Our Member Spotlight this week shines on John Ford of Integrity Real Estate, our very first Premiere Member of the North East Chamber!
John grew up right here in Cecil County. He attended North East High School and worked bagging groceries at the North East Acme before going on to work in Project Management until age 30, when he decided to pursue real estate as a career.
“I was always curious about real estate and interested from a young age. In 2000, I became a licensee and started in commercial real estate, but there weren’t enough opportunities locally in Cecil County, so I transitioned into residential.”
In 2004, John launched Integrity Real Estate as a franchise in the Rising Sun area of Calvert. In 2007, he became independent and shortly after moved the business to the Shoppes of Londonshire (now West Street Village) on Main Street in North East. When a larger, more visible space became available in 2009, he relocated to 121 S. Main Street — where Integrity Real Estate proudly operates today.
“Growing up in North East, I just wanted to get out of the area. But after spending a few years working outside of the county, I couldn’t wait to come back,” John says. “The people, the water, forests, parks, and all of the activity — some weekends you couldn’t do all of the activities offered here even if you wanted to.”
When asked about the benefits of being a North East Chamber member, John doesn’t hesitate.
“Creating personal relationships, community support, networking, and just being a part of what makes the area great are just a few of the benefits,” he says.
Not only does John benefit from being a member of the community and the Chamber, but we treasure him as someone who never hesitates to help and support our town and its citizens — often behind the scenes and expecting nothing in return.
We thank John Ford for his volunteerism, enthusiasm, and dedication to the Town of North East!
