Following a plan

Doug Fauth founded Carriage Hill Cabinetry & Millwork in Frederick, Md. in 1999. With retirement on the horizon, Faunt sold the business to Ryan Beachley on Dec. 1, 2023.

Both gentlemen feel the agreement will bring the company to a whole new level of growth.

“I’m excited to be handing Carriage Hill off to Ryan and his team to help the business grow as I transition to the next phase of my life after working for myself 42 years,” says Fauth, who will remain with the company through the transition.

Beachley also owns Sixth Avenue Custom, a woodworking shop in nearby Hagerstown, Md.

“I think it’s a good fit,” says Beachley. “We’ve got big plans for Carriage Hill, and I think we’re definitely going to expand on what Doug has done. He’s built a great business and a great reputation, and those are some big shoes to fill.”

Fauth grew up in Pittsburgh and has been in Frederick since 1973. He studied chemical engineering at the University of Maryland and worked his way through school doing home improvement and remodeling.

“I enjoyed what I was doing, so when I got out of school, I kept doing it. I’ve been working for myself since ’81. I worked for a professor in college, and you couldn’t pay me enough to work in a lab all day long. Sometimes going to college is learning what you don’t want to do,” says Fauth.

Fauth started as Douglas Builders designing and constructing 22 houses. But while he was building a successful business, and transitioning to cabinets and millwork, he was also thinking about an exit plan.

At 38, he made a fresh start, changing the name of Douglas Builders to a more marketable Carriage Hill. He set out to make the best product, earn a stellar reputation, and develop a turnkey operation.

“You can go to the library and get all kinds of books on how to get into business, but nobody tells you how to get out. So, my goal was to build a business that someone would want to buy. And they don’t have to know how to make a cabinet. The guys in the shop know how to make cabinets. I’ve been working the last 18 years on that,” says Fauth, who turned 65 in December.

Beachley’s family has been involved in the furniture manufacturing for six generations. He started out making beer tap handles for breweries in 2008.

“I knew that was not going to pay the bills, so I started making cabinetry and a little bit of furniture. That grew and evolved,” says Beachley, who started Sixth Avenue Custom about five years ago.

“Because we were continuing to grow, we felt the need to expand and started looking at acquiring a shop and found Doug. Once I met him and saw the team, we went down that road.

“What Doug and his team do here, and what Doug cares about, is exactly the same work that we like to do. We like to take on projects that a lot of people would run away from because they’re difficult. Most of the time we’re making things that have never been made before.”

Beachley says he and Fauth are still navigating what things will look like moving forward, but his intent is to keep Sixth Avenue Custom active on the commercial side of things while keeping Carriage Hill dedicated to high-end residential work.

“In my opinion, both companies have very strong brand recognition, so I want to keep both going,” says Beachley.

“Sixth Avenue Custom has been focusing heavily on the commercial side of the industry, especially over the past two years. We have been active in the Palm Beach area, Atlanta, as well as the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and New York markets. We have done banquette seating, commercial millwork, and custom tables for clients including restaurants, medical offices, night clubs, retail stores/boutiques, and lobbies for hotels and apartment complexes.”

Fauth has compiled an extensive network of architects, designers and clients over the years. Carriage Hill will remain in its 10,000-sq.-ft. facility and the employee count has already jumped from six to 10.

Fauth is particularly proud of the shop’s work for the Pope’s visit to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in 2015.

“We were asked by the archdiocese to make all the fixtures for the mass. We did 14 pieces (including) the Pope’s chair, alter, ambo, and the Bishop’s benches. And they had a contest at Catholic University in D.C. to design the fixtures for the mass, so we built it the way they designed it. The winning group came up here and got to experience it. It was pretty neat,” says Fauth.

Beachley is appreciative Fauth is staying with the company.

“We’re going to try to learn as much as we can from him. We’re very lucky to have someone that knowledgeable. That was one of the reasons I was drawn to Carriage Hill.

“Carriage Hill will continue to be one of the market leaders in the high-end custom residential markets. In my opinion, their work was some of the best I have seen, and it was a major factor in my decision. You can clearly see the care and meticulousness of our artisans in every project. The attention to detail and dedication of the team cannot be missed. I went with Doug and the guys to help install countertops my first week. I was blown away when I saw the kitchen.”  

This article was originally published in the February 2024 issue.