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One entrepreneur. Three franchises. How Wayne Powers turned his business into a family affair BY JENNIFER WALDERA PHOTOS BY LUKE CHRISTOPHER
and his wife started to make the moves to relocate themselves and their children from their home in Illinois to Virginia and build a new life that may be devoid of the uncertainties of work within the airline industry. In late 2003, Powers moved on his own and acquired a Budget Blinds franchise. For the first six months he worked out of his brother’s garage until Liz and their three children could join him in Virginia in 2004 in a house they had built in Warrenton. Since then, Powers has broadened the franchise from just the Warrenton location to Ashburn, South Riding, and eventually Charlottesville as well as expanding into closet and garage design with his other companies The Tailored Closet and Premier Garage. While he may have started on his own, his entrepreneurship has grown into a family business. Powers initially took on all the tasks of the business, from consulting to installation and bookkeeping, but eventually Liz was able to step in and take on the tasks required to manage the office. Then, as his children grew older, they also stepped in to work in various roles. The couple’s son Danny worked for the company for a period of time as did their daughter Jackie who is now enrolled in dental school in Florida but intends to return to Warrenton. Their oldest son, Bobby, began Above: The Powers family: Jessica with Lily, Bobby holding Michael, Liz holding Evelyn, and Wayne.
Left and below: Wayne Powers at his Warrenton home, and during his Navy pilot days.
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ongtime Warrenton resident Wayne Powers often envisioned becoming an entrepreneur, but it wasn’t until he was blind-sided by the events of 9/11 that he decided to make moves to turn that dream into a reality. After Powers graduated from Penn State, he followed his father’s footsteps and directly joined the military, eventually becoming an EA-6B Navy Pilot flying off the Enterprise (CVN-65). After his service, he was hired by American Airlines in 1990. However, the events of the national tragedy upended
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his career at the time. He and his wife, Liz, became concerned about supporting their family in a tumultuous time. With six siblings living throughout Virginia, and his parents settled in Alexandria, Powers