David Michaelson and George Railey of Michaelson Railey Improvements first connected because they shared a competitive spirit and a desire to be the best.
“At our previous home improvement company, I was there first,” Railey says. “They brought David in as a new salesman and we had some friendly competition. After the third month, he was making good numbers, and earned my respect – we became friends.”
Railey later left the company, and Michaelson pitched a deal to create a franchise. He had promised the company that he could partner up with Railey and bring him back, and they began to work through this possibility together, but as partners, they weren’t satisfied with the company’s ultimate proposal.
“What we learned in the process,” Railey says, “is how aligned we were in terms of goals, business practices and values. We decided that we could actually start our own company together, and do business on our own terms. So that’s what we did.”
Michaelson Railey Improvements was formed in December of 2023, on the anniversary of Michaelson’s Grandpa Jack’s birthday. As Michaelson looked up to his grandfather, it felt like a good omen – “It was really cool to find that out,” Michaelson says.
Michaelson Railey Improvements quickly became a player among northern Virginia contractors (Michaelson lives in Reston), and they’ve now expanded into Frederick (Railey lives in Linganore). The business keeps a tight focus on excellence in four areas: roofing, siding, windows and storm damage restoration. They’ve been accredited by the Better Business Bureau, are GAF-certified for roofing, have been cleared by SAM.gov to be awarded government contracts and received Reston’s Best Contractor award for 2024. A solid foundation of dedication and experience, along with work that speaks for itself, has set the business up for success.
Not the Usual Suspects
Michaelson says that one factor setting the company apart is unusual.
“Businesses today tend to talk about things like ‘integrity’ and ‘quality’ as far as what makes them special,” Michaelson says. “It’s not that those aren’t important things, but at MRI, we view them more as standards – they’re not something we should have to talk about, they’re just table stakes.”
What’s different about Michaelson Railey Improvements is actually something they don’t do.
“This wasn’t something we set out to establish,” Michaelson says, “but it just so happens that both George and I don’t drink alcohol. Our foremen, our subcontractors, don’t either. Again, we didn’t necessarily seek that out or plan for it, but it sets us apart. And we happen to know that alcohol use in the construction business can cause problems – it can be a distraction.”
Both Railey and Michaelson come from construction and food service backgrounds – Railey formerly managed at Red Robin and Michaelson at Cheesecake Factory. They’ve seen how alcohol use can create turnover and challenges at work, or even, in the case of the construction world, difficulties with OSHA.
“Clients want to know they can trust the people working on their home,” Railey says. “It’s just something different about us that means one less thing for clients to worry about.”
Timely, Orderly Expertise
In accordance with their commitment to sobriety, there are several other ways that Michaelson and Railey run a tight ship.
“One of things people tend to be concerned about,” Michaelson says, “is what we call ‘project stretch.’ A contractor will estimate that a project will take their team a week, but then that becomes two weeks, then three… they might work on the project a day or two at a time. We don’t do this! If we say something will take us a week, we’re there for the entire week. We realize that taking on too much business can be just as bad as not enough – we finish our projects on schedule.”
Michaelson also finds that clients can be concerned about security. Having gone through the SAM.gov clearance process to be awarded government contracts, the company communicates through a secure email server that is US government-compliant.
Another key priority of Michaelson Railey Improvements is assigning workers according to specialty. They have subcontractors specifically for roofing, specifically for windows, etc. “We want to avoid the ‘jack of all trades’ mentality,” Michaelson says. “It’s not necessarily impressive when a contractor claims to be able to do everything. We have an assembly-line practice and we hire experts.”
Railey wants clients to know that they treat each home they service as if it were their own. "If your doctor performs surgery on you,” he says, “there's at least one or two follow-up appointments to make sure everything healed correctly. Your home shouldn't be any different, so we have a standard 6-month and 12-month follow-up inspection built into our contracts to make sure everything sealed correctly."
Michaelson adds that their installers and subcontractors are conscientious. “They’re teachable and open to correction,” he says. “We’re always making sure that they’re on top of the latest techniques and codes.”
Family, Fun & Giving Back
Another thing Michaelson and Railey share is a commitment to family. Railey, who has lived in Frederick for nine years, is married with three children and Michaelson (a resident of Reston since 1981) has a school-age son. They share that Reston and Frederick are very similar communities, both focused around family and on making the community a great place to raise kids. They’ve taught their children to serve others and give back.
Michaelson’s son Diego has run a lemonade stand for the past five years, featuring fresh, homemade lemonade (“It’s really, really good,” Michaelson says), with all profits benefiting a local youth literacy nonprofit. In 2024, Michaelson Railey Improvements sponsored the stand and matched its sales. Michaelson Railey also supports fundraisers for Railey’s daughter Aiyana’s Girl Scout troop, and gives gifts and clothes to local families at Christmas through Frederick’s Angels Tree.
Looking ahead, we could see “GoGo’s Lemonade Stand” pop up in Frederick, to serve a charity here. “I’ve asked Diego,” Michaelson says, smiling. “He’s on board.” MRIProHelp.com
“Businesses today talk about things like ‘integrity’ and ‘quality’ as far as what makes them special… at MRI, we view them more as standards – they’re not something we should have to talk about, they’re just table stakes.”