Our Story

It Started With Jack

Jack grew up working in his family’s fence business, so fencing was part of his life long before Northstar ever existed.

He eventually took a different path and built a successful career in the automotive industry, becoming known for what he does best: running businesses, solving problems, leading teams, and finding ways to make things work better.

Jack used to joke that, as good as he is at the car business, he might actually be even better at fencing.

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In July 2025, he decided he was ready for a change from the corporate dealership world and joined Smith Motor Cars in Haverhill, one of the oldest Mercedes-Benz dealerships in the country.

After longtime owner John Smith passed away, the family needed an experienced leader to help guide the dealership forward. For Jack, it was a chance to leave much of the corporate red tape behind and get back to what he enjoys most: running a business, working closely with people, and helping a family-owned company continue what generations before them had built.

That experience also brought Jack, Ben, and Aubrie closer together.

Over time, they became much more than coworkers.

They became family.

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Ben and Aubrie Turned the Idea Into Something Real

Ben and Aubrie are both deeply involved in Smith Motor Cars and understand firsthand what it takes to keep a family-owned business moving forward.

Ben is naturally hands-on and also very creative. He loves trucks, equipment, machinery, and just about anything with a motor but he also has a keen eye for design, which he used to create the Northstar logo. 

That mindset made fencing feel like a natural fit.

Aubrie brings a different strength. She is organized, thoughtful, dependable, and constantly helping keep things running behind the scenes. She brought that same steady approach to Northstar from the beginning.

When Jack mentioned the idea of starting a fence company, Ben and Aubrie did more than listen.

They believed in it.

They invested in the company, purchased trucks and equipment, helped shape the brand, and took on the financial and operational responsibilities that turn an idea into a real business.

Today, Aubrie manages the books and helps keep the financial side of Northstar organized, while Ben remains closely involved in operations, equipment, logistics, and the practical side of getting jobs done.

Without Ben and Aubrie, Northstar would still just be one of Jack’s ideas.

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One Fence Project Sparked the Whole Thing

The idea itself came pretty simply.

Jack was helping a friend look into having a fence installed and discovered that many reputable fence companies were booking projects months out.

His reaction was immediate:

We could do this.

He already knew fencing. He knew business. Ben had the equipment and mindset. Aubrie understood the financial side.

And all three understood what it means to build something with their own names and reputations behind it.

So they went for it.

They invested in trucks, equipment, materials, and a growing crew. They also found a hardworking foreman and installation team with the kind of attention to detail they wanted Northstar to be known for.

Suddenly, the company was real.

The trucks were ready. The crew was ready. The equipment was ready.

Now they just needed people to know Northstar existed.

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That's when Ananda came in

Jack knew Ananda enjoyed new challenges, so he asked her to try her hand at building a website. He set up the platform and domain, then handed it off to her.

That was supposed to be the assignment.

Instead, somewhere between writing the website copy, organizing photos, building forms, learning how homeowners search for fence companies, and figuring out how local businesses actually get found online, she realized there was an entire business to grow beyond the physical installation work.

She started teaching herself marketing, advertising, sales, SEO, lead generation, social media, partnerships, customer communication, and all the moving pieces that go into building a new local company.

And she became completely fascinated by it.

What started as a website quickly turned into a genuine passion for Northstar itself.

She loved the combination of beautiful properties, thoughtful design, customer service, local relationships, and the satisfaction of seeing a homeowner’s idea turn into a finished project.

Today, Ananda helps lead Northstar’s business development, marketing, sales, customer experience, partnerships, and overall growth.

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Four People, One Goal

What makes Northstar work is that each person brings something different to the table.

Different backgrounds. Different strengths. Different responsibilities.

But the goal is the same:

Build a company they are proud of — and one their customers are proud to recommend.

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Family Comes First

Between the two families behind Northstar, there are five children.

That matters because they understand how busy life can be — work, school, sports, pets, home projects, and everything in between.

So when a customer hires Northstar, the goal is not simply to install a fence. It is to make the entire process easier.

That means listening carefully, communicating clearly, handling the details, and helping customers make the right decisions without adding more stress to their lives.

A fence project should feel organized, thoughtful, and manageable from start to finish.

Customers should be able to trust that Northstar is taking care of it — and get back to everything else that matters.

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They Believe in Work

Jack and Ben love knowing that someday, when they are old enough, their sons will work on the Northstar crew.

But they will not be handed a job simply because Northstar is a family business.

They will be expected to earn it.

Both families believe in teaching their children the value of hard work, contribution, and the pride that comes from building something with your own hands.

To them, legacy is not simply inheriting something.

It is understanding the work that created it, respecting it, improving it, and hopefully carrying it forward.

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What That Means for Northstar’s Customers

At the heart of Northstar are two families building something they hope will matter for years to come. Between them are five children, and in many ways, they are the reason behind all of it.

The people behind Northstar bring decades of experience in fencing, business, operations, finance, sales, customer service, and construction — but the bigger goal is to build something their families can be proud of. Something rooted in hard work, service, and the idea that what you create today can become part of what you leave behind.

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At Northstar, every call, text, and email matters — whether the project is large, small, straightforward, or outside Northstar’s scope of work.

They listen before they recommend. They help customers understand their options. And when they are not the right fit for a request, they will still do their best to point someone in the right direction.

Because to Northstar, good service is not measured by the size of the job or whether every conversation turns into a sale.

It is measured by whether the customer felt heard, helped, and taken care of.

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This is Northstar.

Built on family.

Driven by hard work.

Defined by service.

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