About 24 years ago, I turned a dream of mine into reality in the basement of my home in Montgomery Village. At the time, starting my own IT firm was a risk worth taking. It didn’t take long, however, for my friends and me to realize that we needed to find a more practical location to grow.
I can’t say that I was the one to discover the “hidden gem” that is the town of Poolesville, but rather, it found us. Rustling around on the floorboard of my car was a huge ad about homes for sale in Poolesville. All it took was one look around town, and we knew we had found the right place to foster our business.
In 1994, we settled into a spot on Fisher Avenue, right in the middle of town. Not long after, we realized we’d found one of the best-kept secrets for businesses in the metro area. With our headquarters in Poolesville, we were able to sneak right down River Road into D.C. to help our clients—missing the gridlock on the beltway. With the time we saved, we got involved in the community. It became our moniker for our employees—community counts. Poolesville Day, the business fair and team outings at Calleva became our outlet to give back and connect.
Relationships with the mayor and board of commissioners became vital to our story. In fact, they were there for some of our brightest moments, like when Washingtonian Magazine named our firm one of the 50 Best Places to Work, and when we rebranded to become MainSpring in 2015. These kinds of relationships are exclusive to working and living in a small town. But, all-in-all, I’d say one of the biggest benefits of running a business in Poolesville would be the people I’ve met. This town gave my firm some of the best employees that I could imagine—employees that turned into friends and remain with us today. That’s the kind of thing that’s simply not heard of in the corporate world, and, for that I couldn’t be more thankful.
Over the years, however, I’ve realized that moving to Poolesville wasn’t just a great business decision—it was an even better family decision. Looking back, it’s remarkable how that advertisement in the paper for homes in Poolesville helped lead to the perfect place to raise my children.
Being a small business owner is incredibly time-consuming; that title, alone, often means waking up at dawn and missing dinner in the evening. But Poolesville changed all of that for me. Because of Poolesville, I made very little sacrifices when it came to my kids. By that, I mean I was able to volunteer in my kids’ kindergarten classes, and I had time to attend every single awards ceremony. I had the opportunity to not only sponsor my kids’ athletic teams, but watch them play and succeed. What’s more, I knew my kids were receiving an education from some of the best schools in Maryland. What more could a dad ask for?
Landing in Montgomery County, I know that I made the best decision for my family, my business and myself. It’s a decision that I’d make a thousand times over. As we pack up the last boxes in the office and prepare for our move to Frederick, I can’t help but think about the lives this town has impacted, as well as the number of families, within the community and across the United States. And, for that, I say thank you, Poolesville. You will always be home.