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In Good Company

Casual conversations with Maryland small business owners.

Thom, left, and Carol Stone, owners of JLP Custom Picture Framing, are interviewed inside their store in Baltimore on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.
Meet the couple helping to frame Baltimore’s culture and history
JLP Custom Picture Framing in the Old Goucher neighborhood of Baltimore has been around for about 50 years and has been owned since 2006 by Thom and Carol Stone.
Abigail Kuehl, a Towson University Student, is co-founder of hair care brand Antidote.
This Midwestern beauty founder brought her hair care recipes to Baltimore
Baltimore County resident Abigail Kuehl co-founded the hair care brand Antidote, which makes natural products for salons.
Musician Shelby Blondell, inventor of The Sheller, poses for a portrait with her device at Nick’s Fish House on Aug. 22, 2024.
An Anne Arundel County singer invented a tool for the art of crab picking
Shelby Blondell, a singer and songwriter in Anne Arundel County, invented and patented The Sheller, a 3-in-1 seafood mallet, picker and bottle opener.
Phil Tulkoff, president of Tulkoff Food Products, poses for a portrait inside of the Tulkoff Company building in Baltimore, on August 15, 2024.
Tulkoff Food’s famous horseradish has roots in Baltimore
Tulkoff Food Products, based in the Holabird area of Baltimore, manufactures condiments under its own name and for other national brands. It is known for its horseradish and is run by a third-generation family member.
Brittany Veney, founder of B. Real Creative Studio, poses for a portrait in White Marsh on Aug. 6, 2024.
Baltimore County designer helps small businesses find their voices and identities
Baltimore County designer Brittany Veney, of B. Real Creative Studio, sets out to help smaller businesses find their voices and identities.
Brian Snyder, owner of BMORE Around Town, poses for a portrait in the company’s outdoor tailgate space near M&T Bank Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024.
He’s got game: Baltimore tailgating planner takes Ravens, Orioles fans on the road
Brian Snyder’s BMORE Around Town offers both in-town tailgating packages and weekends of fun cheering for Baltimore’s teams at away games without all of the stress of planning travel.
Christopher Schafer became a tailor while living in London and later opened his storefront in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood.
A local tailor mixes London’s menswear style with Baltimore’s rich clothing history
Christopher Schafer became a tailor while living in London for a year in 2007, and started his own business years later. The business is expanding, and Schafer has distributed 13,000 suits through his related nonprofit.
Bynia Reed, co-founder of Hyper Kidz indoor playground, poses for a portrait in Columbia on Friday, July 12, 2024.
A Howard County child therapist is opening indoor playgrounds across the country
Howard County’s Bynia Reed is taking her Hyper Kidz indoor playgrounds national through franchising.
Paul Cooper, vice president of Alex Cooper Auctioneers, grew up watching his relatives work. He poses for a portrait at the store’s headquarters in Towson on June 14, 2024.
At 100, Alex Cooper Auctioneers still keeps business in the family
Alex Cooper Auctioneers is turning 100 this year — a rare accomplishment for a small business. Named after its founder, Paul Cooper’s grandfather, it opened in 1924 on Howard Street in Baltimore. For nearly 44 years, Alex Cooper has been based in Towson.
Val Traore, owner of A Woman’s Brush, poses for a portrait in her company’s Columbia office on June 27, 2024.
Home contractors have a bad reputation. This Columbia woman is trying to change it.
Valerie Traore knows people have a hard time working with contractors. A Woman’s Brush, her small contracting company that specializes in deck staining and cabinet painting, is determined to give the industry a better reputation.
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