first published in the April 2026 issue of The Equiery; content provided by MHC sponsor B&D Builders
For the last 25 years, many of the most out-standing equestrian facilities in Maryland have been constructed by B&D Builders.Even as the company continues to expand its nationally recognized brand of high-quality craftsmanship, it remains fully committed to doing business in Maryland.
Here are some examples of the B&D footprint in our state and region:
Have you shown a horse at the Boston Family Equestrian Complex in Owings Mills at McDonogh School?
Been a spectator in the wonderfully restored grandstand at the Upperville (VA) Horse Show?
Tasted a glass of Chardonnay at Boordy (Hydes) or Hidden Hills (New Market) wineries?
Visited the world-class Fair Hill Training Center and Fair Hill Equine Therapy Center in Elkton?
Volunteered or attended events at the therapeutic riding programs at Paradise Stables (Mt. Airy) or Promise Landing Farm (Upper Marlboro)?
Marveled at the beautiful and extraordinary craftsmanship of the Riveredge Dressage Center in Chesapeake City?
If so, then you have walked through a B&D project. The goal has always been to build aesthetically pleasing facilities, but that’s only the beginning. Designing with the customers’ goal at heart, B&D seeks to create incredibly functional luxury buildings that are a trademark. At last count, there were 25 such B&D projects in Maryland.
Go back just 25 years ago. Two young Amish men, Ben Esh and Daniel Glick, joined forces under the initials of their first names, B&D, to build pole barns, mainly for neighbors. The usiness, Daniel fondly remembered, started as “a shed shop.” “For years, we didn’t go to build a project that was more than two hours and 15 minutes away,” he recalled.
Fast forward to 2026. B&D continues to develop its portfolio, comprising six companies, under the Baüen Unlimited corporate umbrella, employing over 125 people, nine project managers, a host of subcontractors, installing a senior corporate management team, and enhancing a national footprint stretching from Maine to Wyoming.
In German, “Baüen” means “To Build.” Think TerraNova Equestrian Center near Sarasota, FL, the Traverse City, MI, show-grounds, the Historic Star Barn luxury wedding destination in Elizabethtown, PA, and then the major international showstopper that launched B&D into prominence, Riveredge in Chesapeake City. Not to mention numerous arenas, event centers, party barns, luxury homes, and treasured restorations of beloved “period” buildings. Seeing Riveredge induces wonder. The ingredients that built Riveredge in 2008-2011 became B&D hallmarks: quality craftsmanship; clean, classic architectural lines; extraordinarily sourced building materials; a sense of timeless quality; and providing an exceptional customer experience. Visitors from around the world have admired and dreamed of emulating Riveredge.
Exquisite natural timber framing and high-quality stonework are two of the main attrac-tions of many B&D buildings. As B&D began to expand its footprint, it needed a building method that could be manufactured at home and efficiently assembled on-site.
This is where timber framing became a perfect solution. The timbers are sourced primarily from the Pacific Northwest and shipped by rail to Pennsylvania, where they are cut, finished, and prepared before being transported to the jobsite. Large portions of structures can be fabricated at Paradise and then assembled very quickly at the building site. This efficiency enables B&D to successfully complete projects across the country.
Bringing this method in-house eventually led to developing their first offshoot company, Mid-Atlantic Timberframes, giving B&D full control of producing and fine-crafting their timber structures. Other in-house companies that followed include Vintage Millwork and Restoration, Blackwood Stalls, and Mid Atlantic Steel Fabrication.
As the different companies emerged, Ben and Daniel recognized that they were operating a family of related businesses but still managing much of the work themselves. For many years, they wore every imaginable hat. They were selling projects, managing construction, pulling permits — essentially running every part of the company.
They realized that if B&D was going to continue to evolve and enhance the customer experience, their business operation needed to evolve with it. This evolution created Baüen Unlimited, an organization structured to bring cohesion and shared learning across all of the brands. Led by Sam Ebersol, CEO, Baüen is now home to the shared services — finance, HR, and marketing. During this time, B&D brought in Amos Ebersol as the organization’s General Manager. This is when operations began to shift, and the goal became clear — make the customer experience great.
The B&D team started making strategic moves to prioritize the customer and their experience with the organization from start to finish. The shift allowed people within or outside the organization to come in and make an immediate impact. Corbin Hoover, Preconstruction Manager, and Jesse Weaver, Preconstruction Sales and Estimating, formed a team that enabled B&D to provide its customers with a roadmap to success. Jonas Smoker, Esti-mating Manager, developed a program to ensure accurate estimates, so there are no surprises for the customer during the process. Jordyn Weaver, Sales Manager, provides our customers with a single point of contact, so they know there is always someone to reach out to.
This team has brought incredible change to an already thriving company. Corey Gast, Marketing Director — Baüen Unlimited, couldn’t be more excited. “We’re adopting a sherpa approach.” Gast said, “The customer knows what they want, but often, they don’t know how to get there. That’s what we do, we guide them to their end goal, every step of the way.”
Jordyn Weaver came on board just two years ago. “But just in that short time, it has been amazing to see how much the company has grown and matured operationally,” she said. “What’s unique about B&D, though, is that even as we expand, the culture and craftsmanship that built the company have stayed the same.”
