Outdoor kitchen, fence and deck supplies company more than doubling space to 11,086 square feet of space and family-owned ice cream and candy shop relocating from Sykesville

BALTIMORE, MD (October 8, 2021) – Locally-owned Outdoor Specialties, an outdoor kitchen, fence and decking supply company, is more than doubling at Liberty Exchange to 11,000 square feet, and Norwood Ice Cream and Candy Company is relocating from Sykesville to the mixed-use business community in Eldersburg, Maryland. Outdoor Specialties has been operating at 5975 Exchange Drive since 2017, and Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company intends to open its new shop in 5957 Exchange Drive by late fall of this year. Both entities recently signed leases with St. John Properties, Inc., the Baltimore-based commercial real estate firm which is developing and managing Liberty Exchange, located near the intersection of MD Routes 32 and 26 (Liberty Road) in Carroll County. Michael Sacks of St. John Properties represented the landlord in the Outdoor Specialties transaction. Eric Llewellyn of St. John Properties represented the landlord and Dennis Boyle of MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services represented the client in the Norwood Ice Cream & Candy Company transaction.

Outdoor Specialties expands Liberty Exchange presence to 11,000 square feet

“This past year was the most explosive growth experienced by our company since we opened in 1989, and we were busting at the seams with all of the inventory we need to keep under roof,” explained Rudy McAdams, who co-owns Outdoor Specialties with Brian Gaubatz. “People have been staring at their backyards for more than a year with the realization that they probably aren’t traveling or taking a vacation anytime soon due to the pandemic. So, with disposable income on hand, the next best option was to invest in new or updated outdoor accessories including decking, fencing and furniture to improve their living conditions. Decking has been the most popular item and the standard rule is for homeowners to receive 80 cents back for every one dollar invested in outdoor decks when selling their house.”

McAdams explained that, since moving to Liberty Exchange nearly five years ago from the Hampstead area, business has significantly increased for Outdoor Specialties based on the business community’s central location near its customer base in Baltimore, Carroll and Howard Counties. Approximately 90% of the company’s business comes from homeowners, with commercial contracting companies representing the balance. The company is relocating to space in 5977 Exchange Drive which will feature an expanded showroom for customers to view and choose materials and finishes.

“Moving to Liberty Exchange dramatically accelerated our business and it is easy for our customers to visit this location given its close proximity to MD Route 26 and 32,” McAdams added. “We continue to add more inventory and more product lines in response to the growing business and more than doubling our space became an absolute necessity. By the time we take occupancy of the space early next year, it might even be time to think about expanding again.”

Norwood Ice Cream and Candy Company relocating from Sykesville Main Street

Norwood Ice Cream and Candy Company, a Sykesville Main Street fixture since 2017, plans to relocate to Liberty Exchange late this fall. The gourmet small-batch ice cream maker produces dozens of ice cream flavors from scratch daily and is insistent on utilizing all-natural ingredients, many of which are sourced from local farms and Maryland-based companies. Owned by Katie Johnson, the shop also carries a full line of Wockenfuss chocolates and candies. All ice cream is handmade with no added preservatives or artificial ingredients, and most of the dairy products are from a small farm in Pennsylvania.

“We built an extremely loyal and robust customer following in Sykesville, but we wanted to try a location with more of a commercial feel to leverage the activity generated by the existing tenants, as well as draw from the demographics in the adjacent residential sections,” Johnson explained. “I am a frequent visitor to Liberty Exchange and have always been impressed with the high traffic generated by 1623 Brewing Company, Basta Pasta and others.”

Johnson further explained that, with additional space and seating at the new location at Liberty Exchange, Norwood Ice Cream and Candy will expand its menu to include nitro cold brew coffee and Belgian waffles, as well as return to hosting birthday parties and other special events when it opens later this fall.

“We have always worked hard to be a positive member of the local community that engages the residents, with more space, we will be able to be more creative with our programming. The Liberty Exchange location will enable customers within a larger radius to visit us. Parking will never be a problem due to the large surface lots, which is another bonus.”

Liberty Exchange is a 40-acre mixed-use business community in Carroll County comprised of seven buildings consisting of more than 200,000 square feet of flex/R&D, office and retail space. The project’s retail component includes two inline buildings totaling approximately 33,000 square feet of space, and three pad sites fronting Liberty Road.

Liberty Exchange is approximately three miles from MD Route 97, seven miles from Interstate 70, 14 miles from Westminster and 20 miles from Columbia.

“Both Outdoor Specialties and Norwood Ice Cream and Candy are locally-owned businesses that work extremely hard to service the needs of the surrounding community,” explained Sean Doordan, Executive Vice President, Leasing & Acquisitions for St. John Properties. “The centralized location of Liberty Exchange within Carroll County has played a significant part in the sustained growth of Outdoor Specialities and we believe it will also positively benefit Norwood Ice Cream.”

Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the Mid-Atlantic’s largest privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 50-year history, the company has developed more than 21 million square feet of flex/R&D, Office, Retail and Warehouse space serving more than 2,500 clients in Maryland, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit sjp.mu9b0uf9-liquidwebsites.com.