By Nancy Moffett Walk into the B&B Pools store located in the Shoppes at Hellertown, and the first thing you’ll notice is a wall loaded with awards given to Barry Bartakovits Custom Pools (BBCP) by the Northeast Spa & Pool Association, Penn Jersey Pool & Spa, Lehigh Valley Builders Association…more than 30 from various organizations. The latest is a source of p... »
By Nancy Moffett In 1975, Frank Rymdeika put a wood-burning fireplace in his home, but he looked high and low locally for the accessories he needed. They were not to be had–which sparked an idea. Why not open his own fireplace store in the tiny borough of Dublin in Bucks County? Since that time, Rymdeika and his family have been helping people stay toasty-warm by supplying... »
By Frederick Jerant Although major sporting goods chains strive to be all things to all athletes, Aardvark Sports Shop in Bethlehem has stayed focused on its original niche—shoes and accessories for serious runners. The store was founded in 1984 by Chuck Kovacs. Kovacs ran the Bethlehem business on Guetter Street for just four years before selling it to Richard Haines, who... »
By Nancy Moffett A strong American brand with global reach. A design authority with a modern attitude. A high-quality manufacturer…We are all of these things, but, most important, at Ethan Allen we are people who love our homes. And we believe passionately that everyone should love theirs.” ~ Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen CEO. Almost 30 years ago, Mark Kweller built the fam... »
By Nancy Moffett The smell of freshly cut wood fills the air. The buzz of saws, planers, drills and routers fills the ear. At each work station, craftsmen bend intently over their work, barely noticing visitors passing by. A young man readies a spray booth to apply a finish coat to the next project. Along the way, carefully drawn plans guide every move. Here is where dream... »
By Kathryn M. D’Imperio Try to imagine your life without cable television. Now envision a day without telephone or Internet. It’s a dramatic change from the interactive, fully connected lives most of us live. These modern conveniences comprise the three primary service offerings by the Lehigh Valley’s only locally owned and operated cable communications company, Service El... »
By Kathryn M. D’Imperio There’s just something different about shopping at a local, family-owned business. When compared to chain stores, family-run stores offer a special level of personality and service to their customers: they make their guests feel at home from the moment they walk through the door. The same is true for locally owned family furniture store, Royal Furni... »
By Kathryn M. D’Imperio Sparkling paint and shiny chrome, a plush luxury interior, an impressive sound system, and that all-too-familiar feeling of acceleration that soon turns to exhilaration… Daniels BMW knows this feeling well. As one of the older BMW dealers in the United States, these guys have been around long enough to understand the emotion that goes into buying an... »
By Kathryn M. D’Imperio Everyone’s heard of curb appeal. It’s a fancy way of describing how nice a home looks from the street when passing through a neighborhood, especially when shopping for a new home. Paver walkways and landscaping greatly enhance the external beauty of a home, but sometimes it can be challenging to design the perfect outdoor setting surrounding your ho... »
John Gehman is one of a long line of family who have lived on and cared for their land in the “butter valley” (so called for its history of dairy farming) lying between Hereford and Boyertown. The Gehmans have owned the property since 1788. But the mooing of cows is a distant memory in this corner of the valley. Today you’re more likely to hear the thwack of golf balls and... »
