December 31, 2020

Since 2007, The Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award, presented by Case Architects & Remodelers with design studios in Bethesda, Maryland; Washington, DC; and Falls Church and Alexandria, Virginia, recognizes firms that exemplify innovation within the remodeling industry. This year, the awards program was reimagined to take COVID-19 into consideration; each applicant was required to state a business initiative its firm implemented that focused on a creative and effective business measure taken in the face of the pandemic.

Bruce Case, president and CEO of Case Architects & Remodelers, presented the award to A.J. Ballantine, owner of Cornerstone Remodeling, LLC in Ellicott City, Maryland, as part of the opening keynote of the virtual 2020 Remodeling Show on November 16, 2020. The judges’ selection of Cornerstone was based on the company’s strong systems and processes, its decision-making during widespread COVID-19 shutdowns, and how quickly they instituted a buttoned-up approach to virtual client meetings and sales calls.

“The importance of creativity and innovation in the remodeling industry keeps the award relevant each year,” said Bruce Case, adding that in the face of the pandemic, A.J. Ballantine and his team at Cornerstone Remodeling exemplified these traits by creating a remote engagement strategy that ties design software, including 3D viewer apps and AI technology, with estimating capabilities. Remote engagement, tagged #remotequote, will remain a permanent fixture in Cornerstone’s offerings.

Judges for the 2020 award, named for the founder of Case Architects & Remodelers, Fred Case, included Bruce Case, Kermit Baker of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, and last year’s recipient, Richard Laughlin of Laughlin Homes & Restoration. The prestigious award is known within the industry for its rigorous applicant vetting process and intense focus on business practices, as well as for its $10,000 prize given to the winner.

Every year, the applicants are asked to describe two initiatives in their business that demonstrate entrepreneurial innovation focusing on new business practices, creative use of technology and unique building products or use of materials that have been implemented in their business during the last three to five years, with this year’s requirements adjusted in the face of COVID-19.

In addition, three 2020 finalists were also recognized, each receiving $2,500: Joseph Irons of Irons Brothers Construction, Shoreline, Washington; Seth Larson of Stel Builders Inc. and Resilient Roofing Inc., San Diego; and Von Raisanen of TraVek Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona.

To apply for The Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award, applicants must own a full-service remodeling business billing less than $6 million in revenue, and the business must have been continually operational during the previous three years. The award is for individuals or partners, not companies, who can demonstrate strength in four areas: community service, business acumen, achievement and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as demonstrate having made a lasting contribution to the remodeling industry.