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LA PLATA, MD — Public records show that NDG Communications, a real estate-focused marketing firm in Charles County, MD, had over $1 million in PPP Loans forgiven. This infusion of cash is one of numerous examples that shine a spotlight on taxpayer-funded federal pandemic relief funds and some of the businesses that used them.

NDG Communications, owned by Tom Nelson, serves a client base primarily composed of homebuilders and real estate developers, an industry that experienced a historic surge in demand and profitability during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the robust state of the housing market at the time, federal data reveals that NDG Communications received over $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, all of which have since been fully forgiven by the Small Business Administration.

NDG Communications of La Plata, MD PPP Loans

A Market Surge and the Competitive Outlier

The residential construction sector was one of the few industries to thrive during the pandemic. As remote work drove a “flight to the suburbs,” homebuilders saw profit margins reach record highs. For marketing agencies like NDG, this translated to aggressive demand for digital sales tools and virtual tour technology.

An investigation by the Dormont Gazette reviewed records for other similar marketing agencies specializing in the same niche. The findings suggest that NDG’s reliance on federal funds was an outlier among its peers:

  • O’Neil Interactive (Hunt Valley, MD): Loans of approximately $200,000.
  • Milesbrand, Blue Tangerine, and GroupTwo: Did not take any PPP loans.

The contrast raises a significant question: If direct competitors maintained operations without mid-seven-figure federal grants, why did NDG require a $1 million taxpayer infusion during the strongest real estate market in a generation?

Funding Growth or Funding Relief?

NDG Communications Instagram Post - Hiring in a Booming Industry

The Paycheck Protection Program was designed to prevent layoffs and help struggling businesses “stay afloat.” However, the timeline of NDG’s activities following the loans suggests a period of aggressive expansion rather than mere survival.

Within two years of the loans being forgiven, NDG’s social media activity highlighted a significant hiring spree, with at least 15 new employees joining the firm. During this same period, the company funded a two-day team retreat in Nashville and maintained a high-profile presence at the International Builders Show (IBS) in Las Vegas.

NDG Communications Setting Up UTour Booth at IBS

Perhaps most notable is the development of UTour, a self-guided home-tour platform. Public records and company statements indicate that UTour was “born” in 2020 and grew within the NDG ecosystem. A Vice President of Operations with a seven-year tenure at NDG (as of September 2020) reportedly “coordinated the day-to-day operations of UTour since its inception.” NDG employees were also utilized to staff and set up the UTour booth at major trade shows—all occurring before UTour was successfully acquired by the housing intelligence giant Zonda in August 2023.

The timing suggests a possible correlation: federal funds covered the payroll of an established marketing agency while its leadership utilized those same human resources to build, scale, and eventually sell a private technology asset for a significant profit.

Internal Culture and the “Human Cost”

While the financial state of the company appeared to be one of growth and acquisition, reports from the staff tasked with executing the work tell a different story. Internal reviews from staff consistently describe a workplace defined by volatility and high pressure.

Excerpts from employee testimonials provided by Glassdoor include:

“High-pressure, high-turnover, and the owner is a yelling, psycho. I literally got preached at with bible verses.” (May 2020)

“If you don’t agree with the head honcho or his immediate minions, things will be tough. Gossip is rampant. You will work long, grueling hours for little recognition.” (August 2020)

“Very little positive reinforcement but a lot of criticism, especially from the CEO… Long hours with many demands, lack of autonomy.” (September 2021)

“The engineering team was expected to drop their current work to fulfill one-off requests from the CEO… Extremely high developer turnover… the CEO was oppressive and the work hours were far too high.” (May 2025)

“Any attempts to surface issues with management were met with dismissal. Everyone else was the problem, not the CEO’s childish tantrums.” (May 2025)

“Constant feeling of walking on egg shells. Our CEO/owner is incredibly difficult to work with, has zero patience for anyone… becomes instantly annoyed and hostile the moment someone cannot read his mind.” (October 2025)

Tom Nelson’s NDG Communications

The case of NDG Communications provides a stark case study in pandemic-era economics. While many small businesses used PPP funds to keep the lights on, the data here shows a firm in a booming industry using over $1 million in forgiven taxpayer dollars during a period of rapid hiring, corporate retreats, and the development of a lucrative tech spinoff.

As taxpayers and policymakers continue to evaluate the necessity and oversight of the $760 billion PPP program, the intersection of public relief and private exits at NDG Communications remains a point of significant public interest.