Head for the Hills

Moving from the bustling Beltway outside Washington, DC, to a sleepy enclave in rural Denton, Maryland, may sound like a risky business move, but it spurred growth for Tanglewood Conservatories.

In 1998, Alan Stein, 52; his wife, Nancy Virts, 47; and their 6-year-old company had outgrown their 4,000 square-foot facility. Because Tanglewood's custom conservatories are created for clients worldwide, company location wasn't an issue. So when the Economic Development Commission in Caroline County wooed them with tax breaks, financial assistance to build a new facility, and a readily available work force, Stein and Virts jumped at the chance.

Tanglewood thrived, and its facility blossomed from 10,000 square feet to 40,000 square feet within four years. "Because of the large space we now have, we can build larger and more intricate conservatories," Stein says. Today, the company reports $3 million in sales--triple its earnings before the move.

This article was originally published in the December 2006 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Head for the Hills.