Recently, noting his “visionary leadership” and “illustrious tenure of 45 years,” Avon Corporation in Fairfax, Virginia announced the well-deserved retirement of Avon’s founder, Mark Avon.
Under Mark’s leadership, Avon Corporation became a major player in the DC/Northern Virginia market for larger, high-profile, commercial and government projects and gained a reputation for highly skilled, quality workmanship, often self-performed by a diverse team of professionals supplemented by their regular “go to” subs who supply specialized skills on select projects. www.avoncorporation.com
Avon got their start with helicals in 1991, after only a little over a decade in business working on mostly smaller projects. They were the low bidder on the then largest walkway project in the history of Fairfax County. Great news for a relatively new company. However, the bad news, Mark reminisced recently, was that he had never installed a helical pile in his life. Both the local Distributor, Levelift, headed up by Paul Mauer, and A B Chance, the manufacturer, were skeptical that a novice could pull off such a large, environmentally sensitive, high-profile government project. Chance’s northeast distributor rep, the late Walter Smith, was dispatched to Virginia to investigate this upstart who probably bit off more than he could chew.
“Walter spent a lot of time getting to know me and educating me about helicals. He pledged to work with me to make sure this inaugural project would silence the critics and serve as a springboard for our helical business,” Mark stated. The Fairfax walkway was a huge success and showcased Avon’s ability to work with others (subcontractors) and bring a large, high profile helical project to fruition. “This job was a game-changer and established us as a knowledgeable helical installer and a reliable player on a sizeable government project. Up to this point, we had done mostly smaller jobs,” Mark explained.
“Once we were on the radar screen with a few jobs under our belt, we conducted what we called “Field Days” and continued with them every five years or so out at the Boy Scout campgrounds to introduce Engineers, Architects, and government officials to helicals,” Mark recalled. “We would provide a presentation over lunch and would conduct a demonstration outside to show how easy it is to screw in the helicals while measuring torque. Helicals were not as well-known back then, but this educational, hands-on approach helped to reassure the professional community of their value in certain circumstances. These events turned out to be the best investment of our marketing dollars,” Mark recalled.
“In 1995, we did a million dollars in helicals, and capped the decade off with another million-dollar year in 1999/2000, and never looked back,” stated Mark. “Walter believed in us, but, more importantly, gave us the education and in-field support to succeed. He made sure our first job would not be our last one,” he concluded.
Avon does all kinds of sitework, now utilizing many different types of grouted and driven piles and anchors. According to Mark, helicals are still a mainstay and a solid 20% of their business, mostly structural repairs, but that percentage can go much higher if they land a big helical project. The recently completed Salisbury Water Treatment plant is a typical example of the size, scope of work, and clientele Avon works for these days.
Click here to read Salisbury Water Treatment Plant Case History
“The current project we’re working on is a $2.5 to $3 million slope stabilization project and will probably take us the better part of the year to complete,” Mark stated. “This type of a project is typical of where we are in our business now,” he stated. Since Avon Corporation was founded in 1979, it has constructed over fifty large scale parks, athletic fields, numerous trails and pedestrian bridges/boardwalks, in addition to stream and wetland restoration projects. They have used helicals in virtually every application including new construction, walkways, retaining walls, underpinning, soil nailing, and in slope stabilization projects.
I teased Mark that, for a retired guy, he seems to still be very conversant on the status of Avon Corporation. “My wife, Candy, the company’s longtime controller, and I have come a long way, but it’s time to take a break, do some traveling, and leave the reins to the next generation,” Mark responded. “I have every confidence in Mike’s abilities to leave this business someday to his children in as good shape, if not better, than what I passed on to him,” Mark concluded.
For any inquiries regarding current or past projects, or for pricing information on new projects, please feel free to reach out to Michael Avon, President, via email at michael@avoncorporation.com.
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