Earl M. Ferguson

Founder of Artcraft

Earl Ferguson founded Artcraft Management, Inc. (AMI) in late 1993. Since then, the company has developed, acquired and managed over 8,000 multifamily rental apartment homes throughout Virginia and North Carolina. Earl was part of the daily operations of the company until 2020.  

Before Starting AMI, Earl was President and Chief Executive Officer of Gumenick Properties, a Richmond-based real estate investment, management and development firm. At Gumenick, he was responsible for all operations, including property management for over 5,000 residential units, renovation of older properties, financing, accounting and investments involving over $100,000,000 of assets. After four years, Earl left Gumenick to devote his time to Artcraft.

Recipient of a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Virginia, Earl’s early experience in real estate includes numerous management positions with real estate companies in Washington, D.C. Earl came to Richmond to serve as Executive Vice President of Weinstein Management Co., Inc. He continues his strong relationship with Weinstein to this day.

After Weinstein Management, Earl moved his career to New York City, where he served as Vice President, General Manager and part owner of a family business, Opco Plastics, Inc., a distributor of vinyl material and supplies for accessory trades. During his tenure at Opco, during which he was responsible for marketing, financing, accounting, importing, remote locations and personnel, the company’s sales increased by nearly 300%.

During his life, Earl was an active member of the community having served on the Board of Directors of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Richmond and as liaison to the Virginia Attorney General’s Task Force on Gangs and Youth Violence. He was the 1996 recipient of the Man-Youth Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Richmond and the 1997 recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Boys & Girls Clubs of the District of Columbia and Virginia. He was past President of Congregation Beth Ahabah and Richmond Jewish Community Center.