1975
Establishes South Mountain Co. (with Mitchell Posin) on Martha’s Vineyard.
1976–90
Founding board member and president, Energy Resource Group of Martha’s Vineyard.
1979–80
Founding board member, Cape and Islands Self-Reliance Corp.
1980
Company has five employees and $500,000 in revenue.
1983–89
Member, Chilmark Board of Health (chair 1987–89).
1984
Fire destroys South Mountain Co. shop. Shop and office are rebuilt in 1985.
1987
Restructures South Mountain Co. as a worker-owned cooperative.
1990
Company has 5 employee-owners, 10 employees in all, and $1.6 million in revenue.
1990–96
Board member, Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Receives its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.
1999–PRESENT
Advisory board member, Environmental Building News.
2000
Company has 13 employee-owners, 24 employees in all, and $5 million in revenue.
2000–PRESENT
Board member, Island Affordable Housing Fund (chair 2000–05).
2004–PRESENT
Board member, Island Housing Trust.
2005
South Mountain Co. receives Business Ethics magazine’s Workplace Democracy Award.
2006–PRESENT
Steering committee member, Martha’s Vineyard Island Plan.
2007
South Mountain Co. makes the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s list of companies with best adoption practices.
2007
South Mountain Co. makes the WorldBlu list of Most Democratic Workplaces.
2007
Instructor on reinventing small business, Yestermorrow Design/Build School.
2007
South Mountain Co. has 15 employee-owners, 32 employees in all, and $7.5 million in revenue.
About the Award John Abrams is the first winner of The Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award, established and endowed by the founder of Case Design/Remodeling, one of the largest full-service remodeling companies in the country. The award replaces REMODELING’s Lifetime Achievement Award and comes with a cash prize of $12,500 ($10,000 plus $2,500 for each of the four fialists, including Abrams).
Fred Case wasn’t involved in reviewing the candidates, but he says he’s pleased with the judges’ choice of Abrams. “The thing that really impressed me about John is that he’s a caring person,” Case says. “Remodeling is a tough business, and you have to keep your eye on the ball all the time. When somebody extends themselves to try new things — when they take risks that bring change and opportunity — I really admire that.”
Case particularly respects Abrams’ commitment to the staff of South Mountain Co.
“One cannot keep good employees without giving them opportunity,” he says.
Mark Richardson, president of Case Design/Remodeling, says he was struck by Abrams’ “holistic entrepreneurial spirit. I think it’s rare for someone to excel on so many levels” of running a business, he says, including financials, employee retention, and community relations. “I also think any leader in the remodeling industry has got to be committed to green,” Richardson says, noting Abrams’ long-standing embrace of sustainable building materials and methods.