A hoppin' event
Businessess offer hope as economy slumpsBy MAUREEN ACQUINO and ERIN HIPPLE — Express Staff Writers
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Keiffer said it was a homecoming for not only the exhibitors who have come for the past 23 years, but also for those who make the EXPO so successful.
“Without the support of Lock Haven University we would not have a place to hold this event,” Keiffer said. The EXPO, which saw about 93 businesses participate, was held at the Student Recreation Center for the second year.
But what makes this year’s EXPO so different this year is the exhibitors’ desire to involve the community in a time of economic slump.
Omega Bank, which will be merging with First National Bank in the next few weeks, is offering new campaigns and products targeted to customers over the age of 50.
“We’re going to be offering a Lifestyle 50 account soon. We’re trying to target an area with a lot of customers,” said Leigh Young, Lock Haven branch manager, in response to questions on how the bank is staying on top of the economic downturn.
John Sharp, CEO of Horizon Federal Credit Union, said many people are keeping a tighter hold on their finances these days.
“People are saving more and switching to stable savings rates because of the market function,” Sharp said.
While this is good news for the credit union, other local businesses that rely on community income are facing hardships.
Zark Markovich of Markovich Construction believes advertising is not the way to go anymore when keeping business local. Instead, he believes personal contact with the community builds a stronger customer base.
“I do this show because I believe it’s important for me to get face-to-face contact with people, and I believe it works better than advertising,” he said. “It also keeps the business local.”
Markovich’s business, which has been around for 23 years, is based out of Woolrich and serves Clinton, Lycoming and Potter counties. And Markovich said he has seen the economy’s ups and downs during that time.
“It seems that the building of new homes has slowed down recently, but remodeling is on the rise,” Markovich said. “When the economy gets bad, you just have to keep digging in and try harder.”
One of the ways that John Haddad of MHP’s Energy Audits recommends people try harder is through small preventative home maintenance measures.
Haddad’s business , which has been serving Clinton, Centre, Blair and Mifflin counties for almost three years, focuses on offering energy-friendly solutions to households.
“Yes, it’s energy audits, but it’s also for people to prioritize their home improvements. I make recommendations that are most cost effective,” Haddad said.
For example, if a homeowner believes he has problems with windows, it could be related more closely to poor insulation, framing and air leakage, he explained.
“I offer no-cost and low-cost repairs and also smaller versions of solutions such as furnaces. Health issues, durability, maintenance, moisture and comfort are also factors of energy efficiency,” he said.
Haddad agrees that there are many easy solutions that homeowners can complete themselves, and these smaller fixes can be the one-time preventative measure that ensures saving money, time and energy costs forever.
While financial savings plans and do-it-yourself home maintenance repairs are usually at the top of the list when the economy turns sour, some say entertainment and personal pampering do not have to take a backseat.
Audrey Yearick of Time-Out Wellness Center and Day Spa believes the stress people are encountering from a poor economy actually encourages trips to the day spa.
“Stress leads to pain ... and pain leads to people needing a massage,” Yearick said. “But it’s more than just pampering, it’s promoting a better lifestyle. Our motto is ‘Feel better, live better.’”
Yearick said the day spa, which has been in business for two and a half years, is seeing a steady increase in business.
“We’re expanding to offer more features such as couples’ massage and aromatherapy classes. Our business gets by through word of mouth,” she said.
Another local business that encourages community involvement through word of mouth is the Millbrook Playhouse.
“This year we’re encouraging people to stay local for vacation and use community venues such as the Playhouse,” said Jo Anne Hoberman, secretary of the board, and Matt DeSantis, general manager.
The Playhouse, whose regular summer season begins June 12, is in its 45th year and hopes to focus more on efficient advertising plans this summer.
“With the economy the way that it is, we’re just trying to get people to focus on local means of entertainment,” DeSantis said.
And for those who are having a hard time finding extra cash for entertainment purposes, Susque-View Homes may have an answer.
Lorraine Arcadipane, director of Community Service at Susque-View Home in Lock Haven, noted her facility offers free aerobics classes to the public.
“We pay university students to come down and teach the aerobics classes, and we also offer free bingo twice each month,” Arcadipane said. “Also, anyone in the community can use our conference rooms for free if it’s for a nonprofit organization.”
Such organizations include cancer groups, support groups and even scuba certification.
Arcadipane went on to say that Susque-View’s atrium is also a popular place for community members to walk , and the newly designed fountain provides an aesthetically-pleasing attraction.
“We’re a safe place to meet that mixes the young with the old,”she said.
