The late Cheryl Shepard, with the support of Rob and Gene Frogale, proved that wall panels could be successful on their own merit, unaccompanied by trusses. Her hard work and dedication went a long way toward disproving the long-held belief that trusses were the key moneymaker. Amazingly she and the Frogales started out from scratch, and over 30 years together created a thriving, successful component business.
Rob and Gene got involved in our business because their builder customers asked them to, not because they had any component-related expertise. They had dealt with finished carpentry, not rough framing, at their well-established Annandale Millwork business. They perceived that building wall panels had to be easier than the intricate, high-end cabinetry and millwork that they had supplied for the likes of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in DC. While undoubtedly true in the shop, they quickly found that the devil was in the detail in the design office, and they struggled to find experienced panel designers.
So, Rob and Gene gambled their business on a bright, but totally inexperienced, assistant receptionist named Cheryl Stanton, not long out of a small-town high school. Cheryl immediately dedicated herself to the design task like she had dedicated herself to her Church ministry as a teenager. She put her sharp mind to work learning construction details, mastering wall panel software, and setting up builder defaults.
As Cheryl began to master her job, Rob Frogale hired a young architect, Mike Shepard, to work with her. As their skills and interests seem to converge, it soon became clear that they were meant for each other. Mike felt that it would be prudent if they didn’t work together, so he left Annandale to work at another component company. However, their relationship continued to blossom, they got married, and were blessed with three wonderful children, Emerson, Locke, and Arielle.
In 1995, having benefitted from Cheryl’s expertise, the Frogales were ready to expand their component business. They purchased a small truss manufacturer nearby, quickly outgrew that facility, and then constructed a large building supply complex. By then Cheryl was directing design and coordinating communications with some of the largest and most demanding home builders in the highly sophisticated DC Metro Region.
Throughout her 30-year distinguished career, facing increasingly challenging work, Cheryl was always ready to go the extra mile, and she did it cheerfully and with the utmost dedication. She was devoted to her family but was also literally married to our business. Although she was taken from us far too soon by cancer, her legacy will be treasured by family, friends and all associated with Annandale Millwork/Allied Systems.