Our Story
Tom and Linda Sparks started Tom Lin Construction from their home. What they began together grew into a family of companies.
Explore Our Timeline
A Family Beginning
Our story starts with two people building something together. Tom and Linda Sparks began Tom Lin Construction in their basement, taking on concrete work and growing the business one project at a time.
Tom kept his concrete job while he and Linda worked on their business on weekends. When his employer closed, taking on its remaining customers gave the young business an opportunity to grow.
As Tom Lin Construction grew and joined with other businesses, Hunt Valley Contractors took shape. Construction remained at the heart of what followed.
For Tom and Linda, taking care of the team also meant making sure people had benefits, including health insurance and retirement support. Looking after the people doing the work was part of building a lasting company.
Lessons We Carry Forward
Our family remembers these guiding words from the founders. Their lessons remain part of how we think about the future.
“The only constant is change.”
“Focus.”
Care for the Team
The founders believed looking after the team meant making sure people had benefits, including health insurance and retirement support. That care for the people doing the work remains part of the story we carry forward.
How we support our peopleFrom Our Archives
Our history lives in the people, relationships, and everyday moments that have connected our family of companies over the years.
These photographs are a small part of that shared story—alongside the work, the growth, and the next generation carrying it forward.
From Then to Now
Follow the turns that shaped our family of companies—from a basement business to construction, play, and the people carrying the story forward.
Tom and Linda Sparks started Tom Lin Construction in the basement of their home. It was the beginning of a family business built around concrete work, with a small team and one project leading to the next.
Our company records trace the foundation of the construction business to 1981. From those early beginnings, the business grew into Hunt Valley Contractors.
Seeing stamped concrete at a church led Tom to seek training. Decorative concrete became a specialty as Hunt Valley Contractors expanded from residential work into commercial and government projects.
Following the September 11 attacks, Hunt Valley Contractors was asked to help rebuild the Pentagon. It became a significant chapter in the company’s construction story.
Hunt Valley Contractors had the opportunity to become a playground installer, bringing its construction experience into parks and play environments.
Sparks at Play was established, led by Isaac and Stephanie Sparks. It connected the family’s construction experience with playground equipment, planning, and recreation spaces.
Hunt Valley Distributors and Playground Inspections became part of the wider family of companies, alongside Hunt Valley Contractors and Sparks at Play. Each brings its own focus, connected by the people and relationships behind the work.
3705 Holding Company brings our family of companies together. The work has grown from those basement beginnings, and it continues through the field crews, sales teams, estimators, project managers, inspectors, and support teams who build it every day.
Our future depends on their growth: sharing experience, developing new skills, and making room for the next generation of leaders.
The Story Continues
Tom and Linda’s beginnings are part of who we are. Today, that story continues through the people who share their knowledge, take care of customers, and support one another across our companies.
We carry that forward by investing in learning, recognizing contributions, and supporting the team beyond the work itself. As our people grow in confidence, skills, and responsibility, they help shape what our companies become.