www.hometownglenburnie.com/news/mdgazette/2009/03/11-12 -
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Published on: 3/11/2009
Last Visited: 3/11/2009
Jay Plummer, who joined his mother at the company 25 years ago, said exhibitors were slow to sign on this year but eventually the show reached almost the same number as last year, with less than 5 percent of booths remaining.
The exposure is something builders and contractors decided they couldn't skip this year.
"The exhibitors need this," he said.
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Although attendance this past weekend was slightly down, Jay thinks warm weather after a snowstorm kept people away because they were spending time outside.
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The first three shows weren't great, Jay said, because there was no precedent in Maryland for a home show.
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"She had the fortitude to keep going with where nobody else could have," Jay said.
Over the years she brought her three sons on to help.
Jay is vice president and runs the orchid show; Jon coordinates the home show and runs the craft show while Jeff is the treasurer.
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When computers were in their infancy, Jay used his associate's degree in data processing to move sales records from index cards to a computer.
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The home and garden business in general has been helped by television and Web sites dedicated to hobbyists, such as HGTV, Jay said.
But that doesn't mean there weren't any bumps in the road.
The blizzard of 1996 killed show attendance at a time when the show was only on one weekend.
Jay also recalls a leaky roof at the fairgrounds that dripped water onto exhibits.
Once, an oil heater caught fire, making a huge mess but causing no major damage.
These kinks have been worked out since then, Jay said.
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