Today we’d like to introduce you to Jim Rubush.
Hi Jim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Fence & Deck Connection started in 1991 when my business partner, Ben Wolod, and I decided to take a chance on building something of our own. We were both lifelong Anne Arundel County residents, and what began as a two-man operation focused primarily on commercial and highway fencing has grown into something much bigger than we ever could have imagined.
One of my favorite memories from our first year in business was landing a project to install approximately 32,000 feet of fencing along both sides of Route 50, from Route 424 to Route 301. At the time, I was coaching the Broadneck High School wrestling team, and many of the wrestlers became our crew. Looking back, it’s a great example of just how grassroots the company was in those early days. We worked hard, relied on the people around us and did whatever it took to get the job done.
In those early years, Ben and I wore just about every hat. We sold the jobs, managed the projects, worked in the field and built relationships with customers. As the business grew, we expanded into residential fencing and eventually decks, screened porches and other outdoor living projects.
We also learned very early on how important resilience would be. We started the company during the recession of 1991 and, over the years, navigated the challenges that followed 9/11, the Great Recession beginning in 2007, and most recently, COVID. Each of those periods brought different challenges, but they also taught us how to adapt, take care of our people and customers, and keep moving forward.
Another milestone I remember well was purchasing an old, abandoned gas station on Veterans Highway around 2000. It wasn’t much to look at then, but we saw what it could become. We renovated and expanded the property over the years, and it eventually became our headquarters and, in many ways, a symbol of how far the company had come.
As opportunities came along, we continued to reinvest in the business, our facilities and, most importantly, our people. In 2013, Jeff Wall joined our ownership team and brought additional sales and marketing expertise that helped us continue to evolve and improve the customer experience.
Today, 35 years after we started, Fence & Deck Connection has completed more than 81,800 projects and serves customers throughout Maryland, Delaware, Richmond, Virginia, and the Savannah, Georgia market. We’ve gone from two guys trying to build a business to a team of more than 200 people.
I’m incredibly proud of the growth, but I’m even more proud that the basic philosophy we started with hasn’t changed: take care of the customer, do quality work, stand behind what you build and surround yourself with good people. Thirty-five years, thousands of projects and more than a few challenges later, those principles are still at the heart of Fence & Deck Connection.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think any business makes it 35 years without its share of challenges.
When you’re starting a company from the ground up, you’re wearing every hat. There isn’t a department to hand a problem to. You have to figure it out yourself, learn from mistakes and keep moving forward. As the company grows, the challenges change. You go from figuring out how to get enough work to figuring out how to manage growth without losing the quality and customer service that got you there in the first place.
The construction industry also comes with challenges you can’t always control, whether that’s economic downturns, changes in the housing market, material shortages, rising costs, weather or finding and retaining skilled people.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that growth can’t just be about getting bigger. You have to build the infrastructure and the team to support it. We’ve been fortunate to have many employees who have been with us for a long time and have helped shape this company. You learn very quickly that you can’t build a successful business by yourself.
There have certainly been difficult periods, but those challenges have made us better. They’ve forced us to improve our processes, invest in our people and stay focused on the reputation we’ve spent decades building.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Fence and Deck Connection?
Fence & Deck Connection specializes in designing and building custom fences, decks, screened porches, railings and other outdoor living spaces for residential and commercial customers. Today, we serve markets across Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and Georgia.
But I don’t think what sets us apart is simply what we build. It’s how we take care of people before, during and after the project.
Our mission is Building lifelong clients through our commitment to excellence, and we’ve tried to build the entire company around that idea. We want someone who hires us today to feel comfortable calling us years from now. That’s one reason our Lifetime Structural Warranty is so important to us. We stand behind our workmanship and the projects we build.
We’ve completed more than 81,800 projects, earned thousands of five-star reviews and have been fortunate to receive recognition for our craftsmanship, customer service and business practices, including the 2023 BBB Maryland Torch Award for Ethics. Those accomplishments mean a great deal, but the thing I’m most proud of is the reputation behind them.
After 35 years, our name means something in the communities we serve. That’s something you have to earn one customer and one project at a time.
I’m also extremely proud of our team. Buildings, trucks and equipment don’t create a great company. People do. Watching employees grow into leadership roles, build careers and take the same kind of pride in Fence & Deck Connection that Ben and I have always had is probably one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The best way to support us is simply to give us the opportunity to earn your business and, if we’ve done a great job for you, tell someone about your experience.
We work with homeowners who are looking to transform their outdoor spaces, but we also partner with builders, property managers, HOAs, commercial contractors and other organizations. Regardless if someone needs a fence for privacy or security, a custom deck for entertaining, a screened porch, or help with a larger commercial project, our team is always happy to start a conversation.
We’re also big believers in being part of the communities where we live and work. Supporting local organizations, building relationships and giving back have always been important to us.
And we’re always interested in meeting talented people who share our values and want to build a career with a company that takes pride in its work.
I still believe business comes down to relationships. Take care of your customers, take care of your employees, do what you say you’re going to do, and the rest has a way of following.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fenceanddeckconnection.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fence_and_deck_connection/
- Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fence-and-deck-connection/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fence-and-deck-connection/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@FenceDeckConnect
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/fence-and-deck-connection-millersville?osq=Fences+%26+Gates&override_cta=Get+a+quote
