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The journey of Bear Creek Outdoor Living has taken some twists and turns since its beginning in 2016. However, the dream to build and serve has never wavered, but has simply come into sharper focus.
However, the dream to build and create started well before the days of Bear Creek. The initial vision came to life in 2000 when Brian and Victoria launched, led and grew a design & build remodeling firm called Home Innovations. When that business was closed during the recession of 2008-09, it seemed like the dream might die with it.
However, in the years that followed the recession, the entrepreneurial spirit to start and grow a company never went away and in 2016 the hope started to glimmer once again.
In June of 2016, Victoria founded Bear Creek Enterprises, initially offering construction cleaning for area commercial contractors. It was while working for these contractors that Bear Creek began to salvage usable items from ongoing remodels and demolitions. The salvaged wood scraps and items were then turned into art projects and furniture that were resold, incorporated into projects, or donated to local community charities. Yet, even then Bear Creek would continue to grow and evolve into more.
In November of 2016, Brian left his role as President of a commercial construction firm and came on board full time with Bear Creek Enterprises to run the construction division of the company. With Brian joining Victoria in the business, he was able to effectively add to Bear Creek’s growing list of construction offerings.
Over the next year, Bear Creek’s construction team expanded as they provided carpentry services to commercial and residential contractors. But Bear Creek had not yet found its shape. In December of 2017, after a difficult stretch of business and a lot of soul-searching, Brian – Bear Creek’s construction lead – realized it was time to go back to where they had originally started and begin serving homeowners once again in the residential market.
However, this time, instead of providing full-service remodeling, Brian and Victoria would now shape Bear Creek into a company that specialized in delivering unique backyard designs that helps inspire families to live, work and play in the outdoors together. We design and create amazing backyard transformations through the additions or remodeling of decks, porches, pergolas, patios and outdoor kitchens.
By narrowing focus and streamlining our systems, the Bear Creek team strives to deliver projects that meet our customers’ needs and desires quickly, without the headaches typically associated with home improvement.
Recently, the Bear Creek team has moved into a space of our own after renting for the last five years. This space allows Bear Creek to grow and keep fulfilling our mission. Through this new space, Bear Creek Outdoor Living is also now more connected to the city of Waynesboro and the growing downtown area.
As Bear Creek grows, our team keeps expanding the realm of outdoor living. By opening our market to outdoor furnishings and garden spaces, our team is able to maximize the outdoor living area of our clients. Through the new online Outdoor Living store, clients have access to beautiful, unique furnishing pieces. Our garden team also transforms outdoor spaces through designing and creating beautiful gardening spaces for clients to grow perennials or edibles in their own backyards. These added services help Bear Creek continue to strive to bring the outdoors closer to home.
Through this winding journey, our Bear Creek team has grown into a team of Passionate Craftsmen & Women, Who Love Building Community!
And it’s only the beginning!
Check out our team page to get to know us even better!
Check out our design page to see how we can serve you by Bringing the Outdoors Closer to Home.
~ Victoria, Brian & the Bear Creek Team
You might wonder – What’s with the name? Where did Bear Creek come from? There is a story behind that too!
It was a late summer weekend. Brian and I had headed to West Virginia for a few days to relax and talk through the “idea” of what would later become Bear Creek. At the time, I had a concept for the initial business and was working on prospective names; one of those names being Bear Creek. Maybe it was my propensity to over-analyze or my fear that it wouldn’t be “just right,” but I was having a hard time saying yes to it. The name had to mean more than just words on a page.
That Saturday morning we loaded our bikes into the back of the truck and drove to a trailhead for the Greenbrier River trail. Personally, there is something about being in the beauty and stillness of nature that helps me think. As we biked, gravel crunching under our wheels, it was easy to get lost in the sounds of the slow moving river and birds calling through the trees. For the most part we had the trail to ourselves; interrupted only by the occasional hiker or fellow biker as they passed us in the opposite direction.
About mid-way through our planned ride we came to a long stretch of trail; a steep mountain bank to the right, and a small pasture & swampy creek separating us from the main river on the left. Just as we reached midway, Brian came to a skidding halt in front of me, and I applied my brakes in an effort to avoid crashing into him. As I looked up to see what could have caused such an abrupt stop, I saw it.
A black bear climbing the creek bank and coming to a full stop on the trail. I think my heart stopped. My brain scrambled to remember what to do in the case of a bear encounter. As we stood there, mere minutes seemed to stretch on forever. Finally, as we slowly backed away, the bear turned and ambled slowly off the trail and up the bank on the left side; occasionally turning to look at us.
After a few moments Brian whispered “I think he’s gone. Let’s keep going.” I personally was ready to turn around, but I knew I couldn’t let fear get the best of me. So we hopped on our bikes and pedaled quickly down the trail; well away from the direction of the receding bear.
Later, I looked at Brian and said “I think it’s a sign. Just what I needed to decide.”
And so we became Bear Creek.
I think the name is fitting as we work to help people get outdoors and we salvage materials from our projects to care for this great planet God has given us.
But it’s not just about salvaging, but about being mindful of how we affect this world we live in, how we choose to treat those around us and doing our part to support our employees and their families and our community at large.