Doris Zografos: From an $8,000 First Contract to a National Federal Contractor

For Doris Zografos, winning work was only the beginning.

When she was building EASE Painting and Construction, Doris has recalled that the company's first contract was worth just $8,000. Within three years, EASE had progressed to an $850,000 contract. That rapid growth brought opportunity, but it also forced an important realization: a construction company cannot scale safely on determination alone. Estimating, project controls, accountability, management systems, and a strong team all have to grow with the work.

Doris embraced that challenge and built EASE into a highly specialized Baltimore construction company focused on work where execution matters.

Today, EASE self-performs industrial, commercial, and marine preservation services, including surface preparation, abrasive blasting, high-performance protective coatings, industrial cleaning, lead abatement, environmental remediation, and related construction services. The company works on complex steel and concrete structures and has developed significant experience serving government and private-sector clients.

That specialization has taken a Baltimore company far beyond Baltimore.

EASE operates as a federal prime contractor and has completed hundreds of contracts and task orders across the United States, with work extending internationally. Its certifications include Woman-Owned Small Business and HUBZone status, along with specialized industry qualifications for the application of protective coatings to complex structures.

The company's growth has earned national recognition. In 2024, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City ranked EASE No. 56 on its Inner City 100 list of high-growth companies. ICIC highlighted a workforce of approximately 40 employees, growth of nearly 97 percent, and more than 400 completed task orders and contracts. Just as importantly, its profile noted employees who entered the company as laborers and advanced into skilled and certified positions—evidence that EASE's growth has created opportunities for people as well as projects.

The work continues close to home. EASE has performed public and federal projects throughout the region, and recent federal contracting activity includes U.S. Coast Guard vessel-maintenance work in Curtis Bay, Maryland.

Doris's leadership also extends beyond her company. She serves on the National Board of Women Construction Owners & Executives, connecting her experience as a working construction owner directly to WCOE's mission of advancing women who own and lead construction businesses. In 2021, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland selected her as one of its Distinguished Women honorees, recognizing both her professional accomplishments and contributions to the community.

For WCOE DMV, Doris represents the mission in especially tangible form.

She is a Baltimore-based woman construction owner who built expertise in a demanding specialty trade, learned how to manage rapid growth, developed a workforce, competed successfully for government work, and brought that experience into national industry leadership.

Her story is proof that a woman-owned construction company can start small, develop deep capability, and compete on a national stage—without losing its roots in the DMV.