ASHLAND – When home and business owners take pride in their properties and make significant improvements, their actions can have a ripple effect on the local real estate market and the community as a whole.
That’s why the Ashland Board of Realtors makes it a mission each year to recognize and highlight outstanding renovations in Ashland County.
Most years, the board selects just two winners — a Commercial Medallion award recipient and a Home Medallion award recipient.
But this year, the board of realtors found four nominees so worthy of the honor, they added runner-up awards in each category, executive director Misty Miller said.
Award recipients included Leanne and Jake White (Home Medallion), Gordon and Kathryn Myers (Home Medallion runner-up), National Pride (Commercial Medallion) and Friendly Express Marathon (Commercial Medallion runner-up).
Leanne and Jake White
Leanne and Jake White’s original plan when they acquired property on an old family farm house Township Road 856 was to tear down the old farm house and rebuild.
They ended up putting $200,000 into gutting the existing house and making it into their dream home.
Jake and his brothers did about 90 percent of the work themselves, hiring help for only heating, cooling and drywall, Leanne said.
“He threw everything into it and we stayed with my parents for eight months,” she said. “I think I’m most proud of just the transformation.”
Gordon and Kathryn Myers
When Gordon and Kathryn Myers bought their retirement home in Cinnamon Lake, the property was under water and unbelievable.
Over the next five years, the couple completely gutted and redid the main floor of the house, renovated the basement and added front and rear decks.
The couple did much of the work themselves, building a flight of stairs leading to the basement and creating built-in, custom shelving.
They completed the entire $60,000 project with cash, doing each piece as they had the funds available. Meanwhile, due to unforeseen circumstances, they ended up living in the house during the renovation.
National Pride Equipment
National Pride Equipment’s $600,000 makeover to its 1266 Middle Rowsburg Road building included a 5,000 square foot expansion as well as extensive building renovations inside and out.
The renovation was prompted by a need for a roof replacement as well as the company’s rapid growth, said Chief Financial Officer Eric Bilton.
The car wash parts, supplies and equipment company came under new ownership in 2007 and has grown from 11 staff members to 38 in the last five years, Bilton said.
The company also has 70 to 80 additional employees at car washes throughout north central and northeast Ohio, and it has begun manufacturing its own towels and air fresheners in New London.
Bilton said he believes the company is poised to become “one of the area’s premier employers,” thanks in part to the new renovation. And its possible the company could soon outgrow even the larger facility, he said.
Friendly Express Marathon
When the Kane family acquired the former Bailey Lakes General Store in 2016, they had a vision to completely transform the place, and customers say that’s exactly what they’ve done.
“We wanted to make it so it was a nice environment for people to come to,” said Ryan Kane, vice president of Friendly Express.
For Kane, the project was a labor of love, reminding him of memories he had of visiting the store with his grandmother growing up.
The $900,000 renovation included a 3,000 square foot expansion to increase inventory and add much-needed restrooms and a beer cave.
Nearly twice its former size, the general store now features hot food and a small seating area as well as higher-end finishes.
