Steve Palkovitz, though officially retired, provides support, remaining active as a consultant of sorts to his son.
"He's a good listener," the elder Palkovitz said.
Growing and changing
The company has grown gradually over the years, thanks to its anticipation of trends and the rapport it has built with customers, who trust the company and keep coming back, the Palkovitzes said.
Steve Palkovitz estimates there were only 15 to 20 employees when he came to the company. Now the company has about 55 workers, many of them long-time employees, which contributes to the company's family atmosphere, the Palkovitzes said.
Because they're cross-trained in different areas of the business, Hagerstown Paint & Glass workers don't have to worry about layoffs due to seasonal slumps, they said.
The business has changed a lot over the years and expanded from just the Hagerstown area to a radius stretching east to Westminster, Md., west to Elkins, W.Va., north to Carlisle, Pa., and south to Stephen City, Va.
In 1987, the company consolidated its West Franklin Street and Security Road operations in the former Horn Heating and Cooling facility on Oak Ridge Drive, Steve Palkovitz said.
The company's major thrusts now are commercial storefronts, construction glass and overhead doors, he said.
Hagerstown Paint & Glass projects include the storefronts in Prime Outlets at Hagerstown, the Washington County Administration Building, Potomac Towers and the Washington County Free Library.
While most of its business is construction-oriented, the company maintains a fine paint and glass store, Palkovitz said.
Although the paint end of the business hasn't grown nearly as much as the rest of its business - now comprising only about 7 percent or 8 percent - it has competed with the huge hardware chains by offering a higher level of expertise and service to customers, the Palkovitzes said.
Celebrating the 75th
Hagerstown Paint & Glass marked its diamond anniversary in business with an open house to thank customers and vendors at Fountain Head Country Club in May and with a family picnic for employees in June.
Tim Palkovitz said he hopes to lead the company so it will thrive over the next 75 years.
He'd like to see his daughters, now ages 3 and 5, follow in his footsteps - including going away and working for a while before coming back to the family business.
Palkovitz doesn't envision a major expansion in the company.
"I want to grow but not in the sense of getting bigger. I want to take better care of our customers," he said.
