Western Chester County Life Fall/Winter 2022 by Ad Pro Inc.

Fall/Winter 2022

WESTERN Chester County LIFE ChescoWest, an authentic community, just like family Special Family-Owned Business Edition

Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce Magazine Fall/Winter 2022 • ISSUE 11

Complimentary Copy

Magazine

S TA R T A L I F E LO N G R E L AT I O N S H I P Your partner in good health. At Lancaster General Health Parkesburg, we’re committed to supporting the health and wellness of our community. Our team – including family physicians, cardiologists, specialists, dieticians, and physical therapists – provides coordinated care focused on keeping you healthy for life. Physician services: • Family Medicine Parkesburg • Urgent Care • OB/GYN • Sports Medicine

• The Heart Group • Diabetes & Endocrinology • Podiatry

Schedule an appointment at Family Medicine Parkesburg at LGHealthPhysicians.org/Parkesburg, or call 610-857-6648.

Outpatient services: • Imaging services (3D mammography, X-ray, DXA scan, CT scan, ultrasound) • Lab testing • Physical therapy • Pulmonary services • Cardiac testing

950 South Octorara Trail Parkesburg, PA 19365

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——Fall/Winter

2022 • Volume 11——

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news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Life A Publication of the Western Chester County Chamber in partnership with Chester County Press

Thanks to our Year-Long Partners

Table of Contents Fall/Winter 2022 Meet our Members Hatt’s Hardware ............................................................ 16 Roberts Filter Group ..................................................... 24 Pommerer’s Collision .................................................... 32 Chester County Tile ....................................................... 36 Beaver Insurance ........................................................... 44 Brandywine Valley Fabricators ...................................... 46 Western Chester County Council of Governments ........ 56

Featured Articles A 4th-generation family business, Wentz Funeral Home ... 10 Summers & Zim’s: The ‘Good-Natured Guys’ .............. 18 Making home design dreams come true, ............................ Balla Custom Services ................................................... 26 Click Canyon, Husband and Wife Team ....................... 40 Chamber ....................................................................... 50

In Each Issue Letter from the Chamber President .................................. 8 Chamber & Community Events ....................................... 9 Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance .................................. 23 Chester County Planning Commission........................... 38 Parkesburg Action Committee ....................................... 48 Transportation Management Association of Chester County.......................................................... 54 Honey Brook Community Partnership ........................... 58 Chamber Membership Directory ................................... 59 6

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2022 • Volume 11——

Letter from Justin Chan, Chamber President

his year has brought many chalI said in our last issue, business at its lenges to our region including core, is about people. It is about buildrising inflation and concerns aboutt in ing and maintaining those relationships, healthcare with the closure of the Brandywine dywine someth something our Chamber does extremely well. Hospital. Despite these challenges, the commuOur membership includes many businesses that nities in ChescoWest and Western Chester County have served our region for multiple generations, Chamber of Commerce have continued to come and all come from different backgrounds. A trip to together to overcome adversity. Coatesville Flower shop takes you back in time with Large public events have returned to our area, its classic storefront and historical photographs payincluding the famous Strawberry Festival hosted ing homage to the family’s history in Coatesville. by the Rotary Club of Coatesville. The Borough Honeybrook Golf Club is family-owned and operof Parkesburg commemorated its ated by three siblings who saw a 150th anniversary with a multi-day vision and opportunity for their event in May while the Borough family’s land; the vision led to of Modena’s Fire Department celthe 18-hole Golf Course that ebrated their 100th Anniversary. now welcomes visitors from all Events continue to keep rolling around. Page through this issue to on; Valley Township will host learn about other family owned their Valley Day on September businesses in our area. My busi24th, Atglen is gearing up for its ness, Valley Creek Productions, Di-Atglen Alley Wizard Faire on produces the Western Chester October 1st and Honey Brook County Checks In segments for Township will host its Veterans the Chamber, which are video Celebration on November 6th. updates that feature local memOver the summer, the City of ber businesses. This year we’ve Coatesville celebrated ribbon cutvisited many places including tings for updates to Palmer Park, Hydraterra Professionals, The the re-opening of the Courtyard Parkesburg Point, SERVPRO of by Marriott, and the opening of Kennett Square/Oxford, Pieris Justin Chan the Nth Innovation Center in the Day Spa, and Kings Tavern west end of town. The re-alignment of the intersec- Restaurant. Follow the Chamber’s social media tion at Lincoln Highway and 1st Avenue is now channels to watch these and for all of our latest news complete with new signals and pedestrian cross and events. While my video production business is walks which leads nicely into the several new res- only in its first generation, I am proud to be a part of taurants expected to open this fall in downtown this business community. As the first President of the Coatesville. Chamber that’s a member of the LGBT community We have welcomed several new member business- and Chinese, I’ve always found my diversity to be es in Parkesburg including El Limon, a delicious new respected and appreciated within our Chamber famMexican Restaurant and Sweet Serendipity Cupcakes ily. If you are interested in joining our Chamber or & Treats on Main Street. Our area has some exciting would like to learn more about us, attend one of our developments coming up, such as a new shopping many upcoming events this fall, we look forward to center that is under construction at Octorara Trail meeting you! and Lincoln Highway (Rt. 10 and Rt. 30), which is sure to bring new services to the area. Sincerely, In this issue of Western Chester County Life, we Justin Chan focus on family-owned businesses in our region. As Valley Creek Productions

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2022 • Volume 11——

Chamber Events August 29, 2022

October 12, 2022

Chamber Golf Outing Coatesville Country Club

Chamber Annual Dinner 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Brandywine Manor House

September 14, 2022

“What it Takes to Run a Successful Non-profit” Educational Seminar with SCORE Presenter: Mike DiLeo 11:30am--1:00pm | Courtyard Marriott

October 26, 2022

“Pricing Strategies to Maximize Profits” Educational Seminar with SCORE Presenter: Maria Smith 11:30am--1:00pm | Courtyard Marriott

September 15, 2022

PrixView Party 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. | Brooklawn Estate

November 4, 2022

Municipal Update Luncheon 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. | G. A. Vietri, Inc.

December 2022 Time for the Trades Location TBA

Find all of the Chamber’s events including the monthly networking happy hours at Westernchestercounty.com

Community Events September - October

September 17, 2022

Parkesburg Final Fridays | Last Friday of Each Month 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 pm. | 200 Block of Main Street parkesburg.myshopify.com

Brandywine Conservancy Presents: Bike the Brandywine 2022 brandywine.org/conservancy/bike-brandywine

September 9 – September 11, 2022

Moo & Brew and Grapes Too! Brandywine Valley Active Aging Community Fundraiser facebook.com/moobrewandgrapestoo/

September 9 – September 11, 2022

Di-Atglen Alley Wizard Fare facebook.com/DiAtglenAlley

Chester County Balloon Festival 2022 Willowdale Steeplechase Grounds – Unionville, PA ccballoonfest.com 2022 Farm to Fork – Hosted by Wyebrook Farm Wyebrook Farm, Honey Brook, PA farmtoforkfitness.com/destinations/pennsylvania-dutch

September 10, 2022

Modena Duck Derby boroughofmodenapa.org/duck-derby

September 11, 2022

Coatesville Remembers 911 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum steelmuseum.org

September 15 , 2022

PrixView Party – Kick-Off to the City of Coatesville’s Vintage Grand Prix 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. coatesvillegrandprix.com

September 16, 2022

Coatesville Cruise-In Friday Cruise-in event featuring vintage cars, trucks and special interest vehicles. | 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Free to the public, no entry fee or registration is required coatesvillegrandprix.com/

September 17, 2022

6th Annual Coatesville Vintage Grand Prix 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 3rd & Lincoln Highway, Coatesville coatesvillegrandprix.com ——For

September 24, 2022

October 1, 2022

October 12, 2022

Downtown Coatesville Business Networking 2nd Wed of each month 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. | Midway Arts Building

December 2 – December 4, 2022

Hibernia County Park Mansion Candlelight Tours Hibernia County Park | 1 Park Avenue, Coatesville, PA chesco.org/4613/Events-Permits

December 9, 2022

Holiday Open House 5:00 – 8:00. p.m. | National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum Steelmuseum.org

December 10, 2022 & December 17, 2022

Holiday at the Barn + Wagon Ride at Springton Manor Farm 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. chesco.org/4613/Events-Permits

Every Thursday through November 19th, 2022 Fresh2you Mobile Market – Honey Brook Market Stops 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | M&T Bank | 4711 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook PA honeybrooktwp.com/event/fresh2you-mobile-market -honey-brook-market-stop/all

Saturdays & Sundays now until October 30, 2022 Locust Lane Beer Garden at Highland Orchards Sat: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Sun: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Highland Orchards

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Life|

A 4th-generation family b Home helps your family w By Ashley Pierce Contributing Writer

n 1894, Harry E. Wentz, Sr. started a funeral home business in Atglen, Pennsylvania. At the time, there were no physical funeral homes, so Harry E. Wentz would travel to the family’s home to provide his services. Around 1900, Harry’s two sons – Harry E. Wentz, Jr. and Joseph Wentz – opened the first physical location, also in Atglen, PA. That building, which was the original Wentz Funeral Home, is still standing, now an apartment complex. Over time,

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as the business grew and as the Wentz family was serving families all over Western Chester County, Harry E. Wentz decided a change of location was in order to be more convenient for the families they served in Coatesville. In the late 1930s, Harry E. Wentz moved his business to Chestnut Street in Coatesville, PA into a house that was previously owned by the Worth family, who owned the Worth Steel Mill. Today, Wentz Funeral Home is still going strong and being run by Harry’s daughter and granddaughter – M. Joye Wentz and Kirstin Wentz McElroy. Wentz Funeral Home offers traditional viewing and funeral service, cremation, cremation

2022 • Volume 11——

y business, Wentz Funeral y when they need it most with a viewing, direct burial, burial at sea; they do it all. Joye Wentz is a third-generation funeral director. Joye knew she wanted to be a funeral director from the time she was eight years old. “It was my desire to help people. As a little girl, I watched my dad help people and I wanted to do the same. From the time I was eight years old, I wanted this job. It was the only thing I wanted to do.” Joye said. While, at the time, being a funeral director was a male-dominated profession. “My dad’s sisters told me, ‘You can’t do that, that’s not a job for a girl.’ I was raised with the idea that I could do anything – it didn’t matter that I was a young girl, I never thought about the fact that it was a Owners and operators, Kirstin Wentz McElroy and Joye Wentz. “male profession,” it was just what I wanted to do.” funeral director entails. From the first phone call, Joye Kirstin Wentz McElroy, Joye’s daughter and the fourth- and Kirstin are the ones on the other side, ready to help. generation family funeral director, had a similar desire as “If it’s the middle of the night, our answering service her mother. “I watched her help people and that’s what may take the call and they immediately send it to us.” I wanted to do that too. I wanted to help people at some Joye said. From there, the mother and daughter pair of the most difficult times of their lives.” Joye and Kirstin make contact with the family and go to transfer the body, knew that when death occurred, it was hard on people whether it’s at one’s home or the hospital. “Some people and both felt passionate about making that time a little are surprised that we go right away to retrieve the body. easier on them. This isn’t a job they stumbled upon, it’s Now, in some cases, like a hospital death, we can’t go a job they both grew up with. Joye said, “It’s not a job right away because hospitals have certain pick-up hours you walk into and leave at 5 o’clock. It’s a way of life. or have to finish paperwork to release the body to us We’re going to have a funeral and then, next week, we’re first.” If the deceased is to be embalmed, that’s their next going to see those people in the grocery store. It’s not step. “Embalming is a process of removing the person’s like working for a big company, where you work your blood and injecting a chemical to preserve the body. It is hours and you walk away from it. We’re enmeshed in required for public services held after 24 hours from the the community.” time of death.” Kirstin informed. In Pennsylvania, a body Many people might not know exactly what being a Continued on Page 12 ——For

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Wentz Funeral Home Continued from Page 11

cannot be held longer than 24 hours. They either have to be refrigerated, cremated, buried, or embalmed - based on what service they’re having. After the embalming, arrangements are to be made, Kirstin and Joye will sit down with the family, learn about their loved one and gather information. They will also contact the church or minister, the cemetery, help set up a luncheon, order the flowers. “We file veterans’ benefits, we contact Social Security for the family. If they want us to help contact insurance companies, we will do that for them.” Joye said. Then, on the day of the service or night of the viewing, the body has to be dressed and prepared. Kirstin and Joye do their own embalming, makeup, restorative work and casketing within the funeral home. “After the service, we keep in touch with people, if they need any grief support services or any other questions they may have.” said Joye. “We’re there from start to finish and, really, there is no finish. The service may be over today, but we follow up with the family, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for years, depending on what they need.” While death is a hardship and funerals can seem overwhelming, Kirstin explained the importance of having

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a funeral or some type of service. “The importance is two-fold. It’s important to honor the life that is lost and it’s also helpful for those who are left behind, the survivors, with their grieving. The funeral puts into reality that death has occurred but also brings people together, shows supports, and helps them move on to a new life without the person who has died.” Another vital step to consider would be pre-planning one’s own funeral. While it may be a subject some do not wish to think about, it alleviates stress on the survivors and allows

2022 • Volume 11——

you to choose your own wishes. “Pre-planning lets you plan your funeral exactly how you want it. We offer the option of pre-paying for those who want everything taken care of beforehand.” Kirstin said. It’s not just for those of a certain age either. “At any age, you can at least start to think about it. Your choices may change, but there’s never a wrong time to start planning because we never know what the future holds.” Not to mention, funerals can be expensive and that doesn’t go unnoticed by the Wentz family. “Funerals are a hardship, we don’t want them to be a financial hardship for families, so we try to work within a family’s budget to give their loved one a nice service.” Kirstin said. “It’s a great idea to pre-pay because the money goes into a trust. We don’t hold that money – it goes into a trust where it collects interest, so the interest can cover the increasing cost.” Joye added. Kirstin and Joye are there to make this time as seamless a transition as they can. At the forefront of Wentz Funeral Home is their commitment to the families they serve. Being a fourthgeneration business, family is what they value most. “We measure success by how much we’ve helped the family, not whether or not we’ve sold them a fancy casket.” Joye said. “We go above and beyond because it’s a family business; it’s our family name out there. We’re working for ourselves and our community.” Being in business for over 120 years, Wentz Funeral Home has proved they’re doing right by their customers. Their long-time business shows compassion and honesty that keep families returning to them. “We don’t necessarily strive to be the biggest funeral home, but we do strive to serve the families as best we can.” Kirstin said. “It gives the families that we serve comfort knowing it’s the same. No, I’m not my great-grandfather, but I’m the same family that served their family generations ago.” Continued on Page 14 ——For

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Wentz Funeral Home Continued from Page 13

A common thought regarding being a funeral director would be that it is a stressful, upsetting, and demanding job, but Joye doesn’t see it that way. “I can’t say I ever look at this job as stressful.” Both Kirstin and Joye feel the rewards of helping families. “I think the fact that it’s so rewarding, that we’re helping people, is comforting.” Kirstin added, “It’s a job, but it’s not because we truly love what we do.” They take their time with families, to learn about the loved one that was lost, and make each and every funeral unique. Joye and Kirstin’s personal touch sets the Wentz family name apart, as well as their mother-daughter relationship. “I could start a conversation and Kirstin could finish it.” Joye told. “If there’s a decision to be made, I would make it this way and she would make it the exact same way.” Joye and Kirstin’s mother-daughter bond has always been strong throughout Kirstin’s life, but through working side-by-side everyday, they have built a special connection. This connection is not only shared between the two of them, but with the community as a whole. Kirstin said, “The community has supported us for years and we try to give back to the community. It’s our way

of saying, ‘Thank you for supporting us, we’re supporting the community.’” Joye and Kirstin’s bond with each other is parallel to the bond they have with their community and shows the strength that Wentz Funeral Home gives back to the families that need it most. Joye said, “I feel fortunate to have found a career and profession that I feel very fulfilled in; that has been something where I could help others. When you find that, you’re lucky.” Kirstin added, “We’re fortunate that we work together and are able to so well.” With the passion of the generations that came before them, Wentz Funeral Home stands to be here for many more generations to come.

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——Fall/Winter

2022 • Volume 11——

Octorara Area Career & Technical Education Programs: Where Futures Begin!

The Octorara Area School District is unique to other districts in Chester County in that the Junior-Senior High School includes a ‘school within a school model’ that offers eleven career and technical education programs. Known as OACTEP, Octorara’s career and technical education programs combine college preparation with real-world workforce skills development so students are ready to pursue their goals upon graduation from high school. Today, students need a rigorous academic education along with 21st century skills to ensure success in the workplace. Fortunately, students no longer need to choose between the academic courses needed for college and a vocational or technical training program. The STEM related career and technical education (CTE) courses offered by OACTEP allow students to customize their education in wide range of high priority occupational areas, including business, woodworking, engineering, childhood education, graphic design & illustration, culinary, ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW ¿UH¿JKWLQJ HPHUJHQF\ PHGLFDO VHUYLFHV FRPSXWHU technology, animal science and plant science, agriculture, engine repair, welding, and much more. Students are well prepared for continuing education at entry-level positions or for additional training at technical schools and colleges. All of Octorara’s career and technical education programs are aligned to the Pennsylvania state standards for workforce GHYHORSPHQW DQG RIIHU UHOHYDQW QDWLRQDO LQGXVWU\ FHUWL¿FDWLRQV 2FWRUDUD FRQWLQXHV WR DGG FRXUVHV LQ ¿HOGV WKDW DSSHDO WR VWXGHQWV DQG have practical application after graduation. For example, within the Animal and Plant Science program, students may participate in the Octorara Equine Sports Team. Working with nationally known local professionals, students are exposed to different riding disciplines and prepared for a wide range of career opportunities in the equestrian industry. According to OACTEP Director Lisa McNamara, “The Animal and Plant Science Program is open to any school district that has a student interested in the equine industry. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and Octorara students love it!” Another example of practical application includes the OACTEP partnership with Dutchland, Inc. to offer a Pennsylvania approved apprenticeship program. This apprenticeship partnership provides a high-quality career pathway for Octorara students and helps Dutchland develop and prepare their future workforce. Octorara graduates obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and maintain employment within a successful company with a successful career. “Placing students directly with experienced professionals serves as a recruitment tool for poten-

tial employers,” McNamara notes. “We have begun to see a growing gap that separates education from the practical and technical skill sets WKDW HPSOR\HUV ZDQW WR VHH DQG RXU SURJUDPV ¿OO WKDW JDS ´ 0F1DPDUD further emphasizes that “educational systems have to reach out to industries and ask what they need and what they want.” According to McNamara, “Employers are telling us, we need trained and focused skills in our industry.” OACTEP is also excited to announce the addition of solar energy to the school district campus. Through a grant from the Dockstader Foundation and OLLO Energy, OACTEP will be installing 24 solar panels. As a result of this project, students will study solar energy as part of a larger overview of renewable energy sources. Students will learn about output per panel, how to measure energy use, and how to monitor the module on a computer to see the input of energy the panels produce. OACTEP continues to extend opportunities for all students in Chester County to participate in the Octorara Homeland Security & Protective Services Academy. This program is for any student interested in a caUHHU LQ ¿UH¿JKWLQJ ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW SUH KRVSLWDO HPHUJHQF\ PHGLFDO care, EMT, emergency management, and the military. Students receive ¿UVW KDQG H[SHULHQFH LQ ¿UH¿JKWLQJ HPHUJHQF\ PHGLFDO VHUYLFHV YHKLFOH DQG ZDWHU UHVFXH DQG ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW IURP SURIHVVLRQDO ¿UH¿JKWHUV DQG HPHUJHQF\ ¿UVW UHVSRQGHUV 7KH\ FOLPE LQWR (06 DQG ¿UH¿JKWLQJ vehicles and participate in real-life situations. In partnership with the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus, the Academy prepares students to apply technical knowledge and skills required to perform HQWU\ OHYHO GXWLHV LQ ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW ¿UH¿JKWLQJ HPHUJHQF\ PHGLFDO services, and other safety services. “It’s an unbelievable career development opportunity for our students also known as academy cadets,” notes Lisa McNamara. Students enrolled in the Academy give back to their community, immediately. They have access to every industry that YLVLWV WKH SXEOLF VDIHW\ WUDLQLQJ FDPSXV ¿UH¿JKWHUV FDQLQH XQLWV (07V )%, SROLFH RI¿FHUV DQG PDQ\ PRUH 7KH GDLO\ H[SRVXUH WR OLIH PHQWRUV offered through the program ensure student success. Students graduate from the program with over 64 industry credentials, and if they choose to go to a two-year or four-year college, the credentials may convert to college credits, and qualify them for free college housing and tuition. To learn more about all eleven Octorara Area Career & Technical Education Program opportunities, visit www.octorara.k12.pa.us, or contact Lisa McNamara at 610-593-8238.

MEET our MEMBER

Hatt’s Industrial Supplies and True Value Hardware By Drewe Phinny Contributing Writer

hip Clavier, President of Hatt’s Industrial Supplies, has a “ten-foot rule,” that means if an employee is within ten feet, he or she has to come up and say, “Hi, can I help you with your project?” That’s the kind of customer attention you won’t find at other places. “How many times does that happen in a big box? We have hardware stuck in our blood. We value the customer’s time. We want them to have a quick and easy shopping experience,” Clavier said. That includes carry-help to the car and other types of assistance that people appreciate. “We’re a throw-back,” he explained. “We have a lot of items from our industrial side that a typical hardware store would not have, but which sometimes people need.” Hatt’s has a somewhat unconventional style that’s in a unique category. “It’s funny. When people come in to our store, they think it doesn’t look as big from the outside because we converted a lot of our warehouse space and different things into retail space. And so it has a different type of feel than a larger box store,” he explained. Chip and his son Ryan, who is the Vice President of Sales, strike a careful managerial balance in running the

——Fall/Winter

business with equal attention to both sides of the equation. “Ryan and I were weaned on the industrial supplies side,” he explained. “In that case, you have to go to the customer for their business. In retail, the customer comes to you, and we have to earn it by excelling at service, and doing the things the big boxes don’t do—personal service, honesty, knowing we’ll be here for you.” And as far as the growing DIY movement, Clavier said,“We have everything to fix up the home except the lumber and shingles. We’re not a home improvement center. That takes a lot more space.” They do have sanding belts and Benjamin Moore and True Value Paints, among other items. “We run both businesses out of Thorndale,” Clavier explained. “We service southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, southern Jersey and northern Maryland through our industrial supply business… and we have True Value Hardware, where we primarily sell to Coatesville, Thorndale, Downingtown and surrounding areas.” Hatt’s was founded in 1956, by Paul Hatt as Hatt’s Industrial Supply. Clavier has been with the company for 46 years. He explained, “We purchased the business from Don and Char Hatt in 2000. He was a good businessman and mentor. I learned a lot from him.” Hatt’s actually didn’t become a hardware store until that time. Before that, the emphasis was on industrial supplies. The main customers were steel mills, paper mills, any type of manufacturing, woodworking and metalworking. “Eighty percent of our business is industrial supplies and twenty percent is the hardware store,” Clavier explained. “I think most people will know us by Hatt’s True Value Hardware. That’s the retail side. The other side is wholesale distribution.” Two of the major store expansion areas over the years have been the paints and garden departments. Chip and Ryan Clavier, as well as general manager Slade Staniech are proud of their years of hard work and success in such a competitive environment. “We grow every year and we have two Home Depots and a Lowes within fifteen minutes,” Clavier said. “We grow through service and taking pride in helping customers out. 2022 • Volume 11——

Our number-one focus is attention to the customer. And next, it’s keeping our stores and product lines up to date. And more recently, it’s been the supply chain challenge and keeping items in stock.” Unlike a typical hardware store, which will have all product in retail, Hatt’s has a warehouse. During the pandemic, they were open. “We sell a lot of janitorial supplies for our industrial side, and when people couldn’t get toilet paper and roll towels, we had it.” On a larger scale, Hatt’s deals with Fortune 500 companies, major steel mills, woodworkers, cabinetry makers, manufacturing companies, and commercial supply.

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With all the technical terms and related numbers, Chip and Ryan came up with a pretty basic description of the Hatt’s story: “Eighty percent of our business is commercial industrial and twenty percent is retail hardware. But we’re known in the community because we’re a friendly hardware store, your local hometown hardware store. We’re growing by providing the old-fashioned customer service that people strive for, no matter what size the business we’re in.” With Hatt’s True Value, help is truly around the corner. Hatt’s Industrial Supplies & True Value Hardware 2803 E. Lincoln Highway, Thorndale, PA 19372 (610) 384-1954 Monday to Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Life|

Summers & Zim’s: The ‘Good-Natured Guys’ for the past half-century

Photo by Richard L. Gaw

Joe Zimmerman, center, with a few of the staff at Summer’s & Zim’s, Inc. in Atglen.

——Fall/Winter

2022 • Volume 11——

By Richard L. Gaw Kenny. Kevin. Hutch. Spencer. Tyler. Tukker. Jose. Ron. Russell. Scott. Kate. Doug. To listen to Joe Zimmerman of Summers & Zim’s, Inc. talk about the company’s long-time staff is to hear each name spoken with a high degree of respect, so when he is asked what has kept Summers & Zim’s, Inc. in the higher echelon of plumbing, heating and HVAC companies in the Delaware Valley for more than 50 years, it doesn’t take long for Zimmerman to answer. It’s our people, he said. “The four qualities we look for are Honorable, Excellent, Gritty and Good-Natured,” he said. “Everyone who works here is either a friend or a neighbor. No one here is a stranger. We even have eight staff who each graduated from Solanco High School in the past several years. One of our recent hires is the Atglen postmaster’s son. “When we are ready to hire someone, we put the word

out to our staff. They will tell us, ‘They don’t know anything about plumbing or HVAC, but they are a quality person.’ That’s what we look for. Experience doesn’t matter, because we can teach them the business, but it’s more important to have an individual of integrity to begin that relationship with.” In both slogan and business, Summers & Zims. Inc are “The Good Natured Guys,” and for reasons that extend far beyond installing and servicing plumbing, heating and air conditioning units. The words are all their on the company website. Warmhearted, friendly, amiable, neighborly, benevolent, kind, kindhearted, generous, unselfish, considerate, thoughtful, obliging, helpful, supportive, charitable, understanding, sympathetic, easygoing and accommodating. “I was sitting at the Gap Diner waiting to interview a potential hire a few years ago, and he was running late,” Joe said. “I looked outside and saw him running around Continued on Page 20

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Summers & Zim’s, Inc. Continued from Page 19

the parking lot helping a woman corral her dog that had gotten loose. “Before leaving a customer’s house, our staff asks our customers, ‘Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?’ Once, a woman asked my son Jose to bring her cactuses in from the outdoors. Once he got them indoors, the woman began crying and said that the cactuses were her mother’s and told Jose that they would have frozen had they not been able to be brought inside.” Treating staff and customers the right way Summers & Zim’s Inc. traces its beginnings to 1930, when Summers Brothers Plumbing and Heating opened its doors in Gap. In 1950, Joe’s grandfather began Zim’s Sales and Service in Atglen. In 1973, Summers Brothers merged with Zim’s Sales and Service, forming Summers & Zim’s, Inc. – which was operated by Joe’s grandfather Lee Summers and his father Bud Zimmerman. Growing up in the family business, Joe learned the trade

——Fall/Winter

and installed several systems. Over time, he moved to management, and in 1991, at the age of 26, he was asked to take over for his father who had collapsed in his office from internal bleeding. While Bud recovered in and out of hospitals for the next nine months, Joe began to pick up the pieces of the business. He has been at the helm ever since, moving the company forward with a very simple philosophy: Treat your staff and your customers the right way, and it will be reciprocated. During the scorching summer of 2020 – deep in the thicket of COVID-19 – the staff at Summers & Zim’s, Inc. were overloaded with work. Joe kept telling them, ‘There will be enough time to put your feet up later in the year.’ “In September, our employees were asked to come back for a meeting at the end of the day,” Joe said. “We called Moore’s Furniture in Downingtown and asked them to bring us a dozen samples of Lazy-Boy chairs, and there they were, waiting for the staff when they walked in. I asked each of them which chairs they liked the best, and at the end of the day, we sent them all home with the chair they liked the best.”

2022 • Volume 11——

While keeping up with demands of public and innovations in the plumbing, heating and HVAC industry, Summers & Zim’s, Inc. has never forgotten that the fundamental mission of the company is to treat its customers like family. Over the past several years, the company has put several quality insurances that holds it accountable to the thousands of customers they serve every year: a Five-Point guarantee, a no lemons guarantee, a $500 no frustration guarantee, a home protection guarantee and a 100 percent money back guarantee. “We even deliver Shoo-Fly pies to our customers,” Zimmerman said. “We always have new systems going into place every day, and it’s usually my responsibility to deliver all of the ductwork to the site. A few years ago, I found myself getting into the habit of stopping by McClures, picking up some pies and delivering them to our customers.’”

The owner of the bakery at the time was Doug Kauffman, who is now on the staff at Summers & Zim’s, Inc. “It occurred to me that we’re pretty good at taking young guys and teaching them HVAC, but maybe we need to teach them about responsibility and adulthood, as well,” Joe said. “I want the young men who work with us to grow up and become good fathers and responsible adults and citizens. When I told my son Ethan about my idea, he told me that we needed to hire Doug, because he is involved in youth ministry and wants to work with young people.” Kauffman now conducts a mentorship program with the staff that helps them develop life skills such as budgeting and long-tem investing, as well as encourages them to document their life goals, all in the hopes of finding ways to achieve them. Continued on Page 22

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Summers & Zim’s, Inc. Continued from Page 21

‘Is there anything I can give you before you go?’ Perhaps at no other time did the connection between Summers & Zim’s, Inc. and the community it serves crystallize more than during Christmas in 2009. Joe was staying with his wife Tracey and their children at a family celebration near Lake Erie. At 2 a.m., he received a phone call from a friend, telling him that his house had just burned to the ground. “When we pulled into our driveway, we say more than 50 people from the community there, helping to clean up and be there for support. In fact, Doug Kauffman was there, and asked me, ‘Is there anything I can give you before I go?’ He ended up giving me his winter coat.” The next morning, Tracey met with Brian Campbell of Beiler-Campbell Real Estate at a model home that was being used to showcase new housing community. Campbell opened the front door and told Tracey, ‘Stay here as long as you want to.’ Soon after, one community member stopped by the company offices on his morn-

ing run and left a check in the amount of $500 for the Zimmerman family. “We have always believed that there is more to this company than just installing air conditioners,” Joe said. “No matter how hard we all work, there will always be companies who will install more of them than we do. It doesn’t matter in the end, because we define ourselves not just by the quality of the work and service we provide, but by the fact that one of our staff is a girl’s softball coach, 15 of our staff are volunteer coaches for Upward Basketball and by others who serve as musical directors, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts leaders and Little League coaches.”

Summers & Zim’s, Inc. is located at 403 Valley Avenue in Atglen. To learn more, visit http://sumzim.com.

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Inspector: Kevin Kerr

Ground Up Home Inspections 610-324-3064 • ks-kerr@hotmail.com 363 Hill Road, Honey Brook, PA 19344 Proudly Serving Chester County and the Surrounding Counties

——Fall/Winter

2022 • Volume 11——

Meet the Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance M

aybe you’ve read articles and updates about Coatesville’s economic progress in previous issues of this magazine. And hopefully you’ve been reading in local media stories the traction that’s building in the City of Coatesville. Here’s a quick primer on the 2nd Century Alliance, the City’s partner in economic and community development, and how they’re playing a key role in the City’s economic recovery. The 2nd Century Alliance was formed as a public-private partnership between City stakeholders and the Chester County Department of Community Development in 2015, when Coatesville celebrated its 100th anniversary as a third-class city. These partners work together and alongside mission-similar organizations to ensure that Coatesville’s “second century” is economically prosperous. Their mission is to drive economic development in the City that enables the whole community to thrive. They are funded by a collaborative partnership between the Chester County Commissioners, public and private grants, and charitable contributions from the private sector. You can find a full listing of donors (and make a tax-deductible contribution) at their website: www.2ndCenturyAlliance. org. The 2nd Century Alliance revitalization work includes: Building strong residential neighborhoods. Their team includes Urias Cole, Community Coordinator. Urias’ position comes from a grant from the Regional Foundation, a subsidiary of the Philadelphia Foundation. Urias works with residents across the City to ensure that as the City grows economically, no one is left behind or displaced by the impacts of development. Urias works with the residents and the City administration to improve parks and public spaces, bring jobs and economic opportunity to the area, manage communications with and between residents, the City, and the County, and connect those residents to programs and services they need to grow themselves and their families economically and socially. Revitalizing Coatesville’s downtown corridor. Through a grant from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development, and philanthropic contributions from Knox Equipment Rental and Jennifer and Robert McNeil, 2nd Century Alliance’s staff includes Downtown Manager, Amber Little-Turner. Amber works tirelessly to improve the City’s downtown commercial district, galvaniz——For

ing existing merchants to work together and providing tools and resources that will help them grow their businesses. Amber manages clean-up and beautification programs, coordinates special events to drive shoppers into downtown, and facilitates the 2nd Century Alliance Façade Improvement and Small Business Support grant programs. Advancing major development projects. The third leg of the revitalization stool includes Executive Director Sonia Huntzinger. Sonia works closely with the City administration, the Coatesville Redevelopment Authority, and the County, cultivating relationships with investors and developers, ensuring that development meets the City’s vision for the future. Lastly, the staff and Board of Directors work consistently to promote the City’s assets, share the positive news stories, and advocate for progress that will benefit the residents and businesses of the City as well as the larger Western Chester County region. • The Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance is an important part of the effort to improve the City’s economy. • The economic and social health of Coatesville, Chester County’s only city, is a reflection of, and on the County. Positive progress in revitalization initiatives will: • Grow jobs and economic opportunity for residents by attracting various business sectors. • Cultivate civic leadership and empower residents to take ownership of their neighborhoods. • Improve parks and public spaces, encouraging healthier behaviors. • Increase owner occupied residences thereby strengthening neighborhoods. • Create safer, cleaner, and well-lit streets to encourage commerce and neighborliness. • Enhance public transit and transportation systems connecting residents with jobs. You’re invited to learn more about the 2nd Century Alliance at www.2ndCenturyAlliance.org. While there, sign up to receive their regular updates on the City’s progress.

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

MEET our MEMBER

Roberts Filter Group By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer

oberts Filter Group is a fifth-generation family business that has been making water safe for the community since 1889. “The story passed down from generation to generation is that my great great grandfather’s family was living in Philadelphia,” explained Roberts Filter Group President Matt Roberts. “Typhoid and cholera were rampant in Philadelphia at that time. He lost his family members to typhoid or cholera. Charles Roberts was a young engineer and decided to make it his life’s work because of that loss. In 1889 he patented a stone filter with the U.S. patent office. It was a household filter— it predates municipal water works. It was a stone filter you could buy and take home and run water though this stone. It was a diatomaceous earth filter. They didn’t know it at the time, because it predated microscopes and germ theory, but it had a molecular knife in this diatomaceous earth that would clean and disinfect the water.” Matt Roberts added, “At the time we couldn’t have known how it worked. Maybe it was a good guess or based on knowledge that when we drink water that runs

——Fall/Winter

through this stone people don’t get sick.” Diatomaceous earth is still being used in water filtration systems today, but Roberts Filter Group has gone on much farther to address new problems facing water providers today. “The company, just like the country, grew from individual wells and non-treated water. As municipalities formed and started offering tap water to citizens, the company offered municipal filtration,” Roberts said. Today, Roberts Filter Group serves everything from small rural communities using as little as 50 gallons of water per minute to large units in major cities around the world. Clients include the cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and Tokyo. Local clients include Aqua PA and Pennsylvania America Water. The primary mission of filtration is to make water safe for communities. Along the way, Roberts Filter Group can also help with improving water taste and odor if the clients choose. “I think from an environmental standpoint we prefer regulations because that’s what keeps our drinking water safe. Drinking water quality standards require that water providers remove lead and modern chemicals. As regulators discover the health risks of these new contaminates, our filters remove them and it helps Chester County,” Roberts said.

2022 • Volume 11——

Roberts Filter Group provides innovations for generations. In the United States, water quality is governed by EPA regulations. Water must meet a level of clarity as determined by EPA standards. Additionally, as new chemicals are identified as dangerous, new EPA standards are created and Roberts Filter Group develops new filters that address these issues. The research and development department in Coatesville continues to file patents every year for innovative developments and inventions. Roberts Filter Group came to Coatesville about ten years ago, moving into the former RP Industries location. The privately held family firm has about 50 employees locally and is looking forward to growth. “We’re looking to expand and hire more engineers and factory workers and machinists and welders,” Roberts said. “We’re a growing company, developing new technologies. We’re looking to grow here in Chester County and looking forward to serving our community.” He added, “Water is in our blood. We’re a fifth-generation family business and we’re really proud of our heritage. We look at it as a public service to be able to provide clean water to everyone around the globe. When we do our job, no one gets sick and everyone enjoys clean drinking water.”

The Yearsley Barn by the Reservoir Schedule your wedding at our one-stop event venue! Our barn serves as a rustic indoor venue for wedding services (seating 150), complete with antique stone walls and wood beams. Or schedule an outdoor wedding, with the reservoir serving as a scenic backdrop. We have many beautiful locations for wedding party pictures. After the wedding, enjoy fine dining, top shelf beverages and dancing in our spacious ballroom. Our pre-wedding bridaI suite and groomsmen “hang out” will delight! Coatesville Country Club d/b/a The Yearsley Barn by the Reservoir

Call 610.384.3200 or email Events@CoatesvilleCountryClub.com ——For

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Life|

Making home design dreams come true with Balla Custom Services

By John Chambless Contributing Writer

he outdated kitchen cabinets, the dark and dingy basement, the bathroom that was never quite right. Most homeowners have looked around and thought, “Someday, I’m going to fix that.” At Balla Custom Services,

——Fall/Winter

there’s a solution for every home renovation quandary. For Brent Balla and his wife, Tara, the Coatesville-based company they run is positioned to help people who know what they want to do with their living spaces, but who need help turning dreams into reality. “Back in 1984, my dad got into the construction side of things, doing handyman work and small remodels,” Brent

2022 • Volume 11——

said. “He was doing that along with other stuff. He was really good at helping people, and he was really kind and patient. For 20-plus years, the business didn’t really grow. I started helping him when I was 13. We hired help a few times, but not a lot. The first year I got paid in lunches, and the second year I got paid $5 a day, and the third year I got paid $5 an hour,” he added, smiling. Brent went to college, planning on a career in video production, but as his father started to scale back his workload and look toward retirement, “I picked up some landscaping jobs, doing projects here and there,” Brent said. “In 2002-2003, I jumped in and started doing a lot more. The business was working. In about 2005, I figured, ‘Let’s make this business into something bigger.’” He married Tara in 2008 as the business was expanding under Brent’s leadership, and in 2015, started transitioning from handyman services toward both design and renovation. A full-time designer came on board in late 2019,

——For

positioning Balla Custom Services as a company that can take a customer’s ideas and make them work. “We do the full package,” Brent said. “We do renderings and plans and everything else.” The bewildering range of products and prices can usually stop a homeowner in their tracks, but Tara said Balla offers a guide through the maze of goods and services. “We bring three choices to you so you have options, but it’s not this unending box of samples,” she said. “We present good, better and best. That still leaves a lot of choices within each

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Continued on Page 28

Balla Custom Services County Western Chester Continued from Page 27

Life|

category. We try to hone in on three options in each category. We can do custom requests, but the average customer just wants to be guided. We want to be that guide. We ask about what their dream style is, what examples they’ve posted on Pinterest. That helps people feel that, ‘Oh, I have options, but

——Fall/Winter

I’m not overwhelmed.’” The past few years have turned the home renovation business inside-out, first with pandemic shutdowns, then supply chain interruptions that have driven up prices for just about everything. “Lumber jumped maybe 200 percent,” Brent said. That left home renovation companies scrambling, since they suddenly faced huge cost increases that conflicted with contracts already signed with customers. Some, including Balla, struggled. But for two years, homeowners were at home, suddenly wanting to renovate. At the same time, the real estate market shot into the stratosphere, and “people realized that it’s expensive to renovate, but moving is even more expensive,” Tara said. “Kitchen and bath renovations just exploded. People figured, ‘If I’m not going to move and I’ll be spending the next 20 years in my home, I want it to be nice.’” There’s no lack of customers for home renovation companies, and Brent said Balla is usually running three projects simultaneously, with two employees at

2022 • Volume 11——

each job site. Today, Brent handles sales and oversees the company’s operations, while Tara takes care of the finances and insurance, as well as handling client relations. Balla Custom Services rents a space on Lincoln Highway in Coatesville that holds offices, sample products, a design-

——For

er’s workspace and workshop, but most consultations take place in the homes of clients. A standard part of each job the company takes on is extensive preparation, and a series of consultations that lay out

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Continued on Page 30

Balla Custom Services Continued from Page 29

what a customer wants, the products that will make that happen, and a timeline. But there’s also a lot of education, Brent said. “We educate people about why we’re a better fit than a design build firm at the high end, or a handyman at the low end,” he said. As an example, for a basic kitchen renovation, a solo handyman may charge between $5,000 and $30,000.

A design build firm offers things like 3-D modeling and top of the line materials across the board, and they can charge $75,000 or more. Balla Custom Services aims for the middle, with kitchen remodels coming in at $20,000 to $60,000. “We never want a client that’s unhappy,” Brent said, “so I show them that we still have the most competitive price. We take our time to get the best outcome.”

INVESTED IN CHESTER COUNTY Contributing to the communities we serve is integral to our business. Whether it be investing millions in our infrastructure; protecting our watersheds; or assisting customers with their water bill, we seek to improve the quality of life of those we touch.

——Fall/Winter

2022 • Volume 11——

With hundreds of projects successfully completed by the Balla team, there have been some makeovers with dazzling before-and-after photos, but “some jobs are not a ‘wow’ on social media,” Tara said, laughing. “Those can be rare.” But even if the change isn’t a spectacular reveal, a well-installed interior can be just as satisfying for the client. And home improvements increase the value of anyone’s home. “Our target is a client who wants a company that can handle everything,” Brent said. “Our skillset is having a creative team that can take affordable options and make everything look great.” For more information, visit www.bcscraftsmen.com, or call 484-786-9897.

Public • Commercial • Industrial Real World Solutions Contractor Providing Excavation and Repairs for Underground Utilities & Pumping Stations

Fidelity Contracting LLC 789 North Manor Rd, Elverson, PA 19520

610.816.0704 www.ﬁdelitycontracting.com ——For

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

MEET our MEMBER

Pommerer’s Collision Center By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer

ommerer’s Collision Center is a family-owned business that has been a fixture in the community for 29 years. They work on all types of vehicles, and when you have an accident or auto damage that needs repair, you can expect the best from Pommerer’s Collision. “We pride ourselves on doing a quality job,” owner Fred Pommerer said. The majority of work handled by Pommerer’s Collision comes through the insurance claims process. The company works with all insurance companies even though they are not a direct repair company for all. Pommerer’s helps clients through the insurance claim process, obtaining estimates, making referrals for rental vehicles, and explaining the steps that will be needed to get your car back on the road. “There’s a lot more involved than putting the parts on

——Fall/Winter

and painting it. We have to negotiate the repair with the insurance company on the customer’s behalf,” Pommerer said. Pommerer’s covers every aspect of auto repair from body to glass to paint and more. If mechanical or specialized work is needed, he subcontracts that portion of the service so clients do not need to take their car to multiple shops to complete the job. New technologies have fitted today’s cars with advanced safety systems that the shop addresses with care. This could include air bags, seat belts, monitoring systems, cameras and more. “Cars have become way more technical as far as collision avoidance systems,” Pommerer said. “No matter how small the damage is to one of those parts, we replace it and then we have to have it recalibrated.” Pommerer points out that as people become familiar with their car’s safety features, they may begin to ignore the routine warnings, which can eventually lead to accidents. “That’s why we replace a lot of bumpers,” he said. Vehicles are photographed after an accident occurs. This ensures that the damage caused as a direct result of the accident is addressed. Pommerer’s can also address any pre-existing damage that is outside of the insurance coverage and repair those damages at the same time if the customer chooses to. “Maybe they want to get it fixed while it is in here, but financially it’s not always possible,” Pommerer said. Financial concerns are always important, and Pommerer can provide free estimates for comparison shopping. He reminds clients that in the case of insurance claims, they are not obligated to go to the lowest estimate if they do not have confidence in the quality of the work.

2022 • Volume 11——

“By law you can take your car wherever you want. The insurance companies will try to direct you, but by law you can tell them no,” Pommerer said. “It’s hard for me to understand why people want to go with the cheapest repair. Quality should be priority one. The quality of the work shows in the high percentage of repeat business and referrals Pommerer’s receives. Not all clients come in for insurance claims. Others may have a car with minor damage or a paint job that needs to be refreshed. “Color match is something we pride ourselves on,” Pommerer said. Paint matching is computer assisted with color mixes in house. “We blend panels to ensure color matches,” he

explained. The only area that Pommerer does not cover is restoration, such as rust damage from age. Pommerer’s primary interest has always been the customer. “We’re very quality conscious, we’re very customer conscious—that’s part of why I got into this business. It wasn’t so much a love of cars as it was a love of people. When I was younger, an older brother of mine had a car painted. His friends oohed and aahed about it so much I decided I wanted to do that for a living,” he said. “Seeing the people’s smiling face when they see their car repaired—that’s what I like best.” Pommerer’s Collision is located at 648 Old Lincoln Highway, Coatesville. For more information visit the website at pommererscollisioncenter.net.

Servicing Chester County PA

Residential, Commercial & Home Owners Associations Power Washing All Surfaces with Hot Water Pool Aprons • Rock Walls • Decks • Pavers Garage Floors • Vinyl and Aluminum Siding Joseph A. Morinelli | 610.316.6422 | morinellipowerwashing.com jmorinelli@comcast.net | joe@morinellipowerwashing.com

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news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Thank You! A very big THANK YOU to all of this year’s Strawberry Fest Sponsors, In-kind Sponsors, the hundreds of volunteers who helped and the community for making the return of the Strawberry Festival a success!

We look forward to seeing you next year!

Visit our website: www.coatesvillerotarystrawberryfestival.com Visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=coatesviile%20rotary%20strawberry%20festival

Rotary Club of Coatesville

2022 Strawberry Festival PAID SPONSORS Citadel

Breuninger Insurance

Jennifer & Bob McNeil

Regal Builders

Di & Dallas Krapf

Uticom Systems

Alliance for Health Equity

The Wright Agency

Cleveland Cliffs

The Honey Brook Golf Club

Freedom Village at Brandywine Charles R. Blosenski Disposal Service

Chester County Otolaryngology & Allergy Associates

Presence Bank

Belfor Property Restoration

Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital

Harry’s Hotdogs

G.A. Vietri Electrical Construction

Bill Wright

Quik Stop Pharmacy

Dr. Althea Donovan

Renewal by Andersen

Rhoads Energy

The Tree Connection

Cynthia Quinn, CPA

Terravida Holistic Centers LLC

Brite Realty Services, Inc.

Stewart Huston Charitable Trust

Pepperidge Farm

Mike & Becky Givler

Wentz Funeral Home

Bob & Cindy Yearsley

T TIMET

Tandigm Physicians Services

IN-KIND SPONSORS School of Rock Rick’s Office Band Exit Strategy Love Runs Rampant Four Way Street Band Parting Sevens Lukens Band All for One Kindred Cross Anker Cosmosapian Jazz Collective Disruption Dog’s Dinner Band Steel City Dance & Gymnastics Russell’s Dance & Baton Shannon Cooper’s Academy of Dance Innovative Performing Arts Center Tower Health F.A.M.I.L.I.E.S.

Greg Vietri and Guys (100 times) Keith Willard Ron Merker Donna Horvath Daryl Fling Dan Malick (100 Times) Drew Givler Bob Yearsley John Yearsley Bob Sparr & Guys Scott Thornton Carlyle Holling Thorndale Fire Company (Parking) Modena Fire Company EMS Washington Hose Josh Maxwell Fallon Maloney Elva Wright Brandywine YMCA

CVS Coatesville Area School District Wawa Revival Productions J-S All Things Plumbing, LLC Wild Meadows Givler’s Barber Shop Caln Township Willard Construction Jim Mobile Lee Pringle Valley Creek Productions Martin-Brower Company, LLC Merle & Millyann Davis Crops Fresh Market Hundreds of Community Volunteers!

MEET our MEMBER

Chester County Tile By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer

n 2002, Larry Phillips founded Chester County Tile Supply. His mission was to provide quality tile products and installation to Chester, Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties. “They get the whole package with us,” Phillips explained. “We provide design, tile products and installation. That was very important to me. I have always been focused on customer service, so it seemed only natural to do it all. In other businesses I’ve seen where those things may be done by three different people, and I feel it works much better for the customer if they have one person that does it all.” Larry Phillips has a lot of experience with customer service and logistics, having worked with big names like QVC and Amazon throughout his career. These days he will say he is semi-retired, and his son Jason has stepped up to the plate, but it doesn’t really sound as if he will ever completely step away. The pandemic did momentarily stop the business, as he explained. “During COVID, it was a little scary at first. We had to shut down for 12 weeks. We were not allowed to work, and actually would have been fined if we did. So, we took that as an opportunity to clean up and organize our showroom. When we did go back to work, you would have never known there was a pandemic. I was really surprised to see how quickly work picked up,” he explained.

——Fall/Winter

Evidently, now that people weren’t working, or working from home more, they decided it was the right time to fix up their homes. “People had more expendable cash. They were working from home. They weren’t going out to eat or do things with the family,” Phillips explained. “Right now we have work lined up until the end of the year.” Chester County Tile has many happy customers, because Larry and his son Jason put people first. “I learned so much from my eight years at QVC. My background was in logistics, and as such planning and preparation were a big part of my background,” he said. Larry got recruited away from QVC by Amazon and he actually set up the first Amazon distribution center in New Castle, Del. as the distribution manager. After he left there, he decided he wanted to start his own company. “I have worked ever since,” he said. He decided he wanted to do it all in the business. “I had the background to sell product, and then I decided to move product. After the first year I went into installation. I had done a few summers doing tile setting. I knew the mechanics of it. I realized I knew everything to do with tile,” Phillips said. Phillips said what really sets them apart from others is that they stand behind everything they do. “We provide design, tile products and installation, and that does really make a difference. You don’t have to coordinate a job between three different businesses. We do that for you,” he said “We are continuing to grow and

2022 • Volume 11——

are looking for more talented personnel with a passion for tile flooring and customer service. Additionally, we have recently added new products and services, such as luxury vinyl plank and hardwood flooring.” His most memorable job thus far was for Chris and Terry Mullins, the owners of Apple Travel. “We used 9,000 square feet of tile on that job. The master bath had a huge marble mural four feet wide. That was amazing,” he said. Phillips had four sons, and lost his first wife. “I never pressured my sons to get into the business, but I am very happy Jason chose to join me. He does an amazing job. Hopefully, I can try to relax. I would really like to travel in the U.S., I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said wistfully. Phillips added, “Jason, who is a partner now, worked for me as a mechanic. All my boys learned what I did. Jason came back and joined the business. We are moving toward the second generation of ownership. I’m semi-retired and will probably stay that way. I’ve been able to step back.

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Jason is learning. He recently said, ‘When I came back on board I thought I knew it all. I realized I don’t.’ The fact that he knows that shows me he has grown a lot. I’m so proud of him. He is customer service oriented too.” Both Larry and Jason believe in fair and honest business practices. Customer service will always be their top priority. They treat individuals the way just as they would want to be treated. They give the utmost respect to their client’s home. They are committed to maintaining a professional, safe and clean work space. It is their mission to satisfy their clients with quality workmanship while providing an exciting and enjoyable experience along the way. They are located at 31 Reeceville Road in Coatesville. Their phone number is 610-380-5040. Call them for a great job and great experience.

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Transportation Updates and Initiatives in Chester County By Brian O’Leary, Executive Director, Chester County Planning Commission

hester County’s evolving transportation system requires an immense amount of coordination, knowledge, time, and funding amongst municipal, state, and private stakeholders. While some transportation initiatives are updated on a bi-annual basis (such as the county’s Transportation Improvement Inventory - or TII), others require additional outreach and planning. In this article we will highlight some new, ongoing, and recently completed transportation initiatives that support the Connect goal in Chester County’s comprehensive plan, Landscapes3! The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has been working diligently on a series of projects to upgrade the Coatesville-Downingtown Bypass, or US Route 30, to improve safety, reduce congestion, accommodate planned growth, improve facility deficiencies, and improve system connectivity. The 14.5-mile bypass passes through the City of Coatesville, Downingtown Borough, as well as Caln, East Caln, Sadsbury, Valley, West Brandywine, West Caln, and West Sadsbury Townships in Chester County. The overall initiative is made up of five separate projects, including an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), Business 30/PA 10 Project, Airport Road Project, PA 82 Project, and the Eastern Project. Currently, PennDOT is in the ‘Conceptual Design’ phase where the project team is developing and refining conceptual alternatives throughout the corridor based on public input. Construction is anticipated to begin in the mid-2020s, with each project having its own guidelines and schedule. Learn more about this initiative at us30-chesco.org.

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On the funding side of things, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Transportation Improvement Program (or TIP) lists the agreed upon priority transportation projects in the region. This four-year, multimodal program shows the estimated costs and schedule by project phase and is updated every other year. DVRPC’s TIP for FY2021 in PA contains 385 projects totaling over $5.4 billion to be advanced through 2024. This includes over $582 million to address bridges in the region, with five Chester County bridges currently on the TIP and three more to be added, as well as many (if not all) of the bridges within the US 30 Bypass Eastern Section. Overall, Chester County’s funding includes $97,258,000 for FY2021, with an additional $80,898,000 for FY2022, $43,845,000 for FY2023, and $40,250,000 for FY2024. The Draft FY2023 TIP was open for review and comments through June 28, 2022. See where it stands by visiting DVRPC’s website: dvrpc.org/tip/draft. Another ongoing effort is the formation of the Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority (SRPRA) – formed in April 2022 – which includes Berks, Chester, and Montgomery Counties. The newly formed Authority will serve as the primary entity to work with outside agencies such as Amtrak, SEPTA, and Norfolk Southern toward re-establishing passenger rail service between Philadelphia and Reading, including stops in Phoenixville and Pottstown. Amtrak also launched a new bus service this past Spring (Thruway Bus Service) connecting residents in Pottstown and Reading to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia - another great steppingstone for the rail initiative. Coatesville has seen many revitalization efforts in recent years, including the ongoing construction of the new Amtrak Train Station which broke ground in the Fall of 2021. The station is being developed to provide ADA accessibility and improve station function and amenities, while supporting station-area revitalization. So far, the first two phases have been completed including streetscaping of Coatesville’s 3rd and 4th Avenues, which lays the groundwork for the new station. The project will cost $65 million in total and is being led by PennDOT with support from Chester County, the City of Coatesville, and the Coatesville Redevelopment Authority, with additional funding by the Federal Transit Administration. Learn more at www.planthekeystone.com/Pages/Coatesville-StationProject.aspx.

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Other recent transportation initiatives include Chester County’s Complete Streets Policy, which provides guidance for how streets may be planned, designed, and maintained to facilitate travel in a safe and convenient manner regardless of transportation mode and has currently been adopted by five municipalities; an updated list of Transportation Priority Projects (TPP) as input towards the development of the 2023-2026 Transportation Improvement Program; and the county’s Active Transportation Inventory (ATI). To learn more about the various transportation initiatives in Chester County, visit chescoplanning.org/transportation/ transportation.cfm.

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The Chester County Planning Commission can be reached by phone at 610-344-6285, by email at ccplanning@chesco.org, or by mail at 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA 19380. Get all the latest updates online at www.chescoplanning.org, and be sure to subscribe to our eNewsletter!

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Life|

Click Canyon has developed a success model while maintaining focus on what is important Submitted by SCORE of Chester and Delaware Counties

perspective of how technology can be used to solve a business challenge in sales and marketing.

Click Canyon, a digital marketing company, was founded in 2009 by the husband-and-wife team of Deanna and Brent Doane. Both employed in marketing and public affairs at the time, they decided to join forces. Wanting to create a name that people would remember, they were inspired on a trip to the Grand Canyon. The inspiration came from being reminded of why they would work hard – to be able to visit one of their favorite places again and again. Thinking it over, they came up with Click - for the mouse click and Canyon - symbolizing the vast canyon of the world wide web and as mentioned, one of their favorite places on earth! At the time, a large number of individuals “practicing” digital marketing and web design operated out of their basement. These cellar practitioners often lacked business experience and would frequently just disappear or move on to something else. The small businesses who worked with these firms were left in a challenging position, trying to navigate their digital footprint. The Doanes realized there was a need for digital marketing services that combined both business experience and personalized customer service to help small businesses grow. In addition, many companies working in the web design space had a strong technical background, but little practical business experience. With strong foundations in many areas of business, the Doanes sought to approach digital marketing not only from a perspective of what can technology do, but also from the

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The Path to Success Click Canyon started to experience a path to success as it gained returning customers. Other signals included engaging with its developers on a flat monthly fee rather than paying them on an hourly rate as well as the web design and development business growing to the point where developers were needed to be available on a fulltime basis. Approximately two years after starting Click Canyon, the decision was made to have Deanna leave her part-time job so that she could work full-time within the business. Following this, their office was relocated to a leased office space. This move made a real difference in the growth of Click Canyon as it gave the company a more established and professional appearance. Additionally, it gave the Doanes a working environment that allowed them to f o c u s on their business and customers and to minimize daily distractions associated with a home office. Another major milestone was when the company hired a part-time team member to assist with client interaction and increased workload. The pandemic brought a mix of challenges. Clients that were engaged for digital marketing services on a monthly basis were beginning to feel the effects of the pandemic slowing their growth. Click Canyon responded by voluntarily lowering its fees and cutting back on provided services. Clients were still active and present online but not as much

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as in the past. On the plus side, the pandemic brought about an increase in website development work. Businesses that had been neglecting their websites were now beginning to pay attention since day-to-day business had slowed considerably.

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How SCORE Helped Two SCORE mentors, John Davis and Larry Malcolm, have worked with Click Canyon since 2017 to help them grow their business and address key issues. Originally, they met

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Continued on Page 42

Click Canyon Continued from Page 41

with them about every two months but now operate more like an advisory group, meeting once a quarter unless there is something pressing to discuss. Per the Doanes, “Our mentors have been a sounding board to help Click Canyon make major decisions and hold us accountable. They have emphasized the importance of focusing on revenue… and help us to avoid getting caught up in handling our existing business and not looking for ways to fill the pipeline. They also guided us through the challenges of hiring our first employee. Throughout this process, they emphasized that it can be difficult to hand off work but that it must be done. That it’s not easy to just do it yourself. They were also instrumental in recommending that we seek office space so that we could grow. As noted earlier, this had a real positive impact on the business.” Today Today, the business has rebounded from 2020, with increased revenues that are exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Click Canyon is well situated for growth as they have a part time employee, have sustained relationships with key contractors and the means to acquire and onboard additional

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employees which will be essential to reach business goals. The Doanes pride themselves on the relationships they have built with their employee, contractors, and clients and the large number of referrals that come in for website design and development work. Looking ahead to the future, Click Canyon seeks to not only grow its footprint in the Philly Main Line area, but to expand operations in other cities. Outside of the Main Line region, Click Canyon is presently working with clients in Kansas City, San Francisco and Lexington, KY. Paying it Forward The Doanes are very community oriented and volunteer in many activities locally. They are happy to share their key lessons learned with others: “Find a mentor(s) or advisor that you can trust and serve as a resource to bounce ideas off and to help you maintain focus…Don’t go it alone” “Our advisors have urged us to continually – Keep the main thing, the main thing and Revenue, Revenue, Revenue.” “Mistakes are never as bad as you think they are” “Be solid on pricing. Know your value and be confident in your value”

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“Be ready to network” “Take time to work on your business versus in your business” Find a SCORE mentor today. https://chesterdelco.score.org/content/find-mentor-146 Join SCORE as a Volunteer! https://chesterdelco.score.org/volunteer About SCORE: SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer business experts, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, we have provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs nationwide. SCORE Chester and Delaware Counties has been operating since 1985, with 100 dedicated volunteers today who provide confidential mentoring at no charge and offer business seminars, workshops and webinars to benefit the local community. SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

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Deanna & Brent Doane

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

MEET our MEMBER

Beaver Insurance Agency, Inc. By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Staff Writer

eaver Insurance Agency, Inc. is a family business that is now in its third generation, featuring insurance through Allstate. “Our grandfather started as an Allstate employee inside of a Sears store, and then moved into our main office here in Thorndale about 40 years ago,” said Rob Beaver. “Mom and dad ran the agency the past 25 years. My brother Andrew and I took over at the beginning of this year. We officially bought the agency January 1. We both worked here for years, and that’s a big, exciting change for us.” Larry and Erin Beaver are still active in the every day working of the agency, while Rob and Andrew work toward the future of the business. Beaver Insurance Agency, Inc. offers Allstate insurance products covering all your needs for auto, home and life insurance. Every step in the process from examining your needs to selecting a policy, to resolving claims can be done directly through the office. “The nice thing is, Rob was a claims adjuster for five years he has a lot of experience,” Andrew Beaver said. “We can help, especially for young drivers who don’t know what to do when there is an accident.”

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“I think first and foremost our job is to educate the client and give them the right coverage. We go over it with them,” Andrew Beaver said. “It’s really important to us that people get the right thing. We spend the time to walk through it with them. We help them understand the risks.” “When you get the policy with us, we help you with any changes you need,” Rob Beaver said. “People can walk in the office, we’re here. We have a good online presence as well, and on social media. We have Allstate curated pages, then our own pages as well.” Working strictly with Allstate had advantages. For those who are interested, there is also an app available for safe driver rewards that will track your driving and give discounts. Allstate works with Good Hands Repair Network shops that provide quality auto repair work that is guaranteed. In the event of a major disaster, when entire communities are affected, Allstate is one of the first insurance companies to be on site to take care of homeowner claims. “Some of these small companies can’t respond the way we can,” Rob Beaver said. Costs are always a concern, especially in today’s financial climate. “Allstate has great rates. Right now we’re in an environment where companies are raising rates, and Allstate is trying to lower rates,” Rob Beaver said.

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Just as important as the cost is the coverage, and Beaver Insurance Agency, Inc. wants its clients to get what they really need. “We tell people that renewal is a good time to check in with us, especially if there are any major changes. We are talking to our clients pretty frequently,” Rob Beaver said. “We try to be comprehensive with an insurance plan.” The agency can also help with IRAs and retirement planning. “If we can’t do it, we can connect you with the people who can,” Rob Beaver said. “We have been here for three generations and we’re here to stay. We really care about our community. We want people to come to us and talk with us to see that they are protected properly,” Andrew Beaver said.

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“Today, a lot of businesses are going to corporate ownership. We are a family-run, local agency that is involved in the community,” Rob Beaver said. Rob Beaver remains in the Thorndale office, while Andrew Beaver has also opened an office in Chester Springs that can be found under the name Beaver Agency LLC. The main office is located at 3498 E. Lincoln Highway, Thorndale. For more information, stop in or call Beaver Insurance Agency, Inc. at 610-384-5300.

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

MEET our MEMBER

Brandywine Valley Fabricators By Betsy Brewer Brantner Contributing Writer For 66 years, Brandywine Valley Fabricators, Inc. has been forging a reputation for service, innovations and reliability in the fabricating and machining of ferrous and non-ferrous materials. The family-owned business including John, Lynne and Josh Crane continues to grow and expand. As a full-service metal fabrication shop they do it all from start to finish. They start with your idea no matter how big or small, and are with you every step of the way. They are located on 10 acres in the heart of the Delaware Valley. Their 66,000-square-foot facility is convenient to transportation and accessible for incoming raw materials or outgoing shipments, including oversize projects.

Another photo of one of the Students League of New York Model to Monument Program projects that can be seen along an 80-mile stretch of the Florida Keys—from Islamorada to Key West.

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Josh Crane explained, “Basically someone brings an idea or prototype or drawings and we take it from there. We may build something from a current design or help redesign a product. I entered the business because I really didn’t want to go to college. However, I did go to Delaware Community College part-time and work part-time. Eventually, I quit college and decided to work full-time. I’ve been here since 1996 and happy I made that decision.” Some of the things that Brandywine Valley Fabricators does includes the following: • Steel plate and sheet cutting • Machining • Structural rolling • Pipe tube beading • Plate and sheet rolling and forming • Welding However, they have done a job or two that was a little off the beaten path. “We got involved with the Art Students League of New York. The students would come in with a model. They would do a starting piece and we did the design for the final pieces. The art pieces stayed in New York for a year then went to Key West for their final resting place. That was a very interesting job and we would love to see more of those,” he stressed.

Four of the Students League of New York Model to Monument Program projects that can be seen along an 80-mile stretch of the Florida Keys— from Islamorada to Key West is the Florida Keys Sculpture The trail features eight works from the Art Students League of New York’s Model to Monument Program.

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That idea began when two Key West philanthropists, John Padget and Jacob Dekker, saw the sculptures in New York City in 2016. It was a collaborative effort between the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners, the County’s Art in Public Places Committee and Elizabeth Young, Executive Director of the Florida Keys Council of the Arts. Representing an 80-mile stretch of the Florida Keys—from Islamorada to Key West is the Florida Keys Sculpture Trail features eight works from the Art Students League of New York’s Model to Monument Program. Josh said they are currently very busy and expect to continue to be the balance of the year. “Our day-to-day work is very much like any fabricator. We take great pride in doing quality work. We are a family run shop and have dedicated employees we call family. We are all dedicated to making the very best product we can and to serve our customers well,” he said. “We are very busy, very steady and should be that way for the remainder of the year.”

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Courtesy photos

One example of Brandywine Valley Fabricators Large Fabrication.

If you are interested you can contact them at: BRANDYWINE VALLEY FABRICATORS INC. Shipping Address / Mailing Address: 1102 Foundry St Coatesville, PA 19320 Phone: 610-384-7440 Fax: 610-384-7042 E-mail: wsales@brandywinevalleyfab.com

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Parkesburg is building a community where Everybody Plays! By Sara-Jane Rice When tasked with choosing a service project for her term as Lions Club District Governor of District 14-P, encompassing Chester and Berks counties, Chrissy Smaltz decided to shoot for the stars. While past District Governors held supply drives, donation drives for a scholarship to Beacon Lodge, the Lion’s camp program for the blind, and many more wonderful projects, DG

Smaltz wanted to do more and pledged to raise the funds to build a fully handicap accessible and inclusive playspace. She asked her home club, the Parkesburg Lions, who have always emphasized the community in community service, to help and the Everybody Plays! Project was born. Everybody Plays! will start by remodeling the playground space at Minch Park in Parkesburg to create an accessible, inclusive space with something for every child of every ability level. Numerous items will be wheelchair accessible. Play panels will be available in both braille and ASL. The playground will feature several sensory play items with multiple types of sensory input for children with sensory differences, such as those with Autism. Selection and placement of items will be both

Kevin M Hennessy, PharmD

Custom medications for you and pets! 720 East Market St., Suite 155 | West Chester, PA 19382 www.thecompoundrx.com

T: 610-692-8770 | F: 610-692-8505 48

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inclusive and integrated - handicap accessible equipment will not be placed apart from the standard playground items. In a school district where more than 18% of students have an IEP, an inclusive play space is a must. The Everybody Plays! Project aims to create outdoor recreation spaces for every person of every age and ability level and to bring the community together without barriers. A strong community is an involved community. The first major fundraiser for Everybody Plays! will be a community festival on October 29, 2022 at Minch Park in conjunction with the Parkesburg Halloween Parade and Trunk-orTreat. There will be vendors from local and regional businesses, food trucks from all over the area, live entertainment, raffles, silent auctions, contests, children’s games and more! Admission is free to the public and all vendor fees, donations, and proceeds will benefit the Everybody Plays! Project. Not only does the Everybody Plays! Festival present a significant fundraising opportunity, it also promotes the ideals the Everybody Plays! Project is looking to promote - inclusivity, community, and fun! If you or someone you know is interested in participating or helping, you can reach the committee at EverybodyPlays19365@gmail.com or find us on Facebook and follow Everybody Plays!

CCABVI

Chester County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired A 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation

We provide practical assistance to people with vision impairment

610-384-2767

71 South First Avenue, Coatesville, PA 19320 Workshop/Office entrance is across the street from City Hall

Monday thru Thursday 8:00 to 3:00 and Friday by appointment only info@chescoblind.org | www.chescoblind.org | EIN: #23-1403149

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news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Life|

Western Chester C the community connector, Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce (WCCCC) is honored to be able to send you, a local resident, this publication twice a year. It is very important to us, to share the stories behind the businesses and families that make up our community. We want to make sure that our business owners and residents understand that the Chamber is a resource for businesses, non-profits and entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes. Every day we get the question, what is a Chamber of Commerce? To us, that question has an expansive answer, because as you can imagine, different types of businesses have very different needs and challenges. The Chamber of Commerce works to fill those needs and help businesses grow. How we do that, we’ll get into below, but let’s start with this simple statement; the Chamber is a connector, a mediator or an advocate for your organization. What is the framework of a Chamber of Commerce? The Chamber is a nonprofit organization (not connected to government) that operates as a member-driven group made up of business owners, community leaders and professionals that collectively work together to make western Chester County a better place. Members of the Chamber share resources, connect, patronize one another and create a community network that drives growth. With its members’ interest as a driving force, the Chamber addresses issues in the community that affect the business climate and engage in initiatives that strengthen our local economy and community. Donna Horvath of Honeybrook Golf Club puts it, “I am truly amazed by the intensity and commitment of all 50

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the members, we really get a lot of information and have made a lot of great connections.” Any size or type of business can join the Chamber of Commerce, whether they’re a small new start-up or a company with 100+ employees. Chamber Membership has annual dues that provide members the access to the many resources the Chamber offers. Membership Perks The answer of what can a membership with the Chamber of Commerce do for you, is entirely dependent on what your type of business needs. A retail store owner may not need the same things as a manufacturer, in the same way that a farmer is looking for resources much different than a dentist. WCC Chamber pushes up our sleeves and focuses on providing 5 branches of service to its members; education and resources, networking, advocacy and visibility. Networking and building relationships are a popular avenue that members leverage when joining the Chamber. The relationships an individual can build through the Chamber’s network can lead to strong business or community partnerships. If your business ever runs into issues, you can tap into the Chamber network for guidance and insight. Matt Gorham Real Estate Team Keller Williams explains,“ WCCCC is authentic, you can build real relationships with real people. When I have a client moving to the area, I can call the local businesses around and really introduce them and show them the community through my Chamber connections.” The Chamber hosts 35+ events a year where professionals

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County Chamber, or, mediator and advocate can connect. We host smaller casual networking events and large signature networking events for members to attend. For those that prefer less social atmospheres, the Chamber staff welcomes them to reach out for one on one consultations to discover what connections and introductions they are looking for to build their business. Our programming of events touch on many topics and sizes. In addition to networking events, WCCCC hosts educational seminars on relevant business topics that are taught by seasoned professionals. In April and December the Chamber spotlights and connects skilled trade businesses through our Time for the Trades Initiative and in August we celebrate the strength of agriculture businesses to our local economy at the Taste of the Farm event. In between we also host many ribbon cuttings and grand openings, our Golf Outing, Home Show and Annual Dinner to name a few. We also provide platforms for business owners to stay up to date on civic and regional community updates (Municipal Update Luncheon November 4, 2022) and insights on action and future plans in the area (Future Focus May 2023) as well as legislative and municipal roundtables and panels (Legislative Roundtable March 2023) so businesses can voice their local concerns to elected officials. With so much going on around town these days, a major factor for businesses is their visibility and marketing. Chamber membership allows a business to elevate its positive brand recognition. We share news and updates from our business members with our network through our quarterly newsletter, this bi-annual magazine, our Checks In Show that reaches thousands of online viewers monthly, sponsorship visibility at events and through our social media platforms. Businesses can leverage these marketing outlets with their Chamber Membership to heighten their visibility across the region. When it’s all said and done, community truly stands as the Chamber’s foundation. WCCCC and its members focus Continued on Page 52 ——For

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Western Chester County Chamber Continued from Page 51

intently on leaving a better tomorrow for ChescoWest. Our Regional Planning Committee meets monthly to discuss infrastructure and transportation, workforce and education, and many other sectors that have a direct impact on

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doing business here. This one of the many committees we have that members can join if they’d like to increase their community input and engagement. WCCCC maintains relationships with many community partners to make sure that our businesses are in the know and connected to all the resources and information available to them. Cliff Masscotte of SERVPRO of Kennett Square / Oxford says, “ We’ve been involved for 5 years now with the Chamber, we’re also annual gold partners with WCCCC and it has been a fantastic asset to be a part of.”

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Where is WCCCC? Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce’s office has been located in the City of Coatesville since 1916. We were created when three leaders, A. F. Huston (Lukens Steel), Harry I. Schotter (Electric Light Company), and F. W. Harris (Midvale Steel Plant) came together during the big industrialization of the area with a goal to fill the growing needs of the business community. Since then, WCCCC has forged paths for businesses through the great depression, Black Monday, our present-day global pandemic and the tough times and positive revitalizations our communities have experienced in the last 106 years. During that time, we have expanded our area to serve the 24 municipalities that make up the western region of Chester County, fondly known as ChescoWest. Today our service area includes: Atglen Borough, Borough of Modena, Borough of Parkesburg, Borough of South Coatesville, Caln Township, Christiana Borough, City of Coatesville, East Brandywine, East Nantmeal, East Fallowfield, Elverson Borough, Highland Township, Honeybrook Township,

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Honeybrook Borough, Sadsbury Township, Wallace Township, West Bradford, West Brandywine, West Caln, West Fallowfield, West Nantmeal, West Sadsbury, Valley Township Join Us Encourage all business owners to visit Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce, pop in to one of our events and reach out to discover what can be next for your business or organization. Visit Westernchestercounty.com for more information or contact the Chamber at 610-384-9550 | Chamber@westernchestercounty.com See you soon,

Executive Director Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Walk. Ride. Drive. Safety Campaign

By: P. Timothy Phelps, TMACC A few weeks ago, my daughter and I were out practicing for her driver’s test. During the trip she met her first sharethe-road moment; we had approached a cyclist. She had that moment of anxiety but managed it well. She respected the cyclist space; slowed down and waited until it was safe enough to pass the cyclist with four feet. On Friday, July 15, Chester County Planning Commission on behalf of the Commissioners unveiled a “Walk. Ride. Drive. Safety Campaign.” The Campaign’s vision statement can be stated in one word: RESPECT. “While recognizing the need to advance alternative modes of transportation and to improve the built environment, being cognizant of one’s commuting behavior and the unpredictability of others can help

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improve the safety of the public right of way for all users.” We must respect each other and recognize each other’s safety needs as we traverse our communities. The County’s campaign messaging revolves around three scenarios. The first scenario will be the interaction between autos and pedestrians. The second scenario will be the interaction between autos and bicyclists. The third scenario will be the interaction between bicyclists and pedestrians. The idea of the campaign is to lead by example rather than lecture about the rules of the road. In other words, the message is, “Here’s what I do,” rather than, “Here’s what you should do.” Help make our community roads and trails safer by prioritizing these messages when you out on the road. It is not survival of the fittest out there. It is survival of the safest. Let us all get there safely.

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THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND: • Whether you are on two wheels or four, use caution and be alert.

• Ride nice. Drive nice. We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe.

•#1 rule of the road is safety. • Let’s all get there safely.

• Keep your head up and phones down. That goes for bikers too.

• Pedestrians don’t come with airbags. You can’t fix a pedestrian in a body shop.

• Bright colored clothing is the fashion for keeping safe on the road and trail.

• The average speed a cyclist goes is about 25 to 28 mph. A walker goes about 3 to 4 mph.

• Cyclists are just people on bikes. Drivers are just people in cars.

• Distracted walking and biking are just as real as distracted driving. Keep your head up and stay alert.

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news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

MEET our MEMBER

Neighboring Municipalities Work Together to Strengthen ChescoWest In the western side of Chester County, a group of municipalities come together once a month as a collective intermunicipal unit named the Western Chester County Council of Governments (COG). The COG is made up of neighboring municipalities that tackle projects such as equipment sharing, grants, joint opportunities and solutions, emergency response and more. Altogether, the COG’s major focus is to enhance communication among local officials, stimulate and improve local coordination and cooperation, and generate new ideas about local problems.

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The following municipalities are currently part of the COG: Atglen Borough, Caln Township, the City of Coatesville, East Brandywine Township, East Fallowfield Township, Honey Brook Borough, Honey Brook Township, Modena Borough, Parkesburg Borough, South Coatesville Borough, Valley Township, West Brandywine Township, West Caln Township, West Sadsbury Township and Avondale Borough. The concept of the COG was born in the fall of 2011 when the Future Focus Economic Development Study

2022 • Volume 11——

recommended the formation of a council of governments. The study provided a framework, recommendations and strategies to help local governments create new jobs, entice new businesses and industries into the region, support conservation efforts and smart growth, and provide mechanisms for all municipalities in the region to work together in the common effort to improve the quality of life for all citizens. In 2012, the Chamber’s Regional Planning Committee and Government Affairs Committee held an introductory meeting to explain and discuss what a COG is and its benefits. Fourteen of the twenty-four governments that make up western Chester County were represented at this meeting. From this initial spark, the group made a list of twenty-one items of possible mutual interest to the members. In result, the Western Chester County Council of Governments was formed and continues to operate and grow today by collectively identifying target items to work on together. Some recent projects include addressing Animal Control Issues within municipalities, evaluating energy options, co-partnering in grant programs and support in recent Emergency Services issues.

The past year has proved to be a time that spotlighted the necessity of a multi-municipal unit to address problems that spill over geographical lines. Local flooding, the loss of Brandywine Hospital, the closure of Tower Direct and other mounting healthcare access and emergency response issues have unearthed a domino effect across municipalities that will require neighboring municipalities to coordinate efforts to alleviate challenges. These challenges are the current front-line issues being discussed in the COG today. Western Chester County Council of Governments has a Board of Directors consisting of one elected representative from each member municipality as a primary member and an alternate elected representative. Currently, the COG President is Josh Mellinger of Parkesburg Borough, Chandler Matlock of Honey Brook Borough is Vice President and Charles Palmer of Atglen Borough is the Treasurer. The organization welcomes and encourages bordering municipalities to engage and attend a monthly COG meeting to join them in building a stronger tomorrow for western Chester County Residents. Visit them at wcccog.com.

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news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Honey Brook Community Partnership By Reuben Schonebaum & Dawn Schaffer Fall and winter are always special times in Honey Brook. In the fall, the Honey Brook Community Partnership will present HARMONY DAY on Saturday, September 17th, from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Keep in mind that Harmony Day is about more than yard sales. It has become an annual tradition celebrating the hospitable character of our community and bringing families and neighbors together. This year, Harmony Day will feature a FAMILY FUN FEST, including a wide variety of children’s and adult activities, a good selection of games, and lots of food to enjoy. Musical entertainment for Harmony Day will be provided by the Tel Hai Retirement Community Ukulele Band. The band, food trucks and activities will be located on the field adjacent to the Firehouse. Games and activities will include a Bounce House, a Rock Wall for climbing, and a Golf Challenge, among other things. Prizes will be awarded. Craft, flea market and vendor booths will be in the parking lot across the street from the Long Way Home and the Honey Brook Fire Department. Another featured attraction will be Stubby the Helicopter. Stubby is an interactive, educational helicopter from the American Helicopter Museum. Visitors can sit in the cockpit, practice operating the controls and take pictures in the pilot’s seat. The Honey Brook Community Library will join with Suburban Brewing Company in hosting the second annual BOOKTOBERFEST. This fundraiser for the Library will be held at the Suburban Taproom on Monday, October 17th. The event will include an opportunity to taste the variety of brews and foodfare offered by Suburban. Tickets will be available in advance on the Library web page and at the door; the contribution will be $30 per person. The Honey Brook Community Partnership coordinates a local project for MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY. National 58

——Fall/Winter

Make a Difference Day is held each October on the fourth Saturday of the month (October 22nd). The Honey Brook Community Partnership will provide back packs and collect KIDS BACK-PACK ITEMS: fruit juice boxes; fruit cups; small cereal boxes; individual packs of nuts, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, raisins; soups; and other snack items for needy Twin Valley School District students. Other items to be collected include NON-PERISHABLE FOOD ITEMS for distribution by the Honey Brook Food Pantry. In November, the Partnership will again sponsor DECK THE BROOK, an annual program where local businesses and community residents participate in decorating their shops, offices, and homes. Most people start decorating the day after Thanksgiving. Judging and online voting for the best decorations will be in mid-December. So come and join in celebrating the holiday season by touring around town to see the colorful displays. The Partnership also will join with Steeple to People in organizing CHRISTMAS IN HONEY BROOK, which is an occasion for Honey Brookers to do all your holiday shopping in and around town, as well as taking advantage of discounts and free gifts sponsored by local merchants. The Honey Brook Community Partnership was founded in 2008 to bring together Borough and Township partners to facilitate communication, share resources, and work together to enhance the community. The Partnership’s vision is to support a thriving main street, maintain safe neighborhoods, preserve historical elements, and sustain Honey Brook’s rural charm. The Partnership includes an energetic mix of former and current public officials, representatives of retirement communities, members of service organizations and local churches, and resident volunteers. Membership in the Community Partnership is an excellent way to enhance the visibility of a business or organization. Details about becoming a Community Partner are available on the Partnership’s website: https://www.hbpartnership.org/ .

2022 • Volume 11——

CHAMBER MEMBER DIRECTORY ACCOUNTING SERVICES Albert Abdala Tax & Insurance Center Albert Abdala (610) 384-6425 apatax.com CBIZ Inc. Payroll & HCM Donna McCorkle (484) 667-6652 cbiz.com Gina’s InterNet Advising Gina Rodkey (484) 712-5959 ginasinternetadvising.com Paisley Solutions Paula Paisley (610) 444-2597 paisleysolutions.com Quinn M. Cynthia, CPA Cynthia Quinn (610) 380-1040 mcq1040.com See ad pg. 72 The Small Business Accounting Solution Inc. Nicole Odeh (484) 845-3800 tsbas.com See ad pg. 53 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Brandywine Business Systems Sam Slokom (610) 563-1487 ADVERTISING Outfront Media Deanna Pizzi (215) 218-8773 outfrontmedia.com AGRICULTURE Cairns Family Farm Don Cairns (610) 857-0168 cairnsfamilyfarm.com Chester / Delaware County Farm Bureau Doug Lapp cdcfb.com Chester County Agricultural Development Council Hillary Krummich (610) 344-6285 chescofarming.org Growing Roots Partners Christy Campli (484) 753-6363 growingrootspartners.com/ Highland Orchards Marsha Hodge (610) 269-3494 highlandorchards.net Highspire Hills Farm, LLC Deborah Ellis (610) 942-9634 localharvest.org/highspire-hills-farm-llcM6683

——For

Penn State Extension Service Stephanie Shirk (814) 409-0220 extension.psu.edu/chester Romano 4-H Center of Chester County Ken Walker (610) 942-0220 facebook.com/theromano4hcenterofchestercounty Stoltzfus Feed & Supply Dean Stotzfuls (717) 442-8280 stotzfulsfeedandsupply.com APARTMENTS & TOWNHOMES Lafayette Square Apartments John H. Lymberis (610) 857-0800 lafsq.com ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES Mark C. Myers Architects, Inc. Mark C. Myers (610) 942-4490 markcmyersarchitects.com Studio Mork, LLC Brian Mork (630) 207-1071 studiomork.com ATTORNEYS Brown McGarry Nimeroff, LLC Andrew Eckert, Esq (610) 755-3311 bmnlawyers.com Carosella & Associates, PC Vincent Carosella (610) 431-3300 carosella.com DiCindio Law, LLC Mike DiCindio (610) 430-3535 dicindiolaw.com Gawthrop Greenwood, PC Robert Jefferson Esq. (610) 696-8225 gawthrop.com Keen Keen & Good William Keen, Esq. (610) 383-7810 kkglawfirm.com Lamb McErlane, PC Helen Esbenshade, Esq. (610) 430-8000 lambmcerlane.com Law Office of Robin J. Gray Robin Gray, Esq. (484) 769-5855 robinjgraylaw.com Miller Law Offices Tracy Norcini Polito (610) 840-8400 millerlawpa.com Siana Law Chris Gerber, Esq. (610) 321-5500 sianalaw.com

Skinner Law Firm, LLC Michael Skinner, Esq. (610) 436-1410 skinnerlawfirm.net Unruh, Turner, Burke & Frees, PC Theo Claypoole, Esq. (610) 692-1371 utbf.com AUTOMOBILE SALES & SERVICE Brian Hoskins Ford Ed Kovatch (610) 384-4242 brianhoskinsford.com Extra Mile Auto Service George Devine (610) 384-2864 extramileauto.com Fling’s Towing, Inc. Daryl Fling (610) 383-6362 flingstowing.com Hershey Motors Terri Kaufman (610) 857-6283 hersheymotors.com K’s Kollision Bruce Kuryloski (610) 384-3337 kskollision.com Miracle Automotive, Inc. Andrew Barson (610) 286-9450 miracleauto.com Pommerer’s Collision Fred Pommerer (610) 383-5390 pommererscollisioncenter.net RS-Werks Michael Meldrum rswerks.com BAKERY / BAKED GOODS Colors of Sweets Ana Ionescu (484) 782-4945 colorsofsweets.com Sweet Serendipity Cupcakes and Treats Dana Grow (484) 784-8350 sweetserendipitycupcakesandtreats.com BANKS BB&T Now Truist | Honey Brook Stephanie Rich Bailey (610) 273-2992 bbt.com BB&T Now Truist |Parkesburg Nick Birch (610) 857-9667 bbt.com First Resource Bank Diana Mattingly (610) 363-9400 firstresourcebank.com See ad pg. 39

Fulton Bank | Downingtown Loren Hershey (610) 873-4740 fultonbank.com Fulton Bank | Parkesburg Michelle Cooper (610) 918-8814 fultonbank.com Fulton Bank | West Chester Holly Graver (610) 857-5005 fultonbank.com M&T Bank Jennifer Simmet (610) 273-7022 mtb.com Meridian Bank Geoffrey Sheehan (484) 568-5026 meridianbanker.com Mid Penn Bank Mike Guyer (717) 690-3985 midpennbank.com See ad pg. 32 Phoenixville Federal Bank & Trust Steve Pratt (610) 933-1000 phoenixfed.com PNC Bank Susan Kuryloski (610) 593-2121 pnc.com Presence Bank Doug Byers (610) 384-8282 presencebank.com S & T Bank - Downingtown Nicolas McLaughlin (484) 359-3301 stbank.com S & T Bank - Thorndale Christina Coyle (610) 383-7562 stbank.com BEVERAGE Christiana Beer & Beverage Mihir Patel (610) 593-5887 christianabeer.com Lamb Beverage, Inc. Michael McGinley (610) 384-1470 lambbeverage.com Sly Tom’s Take Out John Sly slytoms.com BOOKSTORE Looker Books Dana Looker (610) 715-0983 facebook.com/lookerbooks/

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Continued on next page 59

Directory Continued from previous page BREWERIES Animated Brewing Company Jared Castaldi (610) 448-9914 animatedbrewing.com Suburban Brewing Company Corey Ross (610) 273-3106 suburbanbrewingco.com Victory Brewing Company Samantha Dardine (484) 718-5080 victorybeer.com BUILDING CONTRACTORS Chester County Tile & Design Jason Phillips (610) 380-5040 chestercountytile.com See ad pg. 19 Five Point Renovation & Remodel Rob Wishneski (610) 857-2856 fivepointconstruction.com See ad pg. 12 Rittenhouse Builders George Metzler (610) 380-9570 rittenhousebuilders.com Simmers Builders, Inc. Lloyd Simmers (610) 383-5562 simmersbuilders.com White Horse Construction, Inc. Chris Stoltzfus (610) 593-5559 whitehorseconstructionpa.com BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS CrossTALKS Soraya Gutman (302) 643-9195 yourcrosstalks.com Women’s Business Connection of Chester County Bette Cowles-Friedlander (484) 823-0110 wbcchesco.com BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & CONSULTING SCORE Vic Goldberg (610) 344-6910 chestercounty.score.org Transfers of Learning, LLC Tasha Delaney (610) 466-7521 transfersoflearning.com See ad pg. 14 CAR WASH Rainbow Washhouse Steve Dovidio (610) 637-7636

CATERERS Catering by John Lowe Susan Lowe (610) 873-7229 cateringbyjl.com Colors of Sweets Ana Ionescu (484) 782-4945 colorsofsweets.com Doe Run Catering Sarah Petro (610) 384-0477 doeruncatering.com Harry’s Neighborhood Place John H. Lymberis (610) 857-2331 harryshotdogs.com John Serock Catering John Serock (610) 640-2836 serockcatering.com Triple Fresh Catering Sarah Petro (610) 384-5037 triplefresh.net See ad pg. 17 Victory Brewing Company Samantha Dardine (484) 718-5080 victorybeer.com CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE PA Chamber of Business & Industry Alex Halper (717) 720-5471 pachamber.org Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce Rachel Cathell (610) 384-9550 westernchestercounty.com CHURCHES CityWell Church DJ Grick (610) 590-8550 citywell.church CLEANING SERVICES Clarel Janitorial/Maintenance Services Corp. Claudia Muntean (484) 378-0827 clarelmaintenance.com COMMERCIAL FLOORING SALES & INSTALLATION Precision Flooring Enterprises, LLC Marilyn Costalas (610) 857-3519 precisionflooringllc.com COMMUNITY SERVICES Arts Holding Hands and Hearts, Inc. Meredith Nussbaumer (610) 350-7367 ahhah.org/ Boy Scouts of America Chester County Council Jeffrey Spencer (610) 696-2900 cccbsa.org

——Fall/Winter

Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art Sheila Fleming (610) 388-8389 brandywine.org/conservancy Brandywine Regeneration Project Bob Holliday (610) 717-2265 Bridge Academy and Community Center Jordan Crans (610) 466-9505 thebridgeacademy.org Chester County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Tracey Melia (610) 384-2767 chescoblind.org See ad pg. 49 Chester County Community Foundation Stephenie Stevens (610) 696-8211 chescocf.org Chester County Food Bank Andrea Youndt (610) 873-6000 chestercountyfoodbank.org Chester County Futures Ryan Walter (610) 458-9926 ccfutures.org Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance Sonia Huntzinger (484) 786-8896 2ndcenturyalliance.org Coatesville Youth Initiative Jarvis Berry (610) 380-0200 coatesvilleyouthinitiative.org Friends Association for Care & Protection of Children Emily McClure (610) 431-3598 friendsassoc.org Good Samaritan Services Nate Hoffer (610) 380-1360 goodsamservices.org Good Works, Inc. Robert Beggs (610) 383-6311 goodworksinc.org Habitat for Humanity of Chester County Chris Wiseman (610) 384-7993 hfhcc.org Honey Brook Area Community Partnership Corey Ross (610) 990-5670 hbpartnership.org Honey Brook Food Pantry Ken Ross (610) 291-0067 honeybrookfoodpantry.org Life Transforming Ministries Bill Shaw (610) 384-5393 quietrevolution.org

2022 • Volume 11——

Octorara Area Food Cupboard Judy Dougherty (610) 857-4000 octfood.org PABA Parkesburg Business Association Allan Fellman (484) 354-9701 paba-pa.org Parkesburg Action Committee Jenny Alexander (610) 425-1148 facebook.com/PAC19365 Rotary Club of Coatesville Michael Givler (610) 384-9196 coatesvillerotary.org See ad pgs. 34 & 35 Salvation Army - Service Extension Cindy Yearsley (610) 383-0868 easternusa.salvationarmy.org Stewart Huston Charitable Trust Scott Huston (610) 384-2666 stewarthuston.org The Alliance for Health Equity Nicholas Torres (610) 380-9080 alliancehealthequity.org See ad pg. 19 The Huston Foundation Charkes Luken Huston III (610) 832-4955 hustonfoundation.org The Parkesburg Point Dwayne Walton (610) 857-3393 parkesburgpoint.com Thistle Hills Beth Zenuk (610) 675-8005 thistlehills.org United Way of Chester County Chris Saello (610) 429-9400 unitedwayofchestercounty.org COMPUTER / IT SERVICES Adobe Valerie Cecil (408) 536-2800 adobe.com/acrobat/online/merge-pdf. html CompNet, Inc. Mark Davis (610) 380-1314 compnetinc.com\ Origami Technology Group, Inc. William Gayle (484) 639-0004 origamitg.com CONCRETE Delaware Valley Concrete Co., Inc. Lisa Diliberto (215) 675-8900 delawarevalleyconcrete.com See ad pg. 55

CONSTRUCTION Bore It, Inc. Rick Barbato (610) 692-4662 boreitinc.com

See ad pg. 52 Chester County Fencing Chris Kaminski (610) 273-3300 chestercountyfencing.com City Construction Co., Inc. Hope Dunn (610) 269-9530 cityconstructionco.com Colonial Electric Supply Amanda Thompson (610) 233-1574 colonialelectricsupply.com Compass Hardwoods Greg Pilotti (610) 857-2600 compass-hardwoods.com D. Howe & Sons, Inc. Douglas Howe (610) 942-4249 dhoweandsons.com See ad pg. 55 Delaware Valley Concrete Co., Inc. Lisa Diliberto (215) 675-8900 delawarevalleyconcrete.com See ad pg. 55 ECON Partners, Inc. Coleen Terry (610) 400-8024 econpartnersinc.com FBSG, Inc. Cindy Gallo (610) 633-8824 fbsginc.com Fidelity Contracting, LLC Richard Burkholder (610) 816-0704 fidelitycontracting.com See ad pg. 31 Graber Supply, LLC Reuben Graber (610) 593-3500 polebarn.com J.D. Eckman, Inc. Michael Eckman (610) 593-5413 jdeckman.com JGM Fabricators & Constructors. LLC Joseph Messner, Jr. (610) 873-0081 jgmusa.com Milanese Remodeling Mark Milanese (610) 384-5820 milaneseremodeling.com RETTEW Associates, Inc. Peter Chronowski (484) 240-4521 rettew.com Rittenhouse Builders George Metzler (610) 380-9570 rittenhousebuilders.com

White Horse Construction, Inc. Chris Stoltzfus (610) 593-5559 whitehorseconstructionpa.com Willard Construction Keith Willard (484) 645-4508 CREDIT UNIONS Citadel Credit Union | Eagleview Corporate Office Fallon Maloney (610) 787-2234 citadelbanking.com See ad pg. 52 Citadel Credit Union l Parkesburg RuthAnne Clark (610) 466-6624 citadelbanking.com See ad pg. 52 Citadel Credit Union | South Coatesville (484) 713-3637 citadelbanking.com See ad pg. 52 Citadel Credit Union | Thorndale Mikaila Szkil (484) 713-3637 citadelbanking.com See ad pg. 52 Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union Sue (484) 883-3973 fmfcu.org DENTIST Hughes & Hughes Family Dentistry Cheryl Gaudi (610) 942-3321 hughesdentistry.com DEVELOPERS First Eastern Development Company, LLC John Newton (610) 842-8224 firsteasterndc.com Legend Properties David DePetris (610) 941-4034 lpre.com Mark Lane Properties Mark Sherman (215) 510-6399 marklaneproperties.com New Heritage Properties, LLC Crosby Wood (610) 383-9800 newheritageproperties.com DISTILLERY Springhouse Spirits Distillery Alexander Demars (610) 593-7348 springhousespirits.com ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Chester County Economic Development Council Mike Grigalonis (610) 321-8227 ccedcpa.com Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance Sonia Huntzinger (484) 786-8896 2ndcenturyalliance.org

——For

ECON Partners, Inc. Coleen Terry (717) 418-0066 econpartnersinc.com EDUCATION Chester County Futures Ryan Walter (610) 458-9926 ccfutures.org Chester County Intermediate Unit Kristina Goodwin (484) 237-5153 cciu.org See ad pg. 3 Chester County Technical College High School Jill Stoltzfus (484) 593-5100 tchsbrandywine.org Coatesville Area School District Tomas Hanna (610) 466-2400 casdschool.com Delaware County Community College Linda LeFevre (610) 359-5131 dccc.edu Harcum College Coatesville Evelyn Santana (610) 525-4100 harcum.edu Kutztown University Small Business Development Center Kecia Sturdivant (484) 646-4002 kutztownbdc.org Octorara Area School District Lisa McNamara `(610) 593-8238 octorara.k12.pa.us See ad pg. 15 Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic Elementary School Christen Dunn (610) 384-5961 popejohnpaul2sch.org Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Michael DeGroft (717) 299-7701 stevenscollege.edu Universal Technical Institute Anthony Castrovillo (610) 458-5595 uti.edu Williamson College of the Trades Jay Merillat (610) 566-1776 williamson.edu ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS B.J. Baldwin Electric Ned Baldwin (717) 351-1500 bjbalwdin.com Denmans Electrical Services, Inc. Jeffrey Denman (484) 228-8111 denmanelectric.com

Electrical Plus Jeremy Mueller (484) 459-4940 electricalplus.net G.A. Vietri, Inc. Greg Vietri (610) 857-1110 gavietri.com See ad pg. 21 Kendall Electric Patrick Melvin (610) 832-9000 kendallelectric.com William S. Malany & Sons, Inc. Chad Lease (610) 436-4023 malanyelectric.com EMERGENCY SERVICES Chester County Department of Emergency Services George Crowding (610) 344-5000 chesco.org/214/emergency-services Chester County DES - Public Safety Training Campus John Gillespie (610) 344-4241 chesco.org/des Keystone Valley Fire Department Brian Gathercole (610) 857-3232 kvfd8.com Keystone Valley Regional Fire District Neil Vaughn (484) 571-9686 kvfd8.com West End Fire Company #3 Gina Langan westendfireco.com EMPLOYMENT & TRAINING SERVICES CareerLink Jeanne O’Brien (610) 280-1013 pacareerlinkchesco.org Chester County OIC Joyce Chester (610) 692-2345 ccoic.org ENERGY SERVICES Electric Advisors Consulting, Inc. Frank Lacey (610) 793-2809 electricadvisorsconsulting.com Kauffman Gas, Inc. Ken Kauffman (610) 593-5063 kauffmangas.com Rhoads Energy Family of Companies Heather Rineer (610) 857-1650 rhoadsenergy.com See ad pg. 43 ENGINEERS Bogia Engineering, Inc. Donald Haas (610) 678-3071 bogiaeng.com

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Continued on next page 61

Directory Continued from previous page CAE Engineering, LLC Craig Aukett (267) 251-5861 engineerca.com See ad pg. 48 Carroll Engineering Corporation Thomas Wilkes (484) 450-8475 Edward B. Walsh & Associates, Inc. Andy Eberwin (610) 903-0060 ebwalshinc.com Herbert E. MacCombie, Jr. P.E. Consulting Engineers and Surveyors, Inc. Dave Porter (610) 356-9550 herbert-e-maccombie-jr-pe-consulting. business.site Hydraterra Professionals Joe Boldaz (610) 942-3000 hydraterrapro.com Koenig Engineering Christine McAnally (610) 423-6600 koenigengr.com McMahon Associates, Inc. Natasha Manbeck (610) 594-9995 mcmahonassociates.com Padula Engineering Company Mark Padula (610) 696-9900 padulaengineering.com See ad pg. 45 RETTEW Associates, Inc. Peter Chronowski (717) 394-3721 rettew.com RPM Engineering, LLC John Baptista (610) 470-0247 rpmengllc.com Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. Randy Waltermyer (610) 326-3100 trafficpd.com ENTERTAINMENT Air Ventures Balloon Flights Deb Harding (484) 753-2598 air-ventures.com Revival Productions, Inc. Heather Grayberg (484) 378-0047 revival-productions.com The Golf Zone Family Fun Center (610) 942-3000 golfzoneproshop.com The Lukens Band Mike Givler (610) 383-4197 lukensband.org

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS Coventry Environmental Steven Ohrwashchel (484) 639-4578 covenv.com Envera Michael Matheny (484) 593-4002 envera.com Mahoney Environmental Brenda McNeil (610) 425-1289 mahoneyes.com Sovereign Environmental Group Larry Johnson (610) 383-9919 sovereignenvironmental.com EXCAVATING Bore It, Inc. Rick Barbato (610) 496-2949 boreitinc.com See ad pg. 52

FINANCIAL SERVICES Gary Pawliczek Gary Pawliczek (610) 563-5853 retirewithgary.com Penn Rise Advisors Karl Klingmann II (610) 269-8363 pennriseadvisors.com See ad pg. 53

FIRE & WATER DAMAGE CLEANUP and RESTORATION SERVPRO of Central Chester County Dave Lyman (610) 524-0211 servprocentralchestercounty.com See ad pg. 57 SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford Cliff Masscotte (610) 268-8620 servprokennettsquareoxford.com See ad pg. 57 FITNESS EveryBody Yoga & Wellness Tabathe Wallace (610) 570-7614 everybodyyogaandwellness.com YMCA of Greater Brandywine, Brandywine Branch Jessica Rigo (610) 380-9622 ymcagbw.org FLORISTS Blue Moon Florist Ami Trost (610) 873-7900 bluemoonflorist.com Coatesville Flower Shop Greg DePedro (610) 384-2677 coatesvilleflowershop.net FUNERAL SERVICES Harris Mountain Funeral Home & Cremation Service Kevin Mountain (610) 384-1091 harrismountain.com

——Fall/Winter

James J. Terry Funeral Home Greg Froio (484) 378-7210 jamesterryfuneralhome.com Wentz Funeral Home Kirstin Wentz McElroy (610) 384-0318 wentzfuneralhome.com White Willows Memorial Design Fay Monte (717) 442-9001 whitewillowsmemorials.com FURNITURE Greg Pilotti Furniture Makers Greg Pilotti (484) 764-6956 gpfurnituremakers.com Link Interiors Kimberly Duke (215) 514-9173 linkinteriors.net GIFT SHOP Homestead Studios on Main Tracy McClaskey (484) 718-3043 homestead-studios.com See ad pg. 20 GOLF COURSES Applecross Country Club John Harte (484) 692-1010 applecrosscc.com Coatesville Country Club Tom Risenberg (610) 384-3200 coatesvillecountryclub.com See ad pg. 25 French Creek Golf Club Thad Fortin (610) 913-6330 frenchcreekgolf.com Honeybrook Golf Club Donna Horvath (610) 273-0207 honeybrookgolf.com See ad pg. 41 Ingleside Golf Club Chris Ward (610) 384-9128 golfingleside.com Mocassion Run Golf Club Curtis King (610) 593-2600 moccasinrun.com GOVERNMENT l COUNTY Chester County Commissioner Marian Moskowitz (610) 344-6100 chesco.org Chester County Commissioner Josh Maxwell (610) 344- 6100 chesco.org Chester County Commissioner Michelle Kickline (610) 344-6031 chesco.org Chester County Commissioners Office Becky Brain (610) 344-6100 chesco.org

2022 • Volume 11——

Chester County Department of Community Development Pat Bokovitz (610) 344-6900 chesco.org Chester County DES - Public Safety Training Campus John Gillespie (610) 344-4100 chesco.org/des Chester County Health Department Mary Tedesco (610) 344-5368 chesco.org/health Chester County Planning Commission Brian O’Leary (610) 344-5285 chesco.org Chester County Recorder of Deeds Chris Pielli (610) 344-6330 chesco.org/recorder GOVERNMENT l MUNICIPAL Atglen Borough Caren Andrews (610) 593-6854 atglen.org Borough of South Coatesville Allen Smith (610) 384-1700 south-coatesville.org Caln Township Kristen Denne (610) 384-0600 calntownship.org Christiana Borough Michele (Bobbi) Maser (610) 593-5199 christianaboro.com City of Coatesville James Logan (610) 384-0300 coatesville.org East Brandywine Township Luke Reven (610) 269-8230 ebranywine.org East Fallowfield Township Scott Swichar (610) 384-7144 eastfallowfield.org East Nantmeal Township Susan Rutherford (610) 458-5780 eastnantmeal.org Elverson Borough Lori Kolb (610) 286-6420 elversonboro.org Highland Township Barbara Davis (610) 857-1791 highlandtwp1853.org Honey Brook Borough Chandler Matlock (610) 273-2020 honeybrookborough.net Honey Brook Township Kristy Deischer-Eddy (610) 273-3970 honeybrooktwp.com

Modena Borough Jennifer Daywalt (610) 384-6777 boroughofmodena.org Newlin Township Gail Abel (610) 486-1141 newlintownship.org Parkesburg Borough Josh Mellinger 610) 857-2616 parkesburg.org Sadsbury Township Tammy Russell (610) 857-9503 sadsburytwp.org Valley Township Joy Hurst (610) 384-5751 valleytownship.org Wallace Township Betty Randzin (610) 942-2880 wallace@wallacetwp.org West Bradford Township Justin Yaich (610) 269-4174 westbradford.org West Brandywine Township Dale Barnett (610) 380-8200 wbrandywine.org West Caln Township Thomas Siedenbuehl (610) 384-5643 westcaln.org West Fallowfield Township Gina Wheeler (610) 593-5916 westfallowfieldtownship.org West Nantmeal Township Deborah Kolpak (610) 286-9722 westnantmeal.com West Sadsbury Township Patti Piersol (610) 857-5969 westsadsburytwp.org Western Chester County Council of Goverments Josh Mellinger (610) 384-9550 wcccog.com GOVERNMENT l ELECTED OFFICIALS Senator Carolyn T. Comitta 19th District (610) 692-2112 pasenatorcomitta.com Senator Katie Muth 44th District (717) 576-0376 senatormuth.com State Representative Tim Hennessey 26th District (610) 326-2626 rephennessey.com State Representative John Lawrence 13th District (610) 869-1602 replawrence.com

State Representative Danielle Friel Otten 155th District (484) 200-8259 pahouse.com/FrielOtten State Representative Christina Sappey 158th District (717) 884-3459 pahouse.com/158/contact State Representative Dan Williams 74th District (484) 200-8256 pahouse.com/Williams U.S. Congressman Chrissy Houlahan 6th District (310) 346-9775 houlahan.house.gov U.S. Senator, Bob Casey, Jr. (215) 405-9660 casey.senate.gov U.S. Senator Patrick Toomey (215) 241-1090 toomey.senate.gov GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN Blue Dog Printing & Design Debi Friedmann (610) 430-7992 getbluedog.com Hyland Graphic Design & Advertising Matthew Weis (484) 879-6145 hylandgraphics.com Graphics on the Move LLC Joshua Mellinger (610) 857-3610 graphicsonthemove.com RUBI Digital, LLC Dwayne Hallager (484) 908-0253 digitalrubi.com GROCERY STORES Crop’s Fresh Marketplace Chad Cropper (484) 593-2665 cropsmarketplace.com See ad pg. 29 Kimberton Whole Foods Becca Settle (610) 590-5011 kimbertonwholefoods.com Triple Fresh Jim Petro (610) 384-5037 triplefresh.net See ad pg. 17 HARDWARE STORES Hatt’s Industrial Supplies & True Value Chip Clavier (610) 384-1954 hatts.com See ad pg. 49 HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ChesPenn Health Services, Inc. Tamara Fox (610) 383-3888 chespenn.org Compassionate Care Gary Levin (484) 905-1050

Elite Therapy Solutions Patrick Kinzeler (610) 547-3035 etsclinics.net Elverson - Honey Brook Area EMS Steven Jones (610) 286-8925 elversonems.org Lancaster General Health Parkesburg (610) 857-6639 lancastergeneralhealth.org See ad pg. 2 Levin Luminais Chronister Eye Associates Paul Fernandes (610) 384-9100 lleaeyes.com NovaCare Rehabilitation Amy Emrey (610) 273-4304 novacare.com HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING Barber Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Darryl Barber (610) 273-2369 darrylbarberandsons.com Joe Ward Plumbing & Heating, Inc. Joe Ward (610) 593-6474 LDD Services LLC Keith Davis (610) 506-2845 Rhoads Energy Family of Companies Jennifer Goldbach (610) 857-1650 rhoadsenergy.com See ad pg. 43 Summers & Zim’s Joseph Zimmerman (610) 593-5129 sumzim.com See ad pg. 47 HOME IMPROVEMENTS AVAC Restoration Vichi Ionescu (610) 563-3485 Balla Custom Services Tara Balla (484) 786-9897 ballacustomservices.com Budget Blinds of Coatesville Germaine Schumann (610) 643-4929 budgetblinds.com/coatesville Cellarium Wine Cellars Donald Cochran (610) 721-9698 cellarium.com Certapro Painters of Western Chester County John Fecile (484) 283-5003 certapro.com Chester County Fencing Chris Kaminski (610) 273-3300 chestercountyfencing.com

Chester County Tile & Design Jason Phillips (610) 380-5040 chestercountytile.com See ad pg. 19 Compass Hardwoods Greg Pilotti (610) 857-2600 compass-hardwoods.com Five Point Renovation & Remodel Rob Wishneski (610) 383-2856 fivepointconstruction.com See ad pg. 12 Good Works, Inc. Robert Beggs (610) 383-6311 goodworksinc.org Juan Resendiz Contractor, LLC Juan Resendiz (610) 350-5013 gojrcontractor.com Milanese Remodeling Mark Milanese (610) 384-5820 milaneseremodeling.com Morinelli Powerwashing Joseph Morinelli (610) 316-6422 morinellipowerwashing.com See ad pg. 33 Top Notch Home Construction LLC. Jesse Huffman (610) 469-4387 Topnotchhomeconstruction.com HOME INSPECTIONS Ground Up Home Inspections Kevin Kerr (610) 324-3064 grounduphomeinspections.com See ad pg. 22 HOTELS Courtyard Marriott Coatesville Christina Ferriello (610) 380-8700 courtyardcoatesville.com Home2Suites by Hilton Downingtown Patti Shores (610) 873-1200 downingtownroute30.home2suitesbydowningtown.com SpringHill Suites Holly Bright (610) 321-9300 marriott.com/phlsx Stottsville Inn Michael Quinn (484) 718-5121 stottsvilleinn.com HUMAN SERVICES Crime Victims’ Center of Chester County, Inc. Christine Zaccarelli (610) 388-1218 cvofcc.org Greater Deliverance Development Outreach Stephanie Duncan (484) 886-6413

Continued on next page ——For

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Directory Continued from previous page INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERED GRAPHIC SYSTEMS Uticom Systems, Inc. Paul Keeler (610) 857-2655 uticom.net INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Ballymore Stephanie Brown (610) 593-5062 ballymore.com Northwestern Chester County Rentals Kathy Duca (610) 857-1110 nccrllc.com INSURANCE Beaver Insurance Agency Larry Beaver (484) 356-6455 allstate.com/larrybeaver Breuninger Insurance Joseph Regenski (610) 384-1980 binsured.com See ad pg. 37 C. Kenneth Grant Insurance & Real Estate Barry Norton (610) 384-6260 grantinsuranceandrealestate.com Chester & Associates, LLC Penny Reeder (610) 383-3884 rswinsurance.com Keystone HMO CHIP Program (215) 241-9706 ibx.com/chip Knies Insurance Group Greg Knies (610) 273-3756 kniesinsurance.com Paradigm Insurance Agency Derek Chandler (610) 422-3530 pfgiusa.com The Wright Agency Jonathan Wright (610) 269-6115 wrightagencyinsurance.com See ad pg. 20 US Health Advisors Harry Lilley (484) 554-4989 ushagent.com/harrylilley VanDyne Insurance Donna VanDyne (717) 430-2798 vandyneinsurance.com Whitford Insurance Network, Inc. Bob Ward (610) 524-7860 whitfordinsurance.com

LANDSCAPING & HARDSCAPING Bartlett Tree Experts Kevin Weber (610) 295-3257 bartlett.com Blue Cord Property Care Bradley Fink (484) 796-1586 bluecordpropertycare.com Bonner Landscape Contractors Ryan Bonner (484) 886-2925 bonnerlc.com Forrest Hardscape & Landscape Matthew Siter (484) 753-4434 forresthardscape.com Wills Property Maintenance Richard Wills (610) 384-1624 willspropertymaintenance.com LAUNDROMATS Rainbow Washhouse Steve Dovidio (610) 637-7636 Zeke’s, Inc. Joseph DiSciullo (610) 384-5119 zekesincpa.com LIBRARIES Atglen Public Library Robbyn Kehoe (610) 593-6848 ccls.org/158/atglen-public-library Coatesville Area Public Library Penny Williams (610) 384-4115 coatesvilleareapubliclibrary.org Honey Brook Community Library Jennifer Spade (610) 273-3303 honeybrooklibrary.org Parkesburg Library Kathleen Hood (610) 857-5165 parkesburglibrary.org LIFE COACH Toni Schmidt Life Coaching Toni Schmidt (484) 252-6161 MAIL SHIPPING SERVICES The UPS Store Print Shop Downingtown Bruce Cobb (610) 518-5010 theupsstore.com See ad pg. 14

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS Transfers of Learning, LLC Tasha Delaney (610) 466-7521 transfersoflearning.com See ad pg. 14

MANUFACTORING 3-East, LLC Matt Gilbertson (844) 503-3278 3-east.com

——Fall/Winter

ACR Machine, Inc. Steve Tury (610) 383-6150 acrmachine.com Aerzen USA Corportation Cheri Hager (610) 380-0244 aerzen.com American Roll Suppliers Karen Neuhauser (610) 857-2988 Armstrong Engineering Associates,Inc. Robin Austin (610) 436-6080 armstrong-chemtec.com Brandywine Valley Fabricators Josh Crane (610) 384-7440 brandywinevalleyfab.com See ad pg. 5 Cigas Machine Shop, Inc. Craig Cigas (610) 384-5239 cigasmachine.com Cleveland-Cliffs Coatesville Al Fuller (610) 383-2000 clevelandcliffs.com See ad pg. 31 Delaware Valley Concrete Co., Inc. Lisa Diliberto (215) 675-8900 delawarevalleyconcrete.com See ad pg. 55 H2O Connected Susan Springsteen (610) 246-9328 leakalertor.com JGM Fabricators & Constructors, LLC Joseph Messner, Jr. (610) 873-0081 jpmusa.com John Rock, Inc. Bill MacCauley (610) 857-8080 johnrock.com Keystone Turbine Services, LLC John Fraser (610) 268-6200 kts.aero.com Koenig Engineering Christine McAnally (610) 423-6600 http://www.koenigengr.com Pacer Industries, Inc. Joseph Moran (610) 383-4200 pacergrindingwheels.com Paulsonbilt Pamela Barranco (610) 384-6112 paulsonbilt.com Roberts Filter Group Michelle Guerrero (610) 583-3131 robertsfilter.com

2022 • Volume 11——

MARKETING, PROMOTION & PUBLIC RELATIONS Communication Works Now Judith Lee (610) 368-2058 communicationworksnow.com MEMORIALS & MONUMENTS White Willows Memorial Design Fay Monte (717) 442-9001 whitewillowsmemorials.com METAL FABRICATION American Roll Supplies, Inc. Karen Neushauser (610) 857-2988 Brandywine Valley Fabricators Josh Crane (610) 384-7440 brandywinevalleyfab.com See ad pg. 5

MORTGAGE SERVICES Guaranteed Rate Jason Ashe (610) 864-6357 rate.com/jasonashe MUSEUMS Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art Sheila Fleming (610) 388-8389 brandywine.org/conservancy National Iron & Steel Heritage Museum/Graystone Society Jim Ziegler (610) 384-9282 steelmuseum.org NETWORKING GROUPS CrossTALKS Soraya Gutman (302) 643-9195 yourcrosstalks.com Women’s Business Connection of Chester County Bette Cowles-Friedlander (484) 823-0110 wbcchesco.com OPHTHALMOLOGISTS OPTOMETRISTS & OPTICAL LABS Levin Luminais Chronister Eye Associates Paul Fernandez (610) 384-9100 lleaeyes.com PAINTING Certapro Painters of Western Chester County John Fecile (484) 283-5003 certapro.com PARKES & RECREATION Chester County Parkes & Preservation Dave Stauffer (610) 932-2589 chesco.org PET SERVICES Stotzfus Feed & Supply Dean Stoltzfus (7170 442-8280 stotltzfusfeedandsupply.com

PHARMACIES Honey Brook Pharmacy Tony Scalies (610) 273-7300 honeybrookpharmacy.com\ Hopewell Road Pharmacy Tony Scalies (610) 269-0002 hopewellroadpharmacy.com Quik-Stop Pharmacy Alissa Steele-Griffith (610) 384-6100 qstoppharmacy.com The Compounding Pharmacist Kevin Hennessy (610) 692-8770 thecompoundrx.com See ad pg. 48 PHOTOGRAPHY Aleesha Nicole Photography Aleesha Howe (484) 824-1897 aleeshanicolephotos.com PLUMBING CMC, Inc. Chris Horst (717) 442-9890 cmcinc.com Barber Plumbing & Heating Inc. Darryl Barber (610) 273-2369 darrylbarberandsons.com Joe Ward Plumbing& Heating, Inc. Joe Ward (610) 593-6474 J-S All Things Plumbing Bob Sparr (610) 500-4373 bobsparr.wix.com/allthingsplumbing Summers & Zims Joseph Zimmerman (610) 593-5129 sumzim.com See ad pg. 47 Tri-County Water Services, Inc. Brent D. Hershey (610) 857-1740 tricowater.com POWERWASHING Morinelli Powerwashing Joseph Morinelli (610) 316-6422 morinellipowerwashing.com See ad pg. 33 PRINTING SERVICES Blue Dog Printing & Design Debi Friedmann (610) 430-7992 getbluedog.com Tam Arte Design Studio Rick Milne (610) 269-7518 tamartedesign.com The UPS Store Print Shop Downingtown Bruce Cobb (610) 518-5010 theupsstore.com See ad pg. 14

——For

PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS Blue Dog Printing & Design Debi Friedmann (610) 430-7992 getbluedog.com Image Ink Janet Petsko (610) 518-5181 image-ink.biz Paragon Business Gifts, Inc. Greg Krajewski (610) 857-5506 paragonbusinessgifts.com Zakback, Inc. Bruce Korn (610) 407-0285 zakback.com PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE Blue Cord Property Care Bradley Fink (484) 796-1586 bluecordpropertycare.com Clarel Janitorial/Maintenance Services Corp. Claudia Muntean (484) 378-0827 clarelmaintenance.com Huston Properties Sharon Tandarich (610) 384-2666 hustonproperties.com Wills Property Maintenance, LLC Richard Wills (610) 384-1624 willspropertymaintenance.com Zeke’s, Inc. Joseph DiSciullo (610) 384-5119 zekesincpa.com PUBLISHER Chester County Press Randall Lieberman (610) 869-5553 chestercounty.com REAL ESTATE SERVICES All County Partnership Jim Reading (610) 608-0282 Brite Realty Services Thomas Taylor (610) 524-8285 briterealty.com Chris Anderson Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Chris Anderson (484) 753-2692 christineanderson.foxroach.com/ Coldwell Banker Preferred Kelly Brenenborg Kelly Brenenborg (267) 809-5008 kellybrenenborghomes.com First Liberty Partners Eric Stretch (610) 594-3900 firstlibertypartners.com High Associates, LTD Mike Bowser (610) 380-8437 highlandscenter.com

Keller Williams / Matt Gorham Real Estate Matt Gorham (610) 363-4340 callthebaldguy.com Lieberman Earley & Co. Philip Earley (610) 225-0900 liebermanearley.com Mark Lane Properties Mark Sherman (215) 510-6399 marklaneproperties.com Monica Watson Homes Monica Watson (610) 772-3013 MonicaWatsonHomes.com RE/MAX Professional Realty Laurie Keen Laurie Keen (610) 363-8444 teammatrixhomes.com RE/MAX Ace Realty Renzo Naimo (484) 712-0009 www.acerealtypa.com RECREATION Air Ventures Balloon Flights, Inc. Deb Harding (484) 753-2598 air-ventures.com The Golf Zone Family Fun Center (610) 942-9494 golfzoneproshop.com RECYCLING A.J. Blosenski, Inc. Anthony Blosenski (610) 942-2707 ajblosenski.com Chester County Solid Waste Authority Bob Watts (484) 796-4040 chestercswa.com RENEWABLE ENERGY Mahoney Environmental Services Brenda McNeil (610) 425-1289 mahoneyes.com RENTAL EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES Northwestern Chester County Rentals Kathy Duca (610) 857-1110 nccrllc.com RESIDENTAL EXTERIOR REMODELING Milanese Remodeling Mark Milanese (610) 384-5820 milaneseremodeling.com RESTAURANTS Animated Brewing Company Jared Castaldi (610) 448-9914 animatedbrewing.com Beaver Creek Tavern Stuart Deets (484) 593-0481 beavercreek-tavern.com

El Limon Taqueria Parkesburg Gus Colina (610) 839-8264 ellimontaquerias.com/ Greenside Grill / Honeybrook Golf Club Donna Horvath (610) 273-0207 greensidegrill.com See ad pg. 41 Harry’s Attic Tap & Rec Room John H. Lymberis (610) 857-2331 theatticloungeatharrys.com Harry’s Neighborhood Place / Sadsburyville Hotel, Inc. John H. Lymberis (610) 857-2331 harryshotdogs.com King’s Tavern Philip Ferro (484) 786-8120 kingstavern.net Lincoln Diner (610) 880-6662 Little Chef Family Restaurant Nick Lymberis (610) 384-3221 thelittlecheffamilyrestaurant.com\ Rocco and Anna’s Ristorante Italiano Rocco Pirozzi, Jr. (610) 857-1111 roccoandanna.com Shotgun Pub and Grille Curtis King (610) 593-2600 moccasinrun.com Sly Tom’s Take Out John Sly slytoms.com Stottsville Inn Michael Quinn (484) 718-5121 stottsvilleinn.com Surburban Brewing Company Corey Ross (610) 273-3106 suburbanbrewingco.com Victory Brewing Company Samantha Dardine (484) 718-5080 victorybeer.com ZING Sushi John H. Lymberis (610) 857-0001 zingsushi.com SECURITY 3-East, LLC Matt Gilbertson (844) 503-3278 3-east.com Signal 88 Security of Octorara Pete Mango (302) 298-3307 signal88.com The Protection Bureau Christine Pezzi (610) 903-4900 protectionbureau.com

news and events visit WesternChesterCounty.com and ChescoWest.com——

Continued on next page 65

Directory Continued from previous page Venture Property Protection, LLC Michael Amersek (267) 977-8706 securityvpp.com Witmer Public Safety Group, Inc. James Witmer (484) 288-6405 wpsginc.com SELF STORAGE Hidden Valley Self Storage Denyce Tober (610) 857-1778 hiddenvalleystorageparkesburg.com See ad pg. 30 SENIOR LIVING Brandywine Valley Active Aging Bill Pierce (610) 383-6900 bvactiveaging.org Freedom Village at Brandywine Nicole Rosella (610) 383-5100 fvbrandywine.com Harrison House of Chester County Jean Bryan (610) 384-6310 harrisonseniorliving.com Heatherwood Retirement Community Jessica Draves (610) 273-9301 heatherwoodretire.com See ad pg. 42 Tel Hai Retirement Community David Shenk (610) 273-9333 telhai.org SIGNS & BANNERS Blue Dog Printing & Design Debi Friedmann (610) 430-7992 getbluedog.com Denron Sign Company Vin McCormick (484) 885-3622 denronsigns.com FastSigns Exton Carrie Mengel (610) 280-6100 fastsigns.com Graphics on the Move LLC Joshua Mellinger (610) 857-3610 graphicsonthemove.com Tam Arte Design Studio Rick Milne (610) 269-7518 tamartdesign.com The UPS Store Print Shop Downingtown Bruce Cobb (610) 518-5010 theupsstore.com See ad pg. 14

SPA / SKINCARE Pieris Luxury Day Spa (610) 857-1656 pierisdayspa.com Reecie’s Soaps Amber & Reece Turner (215) 847-4365 reeciessoaps.com SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT 3-East, LLC Matt Gilbertson (844) 503-3278 3-east.com TELECOMMUNICATIONS CTDI Keith Montone (610) 793-8103 ctdi.com Comcast Jessica Sibley (610) 241-6617 comcast.com Gator Networking Services, Inc D/B/A H&R Telephones Jonathan Godley (215)499-9847 hrtelephones.com TOURISM Chester County Conference and Visitor’s Bureau - Brandywine Valley Travis Geiser (610) 719) 1730 brandywinevalley.com TRANSPORTATION Chester County Area Airport Authority Gary Hudson (610) 383-6057 chestercountyairport.com See ad pg. 7 Chester County Aviation Ethan Crane (610) 384-9005 chestercountyaviation.com See ad pg. 7 Signature Flight Support Blaise Sharkey (484) 786-0211 signatureflight.com See ad pg. 7 TMACC - Transportation Management Association Chester County P. Timonthy Phelps (610) 993-0911 tmacc.org Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. Randy Waltermeyer (610) 326-3100 trafficpd.com TREE CARE Bartlett Tree Experts Kevin Weber (610) 594-4740 bartlett.com The Tree Connection Ryan Sipple (484) 888-5360 treeconnection.us Wills Property Maintenance, LLC Richard Wills (610) 384-1624 willspropertymaintenance.com ——Fall/Winter

TRUCKING COMPANIES Independence Transport & Logistics, LLC Ed Simpson (610) 255-2118 UTILITIES Chester County Solid Waste Authority Bob Watts (610) 273-3771 chestercswa.org PECO Energy Company Scott Neumann (610) 725-7189 exeloncorp.com PECO Energy Company Michele Garrity (215) 841-5411 peco.com Pennsylvania American Water Company Justin Brame (610) 384-1776 amwater.com See ad pg. 30 VENDING COMPANIES Purple Penguin Vending, LLC Craig Nesson (484) 909-0648 purplepenguinvending.com VENUES Applecross Country Club John Harte (484) 692-1010 applecrosscc.com Casablanca: A Right Start Venue (484) 459-3351 rightstartcasablanca.com Coatesville Country Club Tom Riesenberg (610) 384-3200 coatesvillecountryclub.com See ad pg. 25 French Creek Golf Club Thad Fortin (610) 913-6330 frenchcreekgolf.com Honeybrook Golf Club Donna Horvath (610) 273-0207 honeybrookgolf.com See ad pg. 41 Midway Arches Jane Darnell (610) 934-2724 midwayarches.com Moccasin Run Golf Club / Shotgun Pub & Grille Curtis King (610) 593-2600 moccasinrun.com The Barn at Stoneybrooke Jenn Engle (717) 723-5183 thebarnatstoneybrooke.com VIDEO PRODUCTION & MULTIMEDIA Valley Creek Productions Justin Chan (215) 525-9904 valleycreekproductions.com See ad on back cover

2022 • Volume 11——

WATER PRODUCTS / FILTRATION H2O Connected Susan Springsteen (610) 246-9328 leakalertor.com Roberts Filter Group Michelle Guerrero (610) 583-3131 robertsfilter.com Tri-County Water Services, Inc. Brent D. Hershey (610) 857-1740 tricowater.com WASTEWATER Hydraterra Professionals Joe Boldaz (610) 942-3000 hydraterrapro.com WEB SITE DESIGN SERVICES CompNet, Inc. Mark Davis (610) 380-1314 compnetinc.com Mercurygraphix Brandon McLean (610) 639-4723 mercurygraphix.com Rubi Digital, LLC Dwayne Hallager (484) 908-0253 digitalrubi.com WELDING Pelet Welding, Inc. Douglas Pelet (610) 384-5048 peletwelding.com WINERY Stargazers Vineyard, LLC Jason Kirkpatrick (610) 486-0422 stargazersvineyard.com See ad pg. 32

YOGA / WELLNESS EveryBody Yoga & Wellness Tabathe Wallace (610) 570-7614 everybodyyogaandwellness.com YOUTH SERVICES Boy Scouts of America Chester County Council Jeffrey Spencer (610) 696-2900 cccbsa.org Bridge Academy and Community Center Jordan Crans (484) 467-6188 thebridgeacademy.org Coatesville Youth Initative Jarvis Berry (610) 380-0200 coatesvilleyouthiniative.org The Parkesburg Point Dwayne Walton (610) 857-3393 parkesburgpoint.com

Western Chester County Life Fall/Winter 2022

Articles inside

Honey Brook Community Partnership

Transportation Management Association of Chester County

Chamber

Parkesburg Action Committee

Brandywine Valley Fabricators

Beaver Insurance

Click Canyon, Husband and Wife Team

Chester County Planning Commission

Chester County Tile

Making home design dreams come true, ............................ Balla Custom Services

Letter from the Chamber President

Summers & Zim’s: The ‘Good-Natured Guys’

Coatesville 2nd Century Alliance

Roberts Filter Group

Chamber & Community Events

A 4th-generation family business, Wentz Funeral Home

Hatt’s Hardware