from D.C. would havebeen a little bit of a haul forthe employees.”

The Marshall commercialmarket is drawing interestfrom outside the area.

“I’m getting calls from re-tailers in Middleburg whowant to set up shop here inMarshall,” Greene says.“We’ve got three new busi-nesses opening down thestreet, and I see new peoplehere all the time, Washing-ton, D.C., plates. I see goodprogress. I’m excited that thepeople who visit the [BarrelOak] winery can now cometo a new restaurant in Mar-shall.”

George Rowand is a free-lance writer living in Orlean.


Real Estate by the NumbersBIGGER IS BETTER

Buyers looking for their next home want more room. The average existing home size for all was 1,859 square feet.

They’re looking to expand into homes of 2,021 square feet.Millennial and Gen X buyers want a little more leg room with

their next homes averaging 2,375 sq.ft. and 2,315 sq.ft. respectively, according to a National Association of Home

Builders survey released in February.

$3,180AVERAGE REAL

ESTATE TAX FORFAUQUIER COUNTY

RESIDENTS

$3,522AVERAGE REAL

ESTATE TAX FORPRINCE WILLIAM

COUNTY RESIDENTS

Three and four-bedroom homespopular with Millennials

While the traditional three-bedroom, single-familyhome remains the popular choice among 49 percentof all home buyers, 48 percent of Millennial genera-tion buyers are looking for four or more bedrooms intheir new homes. The three bedroom abode remains

popular among Baby Boomers (54 percent) and Seniors (49 percent), according to an NAHB survey,“Housing Preferences of the Boomer Generation:

How They Compare to Other Home Buyers.”

According to the National Association ofHome Builders (NAHB), the average value of

homes in Fauquier County is $413,919. PrinceWilliam County homes value at $336,072.Falls Church ranked the highest in home

values at $727,739.

NO STAIRS, PLEASEMost home buyers (64 percent) prefer a single-story

home, but there is great variation by generation: Millennials (35 percent), Gen X’ers (49 percent),

boomers (75 percent) and seniors (88 percent), ac-cording to the National Association of Home Builders.

TOP 10 COMMUNITIES WITH HIGHEST HOME VALUES

Falls ChurchArlington CountyAlexandria Fairfax CountyRappahannock CountyFairfax Loudoun CountyAlbemarle CountyFAUQUIER COUNTYGoochland County

$727,739$626,379$538,597$537,890$534,862$489,986$470,442$423,427$413,919$413,093


The key to home financing is findingthe lender that is right for you!

Mortgage Loan Originator

NMLS ID# 399299

540.219.9189 c540-317-5973 fax

[email protected]

David E. Couk, Jr.

Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation is licensed by Virginia State CorporationCommission License # MC-3599 Corporate NMLS ID #208156.(www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

1100 Sunset LaneSuite 1310-A

Culpeper, VA 22701

Apply online at www.ihmcloans.com

I Answer My Phone; I Make House Calls; I Build Relationships



BUYING A HOME IN TODAY’S MARKET

BUYING A HOME IN TODAY’S MARKET


BY DAVID E. COUK, JR.If it has been eight to 10 years since

you’ve last purchased a home, you might aswell consider yourself a first-time home buyer.

So much has changed in the home buyingprocess since the mortgage/real estate melt-down, it is essential to have a good handle onwhat buying the home you want will entail.

The current real estate market offers per-haps the greatest opportunity for first-timehome buyers in my life time. Why? Rates arestill hovering at multi-generational lows andprices are still well below the bubble highs of2006.

Also, if you’ve never owned a home, thenthere isn’t a short-sale or foreclosure in yourcredit history to overcome. Additionally,since first-time home buyers have never hadthe experience of walking into a bank and se-curing a mortgage with little more than ahandshake and a few signatures, a strict ad-herence to today’s guidelines shouldn’t seemdaunting in the least.

Why buy a home if you’re happy renting?

The Federal Reserve Board issued astudy showing that the net worth of homeowners is over 10 times greater than renters.Owners have access to significant tax deduc-tions, while a fixed mortgage payment canalso protect them from inflationary increasesin housing costs such as the increases in rentthat are ever present.

Prices are still well below all-time highs,and rates are hovering at multi-generationallows. Add to that the fact that lending stan-dards have normalized in the past few yearsso that one doesn’t have to walk on waterwith perfect credit in order to qualify, andyou have an excellent recipe for buying yourown home.

First things firstFirst and foremost, find a qualified

lender and get pre-qualified at least fourmonths before you begin your search.

How to financeyour dream home



HOME FINANCE5 things to discuss beforebuying a home

For some a home pur-chase is the largest andmost difficult financialdecision of their lives.

A Wells Fargo surveyfound that 33 percent ofcouples had difficultytalking about money intheir relationship.

When two people de-cide to achieve the goalof homeownership to-gether, it’s important tounderstand not only yourown finances and creditprofile but your partner’sfinances and goals as well.

Here are five thingsyou need to know:

■ Where and whatWhere you will live and

what you want to pur-chase. Do you want to livein the city or the suburbs?Are you set on a single-family home or a condo?Do you want to build yourhome or purchase an es-tablished property?

The type of home youchoose may affect loanapproval requirements orwhat options exist if youwant to build your home.Find out if any bond ordown payment assistanceprograms are available inthe area of your newhome.

■ Partner’s credit scoreLenders use cus-

tomers’ credit profiles tohelp determine your abilityto repay a loan. Both ofyour credit scores are con-sidered.

Usually, the lowestmiddle score betweenthe two of you will beused. A very low score byeither of you may impact

the loan amount, interestrate and even loan ap-proval. If one of the creditscores is very low, as acouple you might discussonly one person applyingfor the mortgage loan.

■ Honest talk on debtAn important factor

that lenders evaluate isyour debt-to-incomeratio. This varies by mort-gage program but a goodrule of thumb is to ensureyour debt level is at orbelow 36 percent of yourgross monthly income.

■ DownpaymentIt isn’t necessary for

you to put 20 percentdown but most loan op-tions require some sort ofdown payment. In manycases lower down pay-ment options requiremortgage insurance,which will increase yourmonthly payment.

■ Who’s on the noteWhen buying a home

with someone else, eachof you must qualify inorder to be on the note,and both of you are re-sponsible for the debt. Ifonly one person is on thenote, the other may notengage in any transactionsregarding the loan, includ-ing refinancing, or appli-cation for modification.

Consult your state’s at-torney general’s office tosee if any communityproperty laws exist in yourstate that could make aspouse legally responsiblefor any debt acquired bythe other spouse aftermarriage.

For more informationvisit Wells Fargo’s SmarterCredit Center or Wells-Fargo.com/mortgage.

—BPT

Ignore this important stepmay lead to you finding yourdream home, only to learnthat you cannot qualify topurchase it. The reasoncould be something simplethat could have been takencare of well in advance.

Make sure the lender youchoose is a licensed profes-sional, and check references.There is a tendency to skipover this since buying a homehappens so infrequently, butchoosing the right lender isevery bit as important aschoosing the right account-ant, doctor, or attorney.

Also, be certain thelender you choose offers mul-tiple loan programs. Thereare different loan programsfor different needs, and it isimportant that you have theability to be matched with theprogram most suitable foryou. Don’t settle for a bank orlender that only offers one ortwo loan options. To a manwith a hammer, the wholeworld looks like a nail.

Credit scores and debt?

Get your debt under con-trol before you seek loan pre-qualification. This doesn’tmean that you can’t havedebts; as it is expected thatmost borrowers do havedebts such as car payments,credit cards, and even stu-dent loans.

Just keep in mind thatlenders are required to obtaina tri-merge credit report, andyour scores are dramaticallyaffected by your credit cardbalances as a percentage ofyour total credit limit. Thelower your balances, themore positive points will beadded to your scores. Ifyou’re really not sure, meet-ing with a qualified lender six

months or more prior to yoursearch will give you ampletime to address this.

Credit scores can have alarge impact on the rate andterms of your loan, so don’tignore them just because youhave a high income or nodebt. Spending just a littletime learning how to get yourscores up can save you largeamounts of money over thetime you own your home.

How much of a down payment?

Various government-backed loan programs havelowered the cash amount re-quired for down payments.There are loan programsavailable that require from aslittle as 3.5 percent to even 0percent cash down. Don’t as-sume that because you don’thave 20 percent to put down,that you can’t obtain a mort-gage.

With regards to closingcosts, there are even alterna-tives there as well. For in-stance, a lender may charge ahigher rate and be able tooffer lender credit that willcover some or all of the clos-ing costs. Depending on howmotivated a seller might be,often times they will offer tocover some or all of the clos-ing costs.

Getting a loan approved

In getting your loan ap-proved, it is essential to un-derstand that underwritersare under a great deal ofscrutiny to insure that every“i” is dotted, and “t” iscrossed.

These well trained peopleare tasked with assemblingand approving a high quality



HOME FINANCE

Gen X, Millennialbuyers prefer single-family homes

Gen X and Millennial generationhome buyers prefer single-family de-tached homes, according to a surveyby the National Association of HomeBuilders.

The NAHB study found that whiletwo-thirds of all home buyers prefersingle-family detached home, 72 per-cent of Gen X and 38 percent of Millen-nial home buyers also preferred thetraditional home choice.

Gen X refers to those born be-tween 1965 to 1979. Millennials arethose born after 1980.

The Baby Boom generation wasborn between 1946 and 1964. Seniorbuyers were in 1945 and earlier.

The “Housing Preferences of theBoomer Generation: How They Com-pare to Other Home Buyers” ex-plored home buying preferences of all

four generations.The study found that:• Buyers expect to pay about

$220,000 for their next home. Gen Xersexpect to pay the most: $231,600.

• A traditional forward mortgage ishow most buyers across generations(67 percent) would choose to pay for ahome.

• Buyers want a home with a me-dian 2,020 square feet of finished area,about 9 percent larger than they have

now. Millennials and Gen X’ers wantmore than 2,300 square feet; Boomersand Seniors less than 1,900 square feet.

• Most home buyers (64 percent)would like a single-story home, butpreference rises with age: Millennials(3 percent), Gen X’ers (49 percent),Boomers (75 percent), and Seniors (88percent.

• A majority of all buyers (68 per-cent) want the washer and dryer onthe first floor of the home.

•More than half (58 percent) ofbuyers want a full or partial basement,but the preference declines with age:from 77 percent of Millennials to 43percent of Seniors.

• About half of all buyers want ahome with three bedrooms, but 30 per-cent want at least four. More than 40percent of Millennials and Gen X’erswant the latter, compared to only 20percent of Boomers and Seniors.

For more information, visit theNAHB Eye on Housing website:http://eyeonhousing.org/.

loan file; frequently, one thatwill be sold to an investorwho may be even more strin-gent. It is the mortgage loanofficer’s job to determine if aloan scenario is approvableand to gather the documenta-tion to support this premise,but it is the underwriter’s jobto insure that it follows all ofthe guidelines.

With this comes the needfor documentation. Everynook and cranny must be cor-roborated, double-checked,and reviewed again beforeclosing. If the lenders ask fora specific document, givethem exactly what they askfor; not what “should be OK.”This is where the approvalprocess tends to come off therails. Keep in mind that nei-ther the underwriter nor theloan officer wants to shufflemore paper than is required,so if you’re being asked for aparticular document, you can

be assured that it is critical.

New laws complicatethe process

In October 2015, newlaws went into effect thathave changed the closingprocess.

Known in the industry asTRID (TILA RESPA Inte-grated Disclosures), thesechanges were made to sim-plify the process for the con-sumer. Whether or not thatwas accomplished is still upfor debate, but it has added

additional time needed to geta loan closed.

Basically, the GFE (GoodFaith Estimate) has been re-placed with an easy to under-stand LE (Loan Estimate),and the old HUD-1 used atclosing has been replacedwith the new CD (ClosingDocument). The new laws re-quire that the CD be providedfor the borrower at least threedays prior to settlement, andthat it matches the LE.

This was a big change inthe way lenders handle the

process, and after six monthsof operating under the newsystem, most lenders haveadjusted accordingly. I havefound that the easiest way todeal with this is to make surethere is immediate communi-cation with a good title com-pany at the beginning of theprocess.

In summary, spring ishere, and with it come openhouses and willing sellers.Before you assume you can’tafford to buy a home, meetwith a qualified lender todayand discover exactly whatyou can qualify for. With ratesthis low, you may find your-self pleasantly surprised.

David E. Couk, Jr., is amortgage loan originator. Hecan be reached by calling 540-219-9189 or by email [email protected] . He islicensed by Virginia State Cor-poration Commission License#MC-3599


HOME FINANCE

“The current real estatemarket offers perhaps thegreatest opportunity for

first-time home buyers inmy life time.”

David E. Couk, Jr.




They’re giving us eyes in the sky.


GAME OF DRONES

A t 400 feet, these tiny unmanned air-craft aren’t such high fliers, but localpilot and entrepreneur David Preznuk

thinks aerial video, photography and moremay revolutionize the way we look at things.

By Betsy Burke Parker

PHOTO BY DAVID PREZNUK

Drones are no longer the sole the province of hobbyists, now they are put to a variety of uses, such as providing aerialphotos of construction projects.


The four-rotor ‘copter lookslike something out of a 1950ssci-fi flick. David Preznuk evennamed it after a ‘60s cartoonspace-dog — he calls his littlebuzzing machine “Astro.”

But the sleek carbon-fiber, high-density plasticframe — size of a turkeyroaster. Isn’t a toy, it’s a tool, amodern information-gather-ing whiz that Preznuk callsthe the future of industry.

“Drones are no longer dis-missed as a fad or unrealisti-cally expensive,” says Preznuk.

Affordable consumerdrones are widely available,federal regulations are nar-rowing the gap, and instruc-tional videos and expertadvice have finally caught upwith the whirlwind expansionof an industry that wasn’teven born five years ago.

That’s where this Hume-based drone expert comes in.

“Things have changed so

fast over even just the pastthree years,” Preznuk says.“When drones first started,there was this push backfrom public sentiment, a gen-eral negative perception, be-cause the only other thing weknew of ‘drones’ was theirmilitary use.

“But once modern bene-fits came clear — agriculturaluse, social studies, industrial,real estate, even filming yourkid’s baseball game, publicopinion changed and dronesare considered a huge part ofa modern business plan.”

For Preznuk’s AerialStrategies, the sky’s the limit.

Drones, like Preznuk’sAstro 15, can provide stillphotos, video, real-time in-frared scans and more fromup to 400 feet in the air. Byemploying wide-angle andzoom lenses, Preznuk cancustomize the “look” of a real

estate sales ad, and can targetthe view of a crumblingbridge-span that might needbolstering or replacing.

He started Aerial Strate-gies three years ago with Astro1. Today, along with Astro 15and assorted other propellerdrones, Preznuk employs fourand recently released his firstbook, “The Drone Age.”

A pilot for more than 20years, Preznuk says he en-tered the drone industry be-cause of a perfect storm —“convergence of technologyand my passion for aviationand the outdoors.”

Almost solely self-taught,Preznuk says he “wishes abook like mine had been writ-ten when I was starting withdrones. It would have saved alot of time and energy.”

Welcome to the showThe term “drone” is the

modern buzzword for any

kind of remotely controlledflying platform, ranging frompropeller quad-copters thatcan hover and move every di-rection to fixed-wing jet-en-gine planes that can only goforward. Industry speakrefers to Unmanned Aerial Ve-hicles — UAVs, or UnmannedAircraft Systems — UAS.

The Federal Aviation Ad-ministration last year releasedhundreds of documents regu-lating unmanned aircraft use,at last catching up to a tech-nology that’s flown ahead ofthe regulatory body for years.

Drone operators get FAApermits to fly commercialdrones through the Section333 exemption. This requiresoperators to follow specificprocedures — stay below 400feet, keep in line-of-sight ofthe operator, daylight hoursonly, stay miles from airports.


Preznuk believes regula-tory statutes still “struggle tokeep pace with technologicaladvances,” and globally, poli-cies need to flex to enablebusiness fulfillment as newuses emerge.

Watching a drone opera-tor in action is like seeing aHollywood director on set.Preznuk studies a smallscreen on a hand-held remote-control panel to “see” whatAstro’s camera sees. He tog-gles the machine up, down,left and right to highlight aproperty for a real estatevideo, catch the setting sun,follow a dog across the lawn.

“See here,” Preznuknudges Astro higher andhigher, opening up a BlueRidge backdrop behind thesale home. The homeownermaintains that the mountains,quite nearby, aren’t actuallyvisible from the house.They’re hidden by a small,

wooded hill that masks themillion-dollar view, she says.

But with Astro’s compres-sion factor — 400-feet of ver-tical lift, the house, yard andmountains appear linked. Itdrives sales, says local realestate agent Julie Nicholas,and it’s becoming a popularsales tactic.

“People all have the exactsame reaction,” Preznuksays. “They say, ‘Oooooh.’

“It’s the closest thing toflying like a bird. It allows usto experience flight withoutever leaving the ground.”

Serious business Like early personal com-

puters which cost far moreyears ago and did far lessthan today’s $400 models, thecost of a drone has also fallenas their capabilities haverisen. Drone cost rangesfrom $100 for a small hobby-ist model to thousands for a

PHOTO BY ADAM GOINGS

David Preznuk of Aerial Strategies demonstrates the use ofone of his drones.


EYES IN THE SKY

professional craft. Astro 1cost about $7,000. Astro 15 isabout $1,000. Astro 15 has100 times the capability,Preznuk stresses. High-techlong-range models can go for$30,000 or more.

Consumer sales showdrones are trending sharplyupwards, with an 84 percentincrease in sales expectedthis year — $481 million, ac-cording to a Juniper ResearchGroup study.

It’s easy to see why dronesare so popular when you con-sider the implications. With“real-time” video feed tying adrone’s view direct to the in-ternet, an off-site businessowner can “see” his property,and link the images online —real-time — to an expert onthe other side of the globewho might take a look at cropdamage, for instance, or astructural problem on a re-mote infrastructure, and offer

narrowly directed professionaladvice.

“The implications arehuge,” says Preznuk.

Modern drones comewith an impressive array ofbuilt-in safety features —GPS tracking so you don’tlose it, and some have an au-tomated return-to-home pro-tocol. FAA “barriers”communicate with informa-tion stored on a drone’s chipto prevent it from strayinginto controlled airspace.

More than a “how-to”book, “The Drone Age” takesreaders from a novice start-up through use and controlsto business implications.

“The Drone Age” is agood read, packed with goodinformation, says drone pilotKiat Oboler. “I like how[David] thinks. It’s a greatbook for those unfamiliar asan introduction to commer-cial UAV uses and operations.

It shows a different perspec-tive to those of us familiarwith the industry.”

John Blatchford, directorof business intelligence forSalient, says Preznuk helpsindustry due to his “ability tounderstand business prob-lems and target the appropri-ate technical solutions tomaximize business value.”

Applications range fromspecial events to disaster relief,insurance and land surveys toagricultural management. “Afarmer can spot problems, pat-terns,” Blatchford says.

High-resolution camerasand video can capture in-frared, thermal and hyper-spectral analysis. Thermalimaging, Preznuk explains,can identify cracks in steelstructures — like the high-way bridge network news re-ports say are failing. Infrared


AERIAL STRATEGIESWON FAA APPROVALTO OPERATE DRONES

On Aug. 19, 2015,The Federal Aviation Ad-ministration granted Aer-ial Strategies a Section333 Exemption and aCertificate of Authoriza-tion that officially allowsthe company to operateunmanned aerial vehi-cles (UAVs), or “drones”for commercial and pub-lic sector purposes.

The authorization wasimportant because theFAA currently prohibitsunauthorized use of UAVsin U.S. airspace for thesepurposes, which has se-verely limited the ability oforganizations providingUAV related services toconduct business.

EYES IN THE SKY


is good for agricultural use,for checking effectiveness offertilizer application and pestcontrol.

“Instead of ‘spray andpray’ like the old days, you cango up and take a look at yourfields from above,” Preznuksays. “You can see where thedamage is, compare today tothe same field from last year.”

“You save money on prod-ucts, increase yield, save main-

tenance on your machinery,and you’re saving the earth.It’s a win-win-win,” he says.

What used to be availableonly to big commercial farmsthrough satellite imaging orlow-flying manned airplanesis now available to small farm-ers, something with enor-mous implications for thePiedmont’s agricultural base.

“I see this making North-ern Virginia farmers competi-

tive on a more regional and na-tional market,” Preznuk says.

Preznuk, 49, was bornand raised in the Washington,D.C., area. He graduatedfrom Thomas Jefferson Highin Alexandria, a science mag-net school he says gave himhis first taste for technology.He worked as a computerprogrammer and in high-techconsulting before openingAerial Strategies in 2013.

He conducts seminars forlocal law enforcement andemergency management.He’s traveled the world for in-dustry summits and teachcourses in drone technology.

Lord Fairfax CommunityCollege offers an intro todrones class.

For more information, call703-627-2813, or visit thecompany’s website: https://aerialstrategies.com/


EYES IN THE SKY

PHOTOS BY DAVID PREZNUK



Index ofAdvertisers

YOUNG BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS DEFY EXPECTATIONS


10UNDER

40A rticles about the millennial generation are peppered

with words like “entitled,” “tech-dependent” and “so-cially stunted.”

But these 10 Fauquier and Prince William county businesspeople who range in age from 24 to 38, defy the stereotypes.

They are hard-working, driven, personable, and preferface-to-face communication over texting. They are all tech-savvy, of course, but focus on connecting with their clientsand customers one to one.

By Robin EarlPhotos by Tin Nguyen,

Doug Stroud and Adam Goings


Colleen Shumaker: Positivity Personified

For Colleen Shumaker, formerly the inn manager atPoplar Springs in Casanova, it’s all about attitude; she exudespositive energy as she oversees the day-to-day operation ofthe 21-room inn. She says she’s learned that, “If you takecare of your staff, they’ll take great care of your guests.”

Shumaker, 28, admits that when she began working atPoplar Springs she was the youngest staff member; every-one on her team was older. “I had to earn their trust. If youwork with people, with no tricks or gimmicks, you can earntheir respect.”

Being a Division I basketball player at George MasonUniversity taught her something about hard work. “Believeme, it’s no free ride.” When an injury sidelined her dreamsof playing professionally, she turned to her other passion, amajor in marketing and communication.

After college, Shumaker signed on with Marriott, and insix years, “learned everything I know.” She trained in all as-pects of hospitality, and credits great mentors at Marriott forher success.

Shumaker doesn’t mind spreading her positivity around.She works with Leadership Fauquier, where young profession-als devote their time to teaching young people leadership skills.“We are getting ready to graduate our inaugural class, just fin-ishing up their [secret] community project.” She tells the stu-dents: “Be trainable. Be teachable. Keep moving forward.”

Shumaker also gives back to the community by sharingher love of music; she volunteers as a DJ for communityevents like Relay for Life and the Piedmont Harvest Festival.

Must-have gadget: Cell phone. And also, her ukulele.Preferred way to communicate: Email, with a follow-

up phone call.

Anthony Palladino: Building a Dream

After more than a decade of one-the-job training in the con-struction trade, Anthony Palladino, 38, opened his own archi-tectural design and construction company, A.P. Palladino. “It’sjust me, but maybe one day my sons will join me.” His boysare only 2 and 9 years old, but “we have hopes.”

Palladino focused on fine arts in college, but he’s beenlearning construction from the experts all his life. He workedfor Golden Rule Builders in Catlett for nine years, and beforethat, for a company in Stafford County.

Palladino said that in construction, it’s important to “take onejob at a time. Focus on the job you are doing. I don’t have time tothink about yesterday or tomorrow. I’m thinking about the onejob. If you do that, your clients will know that you are invested.”

At 38, Palladino is younger than most of his clients, butsays, “If you earn their respect, if you show that you knowwhat you are talking about, they’ll listen to your ideas.”

“Construction is an industry that’s changing,” he says.“You have to be able to change with it. There are new prod-ucts, new techniques. Sometimes the people who have been init for years and years keep doing things the same way they’vebeen doing them, but younger people are able to see the pastand the future, without some of the bias.”

Being a one-man operation means time is tight, but Palladinofinds time to share his talents with the young people of Holy Trin-ity Catholic Church. As part of an annual work camp, he leads agroup of teens on building and repair projects for those in need.

“I teach them how to build, show them how to use tools.They learn to work as a team and get along.”

Must-have gadget:Measuring tape. “I live by the inch, by thequarter inch. I can’t imagine being without my measuring tape.”

Preferred way to communicate: Email. “Constructionprojects involve thousands of details, so many choices abouteverything. It’s good to have a written history.”

10 UNDER 40


Syed Salman Ali, M.D.: Providing Cancer Care

Oncologist/hematologist Dr. Syed Salman Ali has been withFauquier Health Oncology/Hematology since 2010.

In fact, he helped to design Fauquier Hospital’s Infusion Center/Oncology suite. In the last four years, the health system’s cancerservices have expanded, and have consolidated into the FauquierHealth Center for Cancer Care.

Dr. Ali is 37 years old, while most of his patients are older. “When Istarted out of training I felt more of the age gap. Once you’ve put in afew years and thousands of hours into your practice and community,you don’t feel age plays a role anymore. I think most patients withchronic problems are used to their doctors being younger than theyare. It’s less about age and more about comfort level for the patient.”

Because of the severity of illness that Dr. Ali sees, his specialtycan be difficult. Why did he choose oncology? “There were two bigthings — the first was the depth of the doctor-patient relationship,which was clearly unique to this field, and the second was the rap-idly evolving science involving cancer treatments.

“Getting to tell someone they are in remission is probably themost gratifying part of the job. But there is also great fulfillment insimply making people feel better, even when they know they aredealing with an incurable disease.”

He cautions those who are considering a career in medicine.“Being a physician is a great honor, and I would consider it a calling. Ifsomeone knows they want to be a physician, I’d tell that person to justmake sure your reasons for wanting to become a doctor are clear. Ifit’s what you love, it is right for you. It isn’t for the half-committed.”

Must-have gadget: My phone. “We [members of the medicalstaff] use secure messaging to communicate with each other through-out the day. I also keep apps for everything from monitoring toxicities ofcancer treatments to getting updates for medical literature.”

Preferred Way to communicate: Every colleague is differ-ent, I still prefer the direct phone conversation. Patients generallycommunicate by phone. Most still prefer talking directly to theirdoctor or nurse.”

10 UNDER 40Matthew Fusaro: Financial Planner

After earning a bachelor’s degree in political sci-ence, Matthew Fusaro worked for a fundraising firmfor a short time before transitioning to financial plan-ning with Edward Jones in Warrenton. Only 24 yearsold, he feels he’s already found his niche.

“I really enjoy working one-on-one with my clientsand working through problems, whether it’s savingfor a big purchase, or planning for college or retire-ment,” he says.

“Anyone who wants to go into financial planningneeds to know it’s a lot of work, especially the the firstfew years. But it’s worth it. I love feeling valuable tofolks, establishing trust, helping them with a specificproblem and having success. When it’s time to look atthe big picture, we already have that relationship.”

Although Fusaro lives closer to the Shenandoah Val-ley, he has established ties in Warrenton. He is activewith the local Lion’s Club and the Independent Order ofOdd Fellows. He also is a member of the board of theAllegro Community School of the Arts on Main Street.

Must-have gadget: Computer. “With my officecomputer, I have access to all the planning tools andresources that Edward Jones provides. Those toolsallow me to dig deeper for my clients to get the bestanswers.”

Preferred Way to communicate: Face-to-face.“I’m lucky that I have a local office where I can seemy clients.”


10 UNDER 40

Nathan Gilbert: Experienced Investor

Nathan Gilbert, with his partner Sarah Yakel, openedMeridian Financial Partners, LLC in September of last year.Both are 38 years old and both have been working in the in-vestment industry since 2001.

Gilbert is immensely grateful to the many mentors he’shad since his first job in wealth management 15 years ago.

In fact, he offers this advice to young people considering acareer in finance: “Try to find someone in business that youcan respect and trust, someone you can learn from and workfor. Find someone who will be honest with you and tell youhow you’re doing and what’s important.”

He said his mentors taught him well, but that he was veryexcited to establish himself in his own company. “We are com-pletely independent, a fee-only company. Some companies arepaid to invest clients’ money in certain products, but the onlyones who pay us are our clients. We are proud of that.”

Another point of pride for Gilbert and Yakel: In their busi-ness plan they state that 10- percent of the company’s profitswill be returned to the community in the form of scholarshipsand sponsorships.

Gilbert and his partner are at similar points in their lives;they each have three young children and are working hard tomake their new business successful. In contrast, most ofGilbert’s clients are interested in talking to him about retirementplans. He says, though, that “Age isn’t really an issue anymore.My experience has outweighed any concerns. I don’t know ifthat was the case when I was 25...”

Must-have gadget: iPhone 6 Plus. “With three childrenwho are always stealing our devices, I appreciate having alarger phone that allows me to do everything I need to do.”

Preferred way to communicate: “Both Sarah and I liketalking often with clients in person, but a lot of our communica-tion is via email.”

William Landay: Passion on Tap

William Landay, co-owner of two restaurants, the ParkTap Room and CJ Finz Raw Bar & Grill in Manassas Park,warns, “if you want to go into the restaurant business, you’dbetter love food. I mean, really love it. There’s a lot of pain, alot of long hours, and no time for a social life. If you don’t re-ally love it, it might be better to find another business.”

But hard work notwithstanding, Landay is tirelessly up-beat. He says his coworkers call him “Smiles.”

The Park Tap Room celebrates beer. “We have 20 differ-ent beers on tap and feature local craft beers. Our food isAmerican traditional with lots of other specialties.” CJ Finzspecializes in seafood; the Manassas Park Chamber ofCommerce named it the Rising Business of 2015.

Landay spends his days split between the two restau-rants, sometimes handling managerial duties and some-times in the kitchen.

“I started out as an accounting major in college, but I de-cided it was boring, so I went to culinary school,” he says. “Iworked in at Wegmans in their little seafood restaurant thenspent three years with Marriott.”

Landay, 28, may be obsessive about food, but he’s a peopleperson at heart. “We have a lot of regulars, locals who come inall the time. I know their favorite dishes, their favorite beers.”

CJ Finz recently celebrated its first year, and the Park TapRoom has only been open since last September. Even so, Lan-day likes to think his restaurants have already become inte-gral to the local neighborhood. He supports the local schoolsand sports teams, and has held a fundraiser for breast cancer.

Must-have gadget: “I couldn’t run the restaurantswithout my cell phone, but in the kitchen, I use a nine-inchMercer chef’s knife I’ve had since culinary school.”

Preferred way to communicate: In person.


Aaron Lynch: Growing a Business — Organically

When Aaron Lynch was 23, he read an article claiming that 80percent of millionaires had once been in a band. He could see why:“When you are in a band you learning business skills: How to inter-act with people, collaboration, setting goals.”

Lynch wanted to open a restaurant after he left his music careerbehind, but realized he didn’t know anything about managing one —so he worked for a couple of restaurants and learned those skills.

Along with brothers Jacob and Adam, he opened Hidden JullesCafé in Warrenton in May of 2013. Lynch said that the GeorgeMason Small Business Development Center was tremendously help-ful in developing his business plan and providing advice.

“I signed the lease for the Main Street café and we were openeight days later. We didn’t sleep much those eight days, but we wereopen in time for Warrenton’s Spring Festival.”

Since then, Hidden Julles has expanded to include a popular foodtruck — The Rambler — and a new restaurant on Washington Streetin Haymarket. All three ventures serve local, organic food.

“Our original idea was to be a local, organic version of Five Guys,with minimal offerings,” he says. “It has evolved into the café. As muchas possible, all of our ingredients are locally sourced, organic or natural.”

Both cafes now offer homemade breads as well. A baker comesin to the Haymarket store at 5 a.m., and fresh-baked bagels, Frenchbread, ciabatta and croissants are delivered to the Warrenton café intime for the lunch crowd.

Lynch, now 35, is still making good use of the skills he learned asa musician. He knows how important it is to connect with his audi-ence/customers.

“If I’m going to do catering for you,” he says. “I want you to comeinto the café and see what we do, taste my food. I want you to see mypassion, and I want to see yours.”

Must-have gadget: iPhone. “I do everything on my phone, busi-ness plans, ordering, planning. It’s scary when I break my iPhone.”

Preferred way to communicate: Face-to-face.

10 UNDER 40Jennifer Puffenbarger: Born into the Insurance Business

Although Jennifer Puffenbarger is only 32 yearsold, she’s spent half her life in the insurance business.

She started working in the family-owned Puffen-barger Insurance in Warrenton — founded by her dadin 1989 — when she was 15. She earned her insurancelicense at the tender age of 18 and finished collegewith a business administration degree in three and ahalf years, all while working full time.

She has been no less busy since.After years of selling insurance to business

clients, she is currently director of marketing andpartnership relations. She handles the marketing,networking, community relations and social mediafor the company.

Puffenbarger clearly has a passion for the busi-ness. “I don’t think of it as selling a product. We arefilling a need. I always remember that people may bejust one accident away from losing everythingthey’ve worked so hard for.”

She pours that enthusiasm into community proj-ects as well. She is on the executive board of the Al-legro Community School of the Arts, and is the vicechair of events for the Fauquier County Chamber ofCommerce. Also through the Chamber, she is chairof the Young Professionals group. She is currentlyorganizing a speed networking event for college stu-dents and an Old Town tour to highlight Warrentonbusinesses.

Must-have gadget: iPhonePreferred way to communicate: Face to face.

“I’m a people person.”


Stephanie Hodges: Giving Back Through Non-Profits

Stephanie Hodges is a 35-year-old Texas transplant on amission to help those in need.

“I gained experience working with two different non-profits, then came to Virginia to work as the executive direc-tor of CASA,” she says. CASA CIS in Manassas is the PrinceWilliam branch of Court Appointed Special Advocates, Chil-dren’s Intervention Services.

CASA’s advocates work with children who are in an abu-sive or neglectful situation, according to Hodges.

“Whenever a social worker is called, we send a volunteerto check on the child, whether they have been removed fromthe home to foster care or not,” she says. “Until the case isclosed, we are in their life, making sure they are OK. Our ad-vocates are mandated reporters; they file a written report tothe judge in the case.”

Hodges says that the Prince William office, which alsoassists children from Fauquier, Loudoun and Rappahan-nock counties, is the largest in Virginia.

Hodges learned about non-profits while working for anorganization that supports children with physical and men-tal disabilities, and then with a group that builds orphanagesin third-world countries.

“I can’t stand to feel helpless,” she says. When facedwith the prospect of disabled children in need or kids whowere living on the streets, close to starvation, she would tellherself, “This is what I can do to help. Let’s fix this.”

Among Hodges’ talents is an ability to connect with donors. “Ireally enjoy helping the donors see where their money is going,building a bridge between our donors and the organization.”

Must-have gadget: “I don’t know if this is a gadget or not,but I have water bottles all over my office. I have to hydrate.”

Preferred way to communicate: On the phone. “Myemail is always so backed up, so I prefer

10 UNDER 40Sam Cooper: He Speaks for the Trees

When Sam Cooper, co-owner of Oak Grove Tree Experts,first meets with a client, they will walk the entire property to-gether. After the inspection, the certified arborist will give anevaluation of what might be needed to keep all the treeshealthy and looking beautiful.

“We’re a full service company,” he says. “People call uswhen they want a professional arborist to handle whatevertheir trees might need, from pruning to hazardous removal.We think of ourselves as stewards of our clients’ properties.”

Cooper, 36, spends much of his time in the field, while hiswife, Randi, handles the business side, including marketing,advertising and payroll.

“Every tree is different, every situation is different. Eachtree is a unique, complex organism...Human interaction is thetree’s biggest problem,” Cooper says.

“Trees have been doing this now for hundreds of millionsof years without our help. It’s only when we get involved thatthings get difficult,” he says.

Cooper says that some perceive his job to be a dangerousone, but he doesn’t feel that way. “We approach every problemfrom the scientific point of view. We take into consideration thephysics involved and the engineering of how each tree has de-signed itself.” Cooper says he logged more than 20,000 in treeservice before opening Oak Grove.

Must-have gadget: “The fun answer would be to saychainsaw, but I’d have to say my head, eye and ear protection.I have a serious attachment to my senses, and I enjoy my brainjust the way it is.”

Preferred way to communicate: Face-to-face, thenemail. “When it comes to clients, after our initial consultation,email is a great way to communicate. Most clients are busypeople, as are we, so it keeps us from playing phone tag.”


Documents

Spring PBJ 2016